Statistical Society of Australia upcoming events

SSA Statistical Education Section webinar: Rethinking Student Learning and Assessment in AI-Supported Classrooms (19 Nov 2026)

Thu, 19 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The Statistical Education section of the Statistical Society of Australia proudly presents a webinar titled "Rethinking Student Learning and Assessment in AI-Supported Classrooms" delivered by Emanuela Furfaro.

Date: Thursday 19 November 2026

Time: 11:00 am AEDT

Format: Online via Zoom. Details provided upon registration

Abstract: Rethinking Student Learning and Assessment in AI-Supported Classrooms

How can we support student learning with generative AI while ensuring students still engage in meaningful thinking? This webinar introduces LLteacher, an open-source tool for designing AI-mediated learning activities in statistics courses. Emanuela Furfaro will demonstrate the tool, share experiences from its use in a large introductory statistics course, and discuss how AI-supported learning can balance student support with productive struggle.

The session will include time for Q&A and discussion.

Presenter Bio: Emanuela Furfaro

Emanuela Furfaro is an Associate Teaching Professor and the Undergraduate Program Coordinator. She has a strong commitment to connecting with learners, understanding where they are and creating opportunities to better support their learning experience. Her research has a highly interdisciplinary aspect and it focuses on the development and application of statistical methods and models with collaborations in the field of social sciences, psychology, and demography.

Key Learnings from attending webinar

Participants will:

Explore how conversational AI can support learning and assessment in statistics.
Identify approaches that promote conceptual understanding and critical thinking.
Consider how to balance AI support with productive struggle in student learning.

SSA NSW Branch 2026 Annual Dinner (19 Nov 2026)

Thu, 19 Nov 2026 08:00:00 GMT

Join the New South Wales Branch of the Statistical Society of Australia for the Annual Dinner after the presentation of the JB Douglas Award and Annual Lecture.

Date: Thursday 19 November 2026

Time: 7:00 pm til late AEDT

Venue: Swissôtel, 68 Market St, Sydney

Format: In person

The dinner will be in a buffet setting, so please make sure to specify if you have any dietary requirements upon registration.

To support our early career and student Statisticians community we are providing a discount:

If you are a student or transitional members, you will be able to use your corresponding registration type provided directly;
If you are not currently in the two membership type but within 5 years post your last Statistics degree, please send an email to secretary.nswbranch@statsoc.org.au with your name, last degree name, name of institution, time of your gradation, membership status and current position, we will verify and assist you with your registration.

Cancellation Policy:

Occasionally events have to be cancelled due to a lack of subscription. Early registration ensures that this will not happen.

Cancellations received prior to two weeks before the event will be refunded, minus the Stripe processing fee (1.65% + $0.30 per transaction) and an SSA administration fee of $20.

From then onward no part of the registration fee will be refunded. However, registrations are transferable within the same organisation. Please advise any changes to events@statsoc.org.au.

ADSN Pre-Conference Workshop: Modern Data Linkage Methods and Implementation Using Splink (25 Nov 2026)

Tue, 24 Nov 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Pre-Conference Workshop

Linked data assets, such as Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA), are a rich source of information, allowing the analysis of interconnected systems such as healthcare, government services, education, and taxation. But the creation of these assets is not always straightforward, as often there is not a deterministic way of identifying individuals across datasets, such as with a unique identifier. Probabilistic data linkage methods can help resolve this problem by comparing fields common across datasets and give an estimate of how likely two records belong to the same individual.

Join us for a separate one-day pre-conference workshop on probabilistic linking using the Python package Splink, presented by Aymon Wuolanne and Daniel Fearnley from the Data Linking Methodology section in the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The workshop will cover the theory underpinning probabilistic linking, as well as how to perform a basic Splink linkage. It will also explore advanced techniques for customising Splink for specific use cases. No prior background in probabilistic linking theory is required, although a basic understanding of Python is recommended.

The workshop will be held day before the Australian Data Science Network Conference and is open to everyone, not just conference delegates.

Please note that workshop registration is separate from conference registration.

Registration will close on Monday 2 November.

Date: Wednesday 25 November 2026

Times (AEDT): 9:00 am - 5:00 pm (Schedule will be released closer to the date)

Venue: ABS House, Belconnen, ACT

Format: In person

Key Learnings:

Participants will come away with an understanding of the fundamental methods underlying probabilistic linkage and how to perform linkages using Splink.

Presenter Bio:

Daniel Fearnley

Daniel Fearnley joined the ABS in 2011, and has spent the last 3 years in Data Linking Methodology where he has led the team responsible for assessing the feasibility of the probabilistic linkage tool Splink, and the transition to using Splink as the default linking tool for all ABS person-level linkages. His team won the 2026 APS Data Award in Data System and Innovation for their work on Splink. Outside of work, Daniel enjoys cooking and running (because he likes cooking) and earlier this year he and his wife watched every game of the FIFA World Cup.

Aymon Wuolanne

Aymon Wuolanne joined the ABS as a graduate in 2022 and is currently a methodologist in Data Linking Methodology. In 2025 he won the Ken Foreman Award for his work on building the Person Linkage Spine using Splink, and was a member of the team that won the 2026 APS Data Award in Data System and Innovation for their work on Splink. Outside of work, Aymon enjoys walking, reading, video games and running much slower than Daniel.

Cancellation Policy:

Occasionally events have to be cancelled due to a lack of subscription. Early registration ensures that this will not happen.

Cancellations received prior to two weeks before the event will be refunded, minus the Stripe processing fee (1.65% + $0.30 per transaction) and an SSA administration fee of $20.

From then onward no part of the registration fee will be refunded. However, registrations are transferable within the same organisation. Please advise any changes to events@statsoc.org.au.

For more information on this event, please contact Ben Harrap: benjamin.harrap@anu.edu.au

ADSN Conference 2026 (26 Nov 2026)

Wed, 25 Nov 2026 22:00:00 GMT

Join us in the nation’s capital for the annual Australian Data Science Network Conference. This year’s theme is From Data to Decisions, which focuses on impactful data science that informs decisions, changes minds, and shapes policy.

Conference registration covers both days of the conference and includes registration for the social event in the evening of the first day.

Regular registrations closed on Monday 2 November. A limited number of late registrations are available, please contact Ben Harrap for more information (benjamin.harrap@anu.edu.au)

Visit the conference website for more details: Australian Data Science Network Conference 2026 – ADSN2026

Cancellation Policy

Refunds: Cancellations made more than two weeks before the event are eligible for a refund, minus: Stripe processing fee: 1.65% + $0.30 per transaction and SSA administration fee: $20. No refunds will be issued for cancellations made within two weeks of the event.

Transfer of Registration: Registrations can be transferred to another person within the same organisation at any time. Please notify changes via email: events@statsoc.org.au

ADSN Conference 2026 (27 Nov 2026)

Thu, 26 Nov 2026 22:00:00 GMT

Conference registration covers both days of the conference and includes registration for the social event in the evening of the first day.

Regular registrations closed on Monday 2 November. A limited number of late registrations are available, please contact Ben Harrap for more information (benjamin.harrap@anu.edu.au)

Visit the conference website for more details: Australian Data Science Network Conference 2026 – ADSN2026

Cancellation Policy

Transfer of Registration: Registrations can be transferred to another person within the same organisation at any time. Please notify changes via email: events@statsoc.org.au

SSA ECSSN and NZSA SECS joint webinar: Building a Career in Uncertain Times (27 Nov 2026)

Fri, 27 Nov 2026 01:00:00 GMT

The Early Career & Student Statisticians Network (ECSSN) of the Statistical Society of Australia invites you to a joint webinar with the New Zealand Statistical Association's Student and Early Career Statisticians Network (NZSA SECS). The presentation titled “Building a career in uncertain times” will be delivered by Shaun Hendy.

Date: Friday 27 November 2026

Time: 10:00 am AEST / 11:00 am AEDT / 1:00 pm NZDT

Format: Online via Zoom. Details provided upon registration

Abstract: Building a career in uncertain times

In March 2020, I found myself modelling a pandemic for the New Zealand government with patchy, rapidly changing data and information demands. How did a physicist end up there, and what did it teach me? In this talk I’ll reflect on a career that has wandered from physics into complex systems, innovation economics and epidemiology. I’ll focus on the decisions I made along the way: dabbling in other fields, building interdisciplinary teams through Te Pūnaha Matatini, turning models into advice under pressure, and being in public view even when it became uncomfortable. I’ll be candid about what worked, what didn’t, and how I set boundaries for myself along the way. I’ll also share some thoughts on how AI is changing quantitative research, and what remains valuable about the skills you’re building. I hope my story will be useful for early-career researchers who want their work to matter beyond academia, and to look after themselves while doing it.

Presenter Bio: Shaun Hendy

Shaun Hendy is a physicist with research that spans complex systems, innovation economics and the interface between science and policy. He was founding director of Te Pūnaha Matatini and led its COVID-19 modelling programme, which informed New Zealand’s pandemic response from March 2020. He is the author of The Covid Response (2025) and an award-winning scientist and science communicator. He is currently an executive leader at Callaghan Innovation.

OceaniaR 2026 presented by the Statistical Computing and Visualisation section (29 Nov 2026)

Sat, 28 Nov 2026 22:00:00 GMT

The Statistical Computing and Visualisation section of the Statistical Society of Australia are excited to announce the next OceaniaR event.

Date: Sunday 29 November 2026
Time: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm AEDT
Format: In person only
Venue: Monash College City Campus, 750 Collins St, Docklands, Melbourne VIC 3008
Cost: $50 per person

This is an interactive development day and a chance to collaborate and hack in-person on R-focused projects for social good, with some of the leading developers in the R community. There will also be time to hold informal talks to share ideas, concepts and new packages for feedback.

This event will have a focus on promoting projects and participation from R users in the Oceania region including Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

This is the day before the Workshop Organised by the Monash Business Analytics Team (WOMBAT) conference.

Get Involved!

All project ideas for this event are created by attendees!

All participants are encouraged to put forward and idea to work on. These will be listed as Issues on the project Github and the working groups will be decided on the day.

Submit your idea here

Further event details

Cancellation Policy:

Occasionally events have to be cancelled due to a lack of subscription. Early registration ensures that this will not happen.

Cancellations received prior to two weeks before the event will be refunded, minus the Stripe processing fee (1.65% + $0.30 per transaction) and an SSA administration fee of $20.

From then onward no part of the registration fee will be refunded. However, registrations are transferable within the same organisation. Please advise any changes to events@statsoc.org.au.

SSA Women in Statistics and Data Science SIG online event - Beyond the Numbers: WiSDS Spotlight and Connect (2 Dec 2026)

Wed, 02 Dec 2026 01:00:00 GMT

Join the Women in Statistics and Data Science Special Interest Group (WiSDS SIG) for a special WiSDS online event: Beyond the Numbers: WiSDS Spotlight and Connect featuring statistician Annette Dobson AM. Hear Annette share insights from her work and career, then take part in audience questions and informal breakout-room conversations. Connect with colleagues, exchange ideas and meet others working in statistics and data science across academia and industry. All are welcome.

Date: Wednesday 2 December 2026

Time: 12:00 pm AEDT

Format: Online via Zoom. Details provided upon registration

Presenter Bio: Annette Dobson AM

Annette Jane Dobson AM is an Australian statistician and Professor of Biostatistics at the Australian Women and Girls’ Health Research Centre, School of Public Health, The University of Queensland. She directed the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health from 1995 to 2013. A highly cited researcher and author of several books, Professor Dobson has made significant contributions to biostatistics and women’s health research. She was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia.