Jean Dong

Research Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School; author of Chinese Statecraft in a Changing World

Julien played a pivotal role as development editor on my book on Chinese statecraft. He brought deep cross-cultural insight, helping me better appreciate the interaction between different cultural and intellectual traditions, particularly between China and Europe. His interventions were thoughtful and well-judged: never intrusive, but consistently clarifying. He has a rare ability to move seamlessly between the high-level architecture of an argument and its finer details, which proved essential in shaping the structure and coherence of the book. He was never simply an editor, but a true intellectual partner, elevating both the work and my own thinking to a greater level of maturity.

Our collaboration has extended well beyond the book. Julien has a distinctive way of reinforcing one’s commitment to the questions that truly matter: those that are large, difficult, and consequential. I have continued to rely on his judgment when navigating complex partnerships in the transnational AI safety space. What I find most distinctive is his capacity to move across all layers of a problem at once, from its philosophical foundations to the human dynamics involved, as well as the national, institutional, and cultural contexts in which it unfolds. He is able to disentangle these layers with clarity, while also discerning which demand the most attention. All with a rare combination of intellectual rigour, warmth, and care.

Esther Anatolitis

Australian Cultural Policy and Practice Leader; RMIT Adjunct Industry Professor; Author

I greatly respect the ambition, clarity and joy that Julien brings to his every involvement. I particularly admire that this ambition extends to the scale of the entire world, and how we can create a better one together. Julien takes a sensitive, sophisticated approach to facilitation. He is attentive to individual voices while keeping a watchful eye on where our collaborations are going.

All of this work is premised on approaching ethics in a contemporary, thoughtful and compelling way: Julien thinks about ethics in ways that hold complex issues in a productive tension, making us comfortable with what’s uncomfortable so that we’re able to take meaningful next steps together. Importantly, Julien is ever ready to take us somewhere new – and that’s precisely what we need right now.

Having actively sought Julien’s work in my capacity as a curator, editor and collaborator for over fifteen years, I’ve had the honour of witnessing his long-term vision and sustained commitment to courageous thinking. If ever you have the opportunity to spend good time with Julien, seize it. Your life will be enriched.

Michael Broughton

Vice-President (professional development and events) AUSIT; Chinese translator & interpreter, mbChinese

My role involves developing strategies with a range of different stakeholders across multiple jurisdictions. It can be hard to keep on top of everything and not get lost in the complexity – and I frequently do. Whenever I feel stuck or unclear, whenever I am struggling to articulate what I need to do next, I come to Julien.

Julien has an amazing ability to hear through the noise of complexity and identify what is important and where action needs to be taken. He also helps to make the abstract concrete through a range of mental models that can reframe complex environments in understandable and generative terms. Coach, mentor, counsellor, guide – none of these feel quite right to express what he is actually doing. Now when I am stuck, I just tell colleagues that I need to have a chat with my 'clarity maker'.

Dr. Wesa Chau

Executive Director, Per Capita

Julien is amazing to work with! I’ve worked with Julien across a number of projects over many years. He's become one of my go-to collaborators for anything emerging or unclear, whether I need to think through an idea, or facilitate a strategy session. He's pleasant and incredibly easy to work with – smart and collaborative – and also committed to making things work.

Julien has a deep bag of tricks, and he knows which to apply and where, like a really good designer. What I like is his commitment to what actually matters, rather than simply following another framework. When we sit together to discuss a workshop, he will stay with it first, to sense what isn't right in my initial pitch, or track what my actual intention is, asking questions until the form emerges. When it's ready, I can trust that whatever he delivers will do the job it's meant to do.

Same on a more personal level, I can turn to him for entangled problems, and know that they will find a clear shape once he reflects them back. Everybody needs a Julien.