Dr James Muecke AM

Dr James Muecke uses his broad expertise in medical research, education, and project management, coupled with writing, photography, music and film production, marketing and social entrepreneurship, to help bring medical projects to life.

He has worked as a visiting medical consultant for over twenty years at the Royal Adelaide and Women’s & Children’s Hospitals and in his own private practice in Adelaide.

Following his medical internship in 1988, James lived and worked as a doctor in Africa and subsequently as an eye surgeon in the Middle East, battling malaria, wild animals, rebel soldiers, and insurgent groups. He founded Sight For All in 2008, turning his passion and boundless energy into a fight against blindness in the Aboriginal and mainstream communities of Australia and some of the poorest countries of the world.

For his humanitarian efforts, James was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in 2012. In 2015 he was EY’s Social Entrepreneur of the Year for Australia, and in 2019 received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Adelaide. James was awarded Australian of the Year for 2020.

James is a passionate, enthusiastic and at times confronting keynote speaker, drawing on over 30 years of medical experience working in some of the poorest countries in the world.

Dr James Muecke AM speaks about:

Forging resilience – a personal and global journey (40 mins)

James’ career as an eye surgeon, humanitarian and social entrepreneur has enriched his life with extraordinary characters and confronting experiences. He has witnessed powerful stories of resilience that he wants to share with the world – a man who woke blind in both eyes, a group of disabled children in an impoverished country, and a global health crisis crying out for help. And through the re-telling of his own story of loss, James explores the critical elements needed to build resilience, at all levels.

Harnessing your passion to change the world – the art and science of social entrepreneurship (20, 30 and 40 min versions)

James is an eye surgeon, humanitarian and social entrepreneur, and for 30 years has been fighting blindness in Australia and some of the poorest countries of the world. In this fascinating and at times confronting keynote presentation, James uses powerful stories from his work with social impact organisation Sight For All, to outline the three key elements of social entrepreneurship – a spirit of adventure, a humanitarian spirit, and an entrepreneurial spirit. He also discusses the ingredients that make up an entrepreneurial spirit and how you can harness your passion and use these ingredients to change the world for better.

Blinded – the toxic impact of sugar and the rise of type 2 diabetes (20, 30 and 40 min versions)

Blinded tells the story of Neil Hansell, a man who woke one morning blind in both eyes due to neglect of his diabetes. In this confronting 20-minute keynote presentation, James discusses why type 2 diabetes is a growing worldwide epidemic and explores a number of strategies to curb the toxic impact of sugar on our health and on our world. There are versions of this keynote designed for parents and teachers.

Social entrepreneurship and beyond – the power of innovation (40 mins)

Innovation is a key element of social entrepreneurship. It’s also a key element for building personal resilience. In this timely and engaging presentation, James draws on powerful experiences from his humanitarian work with social impact organisation Sight For All to illustrate how innovation is a critical ingredient for people wanting to make a difference in the world. And through the re-telling of his own story of loss, James explores how innovation is an essential tool to forge inner strength and to help us overcome some of life’s toughest challenges.

The Art of Travel (30 mins)

Two of James’s undying passions are travel and photography, indeed the combination of the two fuels in him a constant search for adventure. Frustrated by the inability to travel internationally through the pandemic, James set out to explore his own backyard – South Australia. James’ 30-minute keynote, “The Art of Travel”, features stunning photographs of South Australia, all taken with his smart phone, all taken during the Covid era. Throughout the presentation, James encourages his audience to look at their homeland in a different way, capture it with the lens, and share it with the world.