Black Swan Thinking: Knowing the Unknown

For the Noongar people of southwestern Australia, ancestral stories speak of a time when their forebears were Black Swans who became men—a powerful symbol of transformation, identity, and the unseen forces that shape our world. Centuries later, the Western world would encounter the black swan as a literal surprise: a bird thought impossible until its discovery in Australia overturned a long-held European belief that all swans were white.This conference invites participants to explore the Black Swan not only as a metaphor for rare and disruptive events but as a lens through which to embrace uncertainty, challenge assumptions, and deepen our understanding of the unknown. From ancient lore to modern complexity, how can we prepare for what we cannot predict—and what does it take to truly know the unknown?