Dr Ian McShane is a Senior Research Fellow at RMIT University?s Centre for Urban Research. His research focuses on informal and formal education systems (especially museums, libraries and schools), local infrastructure and community services, and digital technologies. Current research projects are on shared use community infrastructure and service co-ordination, the development of publicly accessible wireless networks in Australia and internationally, and the representational politics of cultural diversity in Australian museums.

Ian has had a long involvement with the Australian museum sector, working as a senior curator at the National Museum of Australia and consulting to other levels of government on museums and culture. In 2013 Ian was appointed to UNESCO?s Creative Cities Network external evaluation panel.