The Proscription of Terrorist Organisations in Illiberal States . This project aims to investigate the use of anti-terrorism proscription powers in illiberal democracies after 2002. Although promulgated by the archetypal liberal institution – the United Nations – proscription powers are increasingly recognised as important tools of illiberal regimes in legitimising human rights abuses and suppressing political dissent. Using studies of Cameroon, Nigeria, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the project expl ....The Proscription of Terrorist Organisations in Illiberal States . This project aims to investigate the use of anti-terrorism proscription powers in illiberal democracies after 2002. Although promulgated by the archetypal liberal institution – the United Nations – proscription powers are increasingly recognised as important tools of illiberal regimes in legitimising human rights abuses and suppressing political dissent. Using studies of Cameroon, Nigeria, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the project explores the intersections of colonial proscription, UN anti–terrorism norms and illiberal regimes' security. The project will generate new comparative knowledge on the deployment of colonial instruments of control in the ‘war on terror’ and innovate conceptual insights into the global security politics of exclusion. Read moreRead less
Expanding the Sovereign State System: 1648-2015. This project seeks to expand our understanding of the nature of conflict, political development and political order. How has the international system influenced political development and the nature of conflict? Knowledge on this topic has been hampered by a Eurocentric conception of the sovereign state, and the resulting quantitative research excludes numerous non-Western states and is biased toward the European experience. By using a culturally-n ....Expanding the Sovereign State System: 1648-2015. This project seeks to expand our understanding of the nature of conflict, political development and political order. How has the international system influenced political development and the nature of conflict? Knowledge on this topic has been hampered by a Eurocentric conception of the sovereign state, and the resulting quantitative research excludes numerous non-Western states and is biased toward the European experience. By using a culturally-neutral concept of the state, and by pushing the study back in time and across space to include states in the pre-1816 period and non-European regions of the world, the project aims to examine patterns in territorial conflict across differently structured international systems, how state genealogy affects political development, and how international order has varied regionally.Read moreRead less
Duties beyond borders: A historical approach to protecting the vulnerable. What, if anything, do states owe to vulnerable people beyond their borders, be they seeking asylum, needing humanitarian assistance, or requiring protection from mass atrocities? This project plans to take a historical approach to answering this question. There is a long and rich history of thinking about duties to vulnerable strangers and foreigners, but the contemporary literature on global justice and the ‘responsibili ....Duties beyond borders: A historical approach to protecting the vulnerable. What, if anything, do states owe to vulnerable people beyond their borders, be they seeking asylum, needing humanitarian assistance, or requiring protection from mass atrocities? This project plans to take a historical approach to answering this question. There is a long and rich history of thinking about duties to vulnerable strangers and foreigners, but the contemporary literature on global justice and the ‘responsibility to protect’ is largely blind to it. The project aims to redress this by producing a history of the idea that states have duties to assist and protect those beyond their borders from mass suffering. It then aims to examine how this history can inform our understanding of present-day debates and dilemmas.Read moreRead less
Democratic Leadership in Foreign Affairs. This project explores the opportunities and constraints on democratic leaders at the intersection of domestic and international politics. By undertaking a comparative study of the impact of democratic leadership on foreign affairs in ?ve advanced democracies (Australia, the United Kingdom, USA, Germany and France) it will examine how democratic norms (such as transparency, accountability and rights) and democratic institutions (governance structures, par ....Democratic Leadership in Foreign Affairs. This project explores the opportunities and constraints on democratic leaders at the intersection of domestic and international politics. By undertaking a comparative study of the impact of democratic leadership on foreign affairs in ?ve advanced democracies (Australia, the United Kingdom, USA, Germany and France) it will examine how democratic norms (such as transparency, accountability and rights) and democratic institutions (governance structures, parties, electoral cycles, the media) affect leaders’ capacities in foreign affairs. The ?ndings from the research will be published in a series of journal articles and a book with a major academic press.Read moreRead less
Company states and international relations theory. This project aims to investigate the role of chartered companies in European colonialism. Chartered companies, profit-driven forerunners to today’s multinational corporations, wielded extensive sovereign powers (e.g. rights to wage war, conduct diplomacy, and raise taxes) normally reserved for governments. This project intends to establish the importance of chartered companies – not sovereign states – as Europe’s pre-eminent agents of colonial e ....Company states and international relations theory. This project aims to investigate the role of chartered companies in European colonialism. Chartered companies, profit-driven forerunners to today’s multinational corporations, wielded extensive sovereign powers (e.g. rights to wage war, conduct diplomacy, and raise taxes) normally reserved for governments. This project intends to establish the importance of chartered companies – not sovereign states – as Europe’s pre-eminent agents of colonial expansion before c1800, and uncover how their rise and fall shaped modern understandings of the distinction between public and private authority.Read moreRead less
Accountability for past human rights violations in South Asia. This project aims to explain South Asian responses to requests seeking accountability for violations of human rights. State responses are variable and often inconsistent with global norms which hold that perpetrators of violations should be held accountable for their actions. This project will develop a theoretically-informed empirical explanation for these responses. Expected benefits include an enhanced evidence base to inform Aust ....Accountability for past human rights violations in South Asia. This project aims to explain South Asian responses to requests seeking accountability for violations of human rights. State responses are variable and often inconsistent with global norms which hold that perpetrators of violations should be held accountable for their actions. This project will develop a theoretically-informed empirical explanation for these responses. Expected benefits include an enhanced evidence base to inform Australian policymakers, international agencies and non-profit organisations seeking to address global norms of human rights in South Asia.Read moreRead less
After Nehru: The evolution of Indian international thought, 1964-present. Understanding the ideas, as well as the interests, underpinning the foreign policy of a rising India is a priority for Australia. This project aims to provide the first comprehensive analysis of Indian conceptions of India's "world role" as they have evolved since Jawaharlal Nehru's death in 1964. It is intended to analyse the development of traditions of thought about India's world role and the work of major Indian thinke ....After Nehru: The evolution of Indian international thought, 1964-present. Understanding the ideas, as well as the interests, underpinning the foreign policy of a rising India is a priority for Australia. This project aims to provide the first comprehensive analysis of Indian conceptions of India's "world role" as they have evolved since Jawaharlal Nehru's death in 1964. It is intended to analyse the development of traditions of thought about India's world role and the work of major Indian thinkers on international relations. It aims to make an original contribution to the understanding of the intellectual underpinnings of Indian foreign policy. The project aims to build research capacity in the study of Indian international thought, leading to publications, as well as public and policy engagement.Read moreRead less
Northeast Asia and the Korean War: legacies of hot and cold wars in contemporary constructions of the region. This project will provide the first comprehensive study of the socio-economic, cultural and ideological impact of the Korean War on Korea's northeast Asian neighbours: China, Japan, Russia's Far East, Taiwan and Mongolia. It will deepen understanding of the region's cold war and of contemporary moves to and create a post cold war northeast Asia.
How images shape responses to humanitarian crises. This project systematically assess of how images shape Australia's responses to humanitarian crises. We provide scholars, NGOs and government agencies with evidence about how images procure a willingness to alleviate human suffering and how they can actively be used to enhance Australia's humanitarian commitment to the global community.
Maritime legal practice and policy in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Gulf: synergies and challenges for Australian trade and security. The project will analyse national practice relating to maritime claims and jurisdiction in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Gulf. It will identify areas of instability in the region that may pose a threat to freedom of international navigation and trade.