The Political Economy of Post-Conflict Violence Against Women. Post-conflict and political transitions are major opportunities for advancing women’s rights and participation. Yet an apparent spike in sexual- and gender-based violence against women hinders these opportunities once armed conflict is stabilised or regime change is achieved. This project aims to explain the causes of that violence and its consequences for women’s economic and political participation in different environments. It wil ....The Political Economy of Post-Conflict Violence Against Women. Post-conflict and political transitions are major opportunities for advancing women’s rights and participation. Yet an apparent spike in sexual- and gender-based violence against women hinders these opportunities once armed conflict is stabilised or regime change is achieved. This project aims to explain the causes of that violence and its consequences for women’s economic and political participation in different environments. It will compare post-conflict, political transition and non-conflict countries across two regions, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East and North Africa, examining the gender inequalities, regional patterns, and global forces that appear to heighten violence against women and hinder women’s participation.Read moreRead less
From famine to food security: the role of international law. This project addresses the pressing question of how the international governance framework might be reformed to avoid future food crises. It will make a major contribution to debates about the role that international law and international institutions can play in addressing current threats to food security.
Islam in Iran's foreign policy: Central Asia and Afghanistan. Understanding the way Iran operates in its (Muslim) neighbourhood is important for the way we engage with Iran and prepare for the regional implications of Iranian policies. This project will explore an important part of the world and its direct impact on Australian national interests.
Scaling-up the impact of voluntary sustainability standards. How can global sustainability regulators, such as Fairtrade or the Rainforest Alliance, more effectively tackle large-scale regulatory problems of deforestation, land use conflict and recurring labour rights violations? This project will address this question by analysing and evaluating innovative regulatory schemes that were designed to have broad, sector- or jurisdiction-wide impacts on critical social and environmental problems in S ....Scaling-up the impact of voluntary sustainability standards. How can global sustainability regulators, such as Fairtrade or the Rainforest Alliance, more effectively tackle large-scale regulatory problems of deforestation, land use conflict and recurring labour rights violations? This project will address this question by analysing and evaluating innovative regulatory schemes that were designed to have broad, sector- or jurisdiction-wide impacts on critical social and environmental problems in South-East Asia and Latin America. A new framework will be developed to strengthen the effectiveness and accountability of sustainability regulation - benefiting workers, businesses and the environment and enabling the Australian public to participate in more sustainable systems of production and consumption.Read moreRead less
Clarifying transparency: Chinese aid and trade in Latin America. Consensual understandings of transparency and good governance are crucial to the international accommodation of China's economic rise. Through a quantitative survey and qualitative case studies, this project aims to clarify how these terms generate misunderstandings and hinder potential for dialogue between key U.S., Latin American and Chinese actors.
International Trade Law and International Investment Law: Recognising Complexity, Developing Coherence. International trade and investment treaties contain overlapping provisions that have been subject to divergent interpretations by tribunals settling associated disputes. Proliferation of such treaties has created conflicting obligations, significant uncertainty for states and businesses, and an increasing potential for government liability. Through a comparative study of targeted countries, le ....International Trade Law and International Investment Law: Recognising Complexity, Developing Coherence. International trade and investment treaties contain overlapping provisions that have been subject to divergent interpretations by tribunals settling associated disputes. Proliferation of such treaties has created conflicting obligations, significant uncertainty for states and businesses, and an increasing potential for government liability. Through a comparative study of targeted countries, legal concepts and sectors, this project reconceptualises the fields of international trade and investment law in order to maximise their coherence. By providing a framework for reform of existing treaties and negotiation of future treaties, the project offers concrete benefits for government and industry through increased consistency and predictability.Read moreRead less
The Blue Economy and International Law. States, regional bodies and international financial institutions are seeking new economic opportunities from the sea. Both national and globally-shared ocean resources are marked for the pandemic recovery amidst escalating threats including marine plastics pollution, climate change and overfishing. The Blue Economy promises to deliver growth that aligns with environmental and human welfare goals. This project aims to provide the first detailed analysis of ....The Blue Economy and International Law. States, regional bodies and international financial institutions are seeking new economic opportunities from the sea. Both national and globally-shared ocean resources are marked for the pandemic recovery amidst escalating threats including marine plastics pollution, climate change and overfishing. The Blue Economy promises to deliver growth that aligns with environmental and human welfare goals. This project aims to provide the first detailed analysis of the laws and practices relating to the Blue Economy. It will investigate treaties and other instruments from trade, development, fisheries, climate and environmental organisations. The findings will provide guidance to Australia, the Indo-Pacific region and the international community.Read moreRead less
Animals and geopolitics in South Asian borderlands. The project evaluates the impact of animals on the politics of South Asian borderlands, which are exposed to climate change, species decline and intensifying nuclear state rivalry. Using a comparative multispecies ethnography of India’s borders with Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, it will study the role of animals in reinforcing or subverting the power of sovereign states. Expected outcomes are new analytical and conceptual tools to understand ....Animals and geopolitics in South Asian borderlands. The project evaluates the impact of animals on the politics of South Asian borderlands, which are exposed to climate change, species decline and intensifying nuclear state rivalry. Using a comparative multispecies ethnography of India’s borders with Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, it will study the role of animals in reinforcing or subverting the power of sovereign states. Expected outcomes are new analytical and conceptual tools to understand these overlooked actors in geopolitics and the links between foreign, security and transboundary conservation policies. This knowledge has potential application in demilitarisation and cooperation around transborder animal flows, benefitting security, ecosystems and Australian interests in South Asia.Read moreRead less
Race, science and indigeneity in Australia. This project aims to re-evaluate the role of biology in Aboriginal studies. Indigenous Australians have attracted intense scientific interest since European colonisation. Their bones, blood and hair have been collected to shed light on human evolution and migration, serology and, more recently, health disparities. This project will develop an account of how the history of race science matters in the present through investigating 20th century scientific ....Race, science and indigeneity in Australia. This project aims to re-evaluate the role of biology in Aboriginal studies. Indigenous Australians have attracted intense scientific interest since European colonisation. Their bones, blood and hair have been collected to shed light on human evolution and migration, serology and, more recently, health disparities. This project will develop an account of how the history of race science matters in the present through investigating 20th century scientific efforts to understand Indigenous Australians biologically. It will also study contemporary knowledge-making about Indigenous biological difference in the genomic era. This research aims to ensure that Indigenous genomics offer the most benefit to Indigenous people.Read moreRead less
How the missing matter. This project aims to investigate how the issue of people who are missing in conflicts impacts on the identities, memories and migration patterns of the survivors in the aftermath of violence and displacement. The expected outcomes include raising awareness about the missing worldwide and to provide better understanding of refugee wellbeing following resettlement and to improve the work done by governments and organisations in creating supportive resettlement contexts.