Uncovering the organisational dynamics of pirates and maritime terrorists. This project will develop a novel framework to assess the organisational dynamics of two major maritime threats: piracy syndicates and maritime-capable terrorist groups. The results will allow analysts and policymakers to understand the behaviour of violent maritime organisations, and to maximise the effectiveness of policies designed to stop them.
The World's Most Enterprising Country: North Korea's Survival in the Global Economy. This project explores the seeming paradox at the heart of North Korea: The most politically isolated state in the world sustains itself economically in large part by international trade and integration into the global economy. Adopting a framework from the economic geography literature, the project will use archival and field research to address how the North Korean state and its citizens use trade networks in E ....The World's Most Enterprising Country: North Korea's Survival in the Global Economy. This project explores the seeming paradox at the heart of North Korea: The most politically isolated state in the world sustains itself economically in large part by international trade and integration into the global economy. Adopting a framework from the economic geography literature, the project will use archival and field research to address how the North Korean state and its citizens use trade networks in East Asia and beyond to ensure their economic survival in the face of a hostile political environment. This will allow analysts to assess the implications of North Korea's economic integration for the country's development, as well as the effect that North Korea’s unique integration into the global economy has on regional and global stability.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140101123
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$393,359.00
Summary
Through their eyes: Rethinking the role of information operations in counterinsurgency scholarship and strategy. Western counterinsurgency forces regularly lose the 'information battle' to militarily and economically inferior insurgent forces. This project explores why and how insurgent adversaries often prove superior in shaping the perceptions of local populations and winning their support. Through case studies of East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan, the project identifies the key strategic pilla ....Through their eyes: Rethinking the role of information operations in counterinsurgency scholarship and strategy. Western counterinsurgency forces regularly lose the 'information battle' to militarily and economically inferior insurgent forces. This project explores why and how insurgent adversaries often prove superior in shaping the perceptions of local populations and winning their support. Through case studies of East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan, the project identifies the key strategic pillars in insurgent information operations in order to critically analyse and revise the role of information operations in counterinsurgency theory and practice. This research will advance scholarly understanding of the psychosocial dynamics of influence during conflict and challenge dominant trends in counterinsurgency theory and practice.Read moreRead less
Illicit networks and emerging nuclear states. This project aims to understand how illicit networks might proliferate by tapping into the legitimate global spread of nuclear materials and dual-use technologies. Using an economic geographic framework, the project will conceptually integrate terrorists, criminals, and companies into nuclear-related trade networks, and assess the nuclear proliferation threat illicit networks pose in emerging civil nuclear states, with proof of concept through Southe ....Illicit networks and emerging nuclear states. This project aims to understand how illicit networks might proliferate by tapping into the legitimate global spread of nuclear materials and dual-use technologies. Using an economic geographic framework, the project will conceptually integrate terrorists, criminals, and companies into nuclear-related trade networks, and assess the nuclear proliferation threat illicit networks pose in emerging civil nuclear states, with proof of concept through Southeast Asian case studies. This is intended to minimise proliferation risk, and improve the Australian government and industry’s ability to participate in the global nuclear trade by increasing the effectiveness of strategic trade controls and nuclear materials security.Read moreRead less
Building an Indian Ocean region. The Indian Ocean Region, of vital geopolitical importance to Australia, is the heart of the Third World - overwhelmed by chronic poverty, precarious political systems, and conflicting ethno-religious identities. This project will document attempts at constructing regional identities and institutions, and facilitate the process of 'building' a secure Region.
Contested multilateralism 2.0 and Asia Pacific security. This project aims to examine the foreign policy choices of five major powers – the United States, China, Japan, South Korea and Australia – toward multilateral institutions in the Asia Pacific after the Cold War through an economic-security-nexus model. Through in-depth theoretical and empirical case studies, this project will explore when states are more likely to rely on rule-based institutions or to use power-based strategies, such as a ....Contested multilateralism 2.0 and Asia Pacific security. This project aims to examine the foreign policy choices of five major powers – the United States, China, Japan, South Korea and Australia – toward multilateral institutions in the Asia Pacific after the Cold War through an economic-security-nexus model. Through in-depth theoretical and empirical case studies, this project will explore when states are more likely to rely on rule-based institutions or to use power-based strategies, such as alliance formation, to pursue security in world politics. This project aims to provide policy insights for Australian policy makers to conduct a sensible and effective “Asia policy” in the 21st century.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140100481
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$389,548.00
Summary
Women in Combat: a comparative analysis of removing the combat exclusion. Women are excluded from combat duties in the majority of defence forces across the world. This project will consider why some countries, such as Australia, have chosen to remove the combat exclusion and the impacts of this policy change. By gathering and analysing data from four countries that have removed the exclusion (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States), this project will advance our understanding of t ....Women in Combat: a comparative analysis of removing the combat exclusion. Women are excluded from combat duties in the majority of defence forces across the world. This project will consider why some countries, such as Australia, have chosen to remove the combat exclusion and the impacts of this policy change. By gathering and analysing data from four countries that have removed the exclusion (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States), this project will advance our understanding of the political drivers and the consequences of this policy change, in terms of gender integration. Read moreRead less
Extended Nuclear Deterrence and the Restraint of Non-Nuclear Allies: Material Cooperation and Strategic Dialogue. Extended nuclear deterrence is central to the security commitments offered by the US to its European and Asian allies, but little is known about why non-nuclear allies ask for the nuclear assurances they do and how they influence the assurances they ultimately receive. Using the lenses of intra-alliance bargaining, the role and composition of assurances, and domestic and internationa ....Extended Nuclear Deterrence and the Restraint of Non-Nuclear Allies: Material Cooperation and Strategic Dialogue. Extended nuclear deterrence is central to the security commitments offered by the US to its European and Asian allies, but little is known about why non-nuclear allies ask for the nuclear assurances they do and how they influence the assurances they ultimately receive. Using the lenses of intra-alliance bargaining, the role and composition of assurances, and domestic and international interactions, the project investigates why non-nuclear allies often seek modest extended nuclear deterrence guarantees when they could push for more ambitious commitments. The outcomes of the project will advance theoretical understanding of alliances, assurance and nuclear strategy, with direct relevance to foreign policy and nuclear disarmament.Read moreRead less
Civilian Protection and the Use of Force in UN Peacekeeping Operations. This project seeks to evaluate the use of force to protect civilians in United Nations peacekeeping. United Nations peacekeepers are on the frontline of efforts to protect civilians from violence. More than 100 were killed in 2014. Hundreds of thousands of civilians depend on peacekeepers for their safety. To date, however, there has been little systematic evaluation of the impact of the use of force for civilian protection ....Civilian Protection and the Use of Force in UN Peacekeeping Operations. This project seeks to evaluate the use of force to protect civilians in United Nations peacekeeping. United Nations peacekeepers are on the frontline of efforts to protect civilians from violence. More than 100 were killed in 2014. Hundreds of thousands of civilians depend on peacekeepers for their safety. To date, however, there has been little systematic evaluation of the impact of the use of force for civilian protection mandates on both immediate protection goals and the wider goals of peacekeeping. This project aims to assess the impact of the implementation of mandates to use force to protect civilians. Through a focused comparison of six missions, it plans to identify what works, what doesn't, and the factors which determine these outcomes in order to identify ways of improving performance in the future.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100576
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$346,000.00
Summary
Taking sides: Assessing the partiality of international peacekeeping. This project aims to examine an enduring question for peacekeeping: should United Nations peacekeepers take sides between conflict parties, or should they remain impartial brokers that assist combatants to find their own peace settlement? Detailed comparison of six decades of peacekeeping will advance both the theory and practice of peacekeeping by understanding and explaining a striking gap between the long-standing principle ....Taking sides: Assessing the partiality of international peacekeeping. This project aims to examine an enduring question for peacekeeping: should United Nations peacekeepers take sides between conflict parties, or should they remain impartial brokers that assist combatants to find their own peace settlement? Detailed comparison of six decades of peacekeeping will advance both the theory and practice of peacekeeping by understanding and explaining a striking gap between the long-standing principle of impartiality and the frequent, controversial practice of taking sides. By conducting the first systematic study of partiality in peacekeeping and evaluating the effectiveness of this practice, the project aims to contribute new data, theoretical tools and policy proposals for building international peace and stability.Read moreRead less