The Genie in the Bottle:Science, Politics and Diplomacy in Australia's Engagement with Chemical and Biological Weapons, 1915-1995. The threat of chemical and biological weapons (CBW) is attracting increasing attention worldwide. Australia's engagement with the CBW began during the First World War. Since then, Australia has been influential in promoting CBW control regimes. However, this experience has raised many questions. This project explores Australia's historical and current response to ....The Genie in the Bottle:Science, Politics and Diplomacy in Australia's Engagement with Chemical and Biological Weapons, 1915-1995. The threat of chemical and biological weapons (CBW) is attracting increasing attention worldwide. Australia's engagement with the CBW began during the First World War. Since then, Australia has been influential in promoting CBW control regimes. However, this experience has raised many questions. This project explores Australia's historical and current response to the central issues of CBW. Using archival and contemporary sources, it analyses the interplay between science, politics and diplomacy. Combining history and political science, it assesses the implications of recent developments in CBW for Australia's role in preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.Read moreRead less
Nation Building and Elite Formation in Singapore, 1966-85. * The project will study elite formation, the praxis of elite governance, and the development of the relationship between elitism and nation building in Singapore from independence in late 1965 to approximately 1985.
* This study is significant because it is arguably the pivotal axis on which the Singapore experience of governance rests, and yet it has not been the subject of a dedicated study.
* It is expected that the study will prod ....Nation Building and Elite Formation in Singapore, 1966-85. * The project will study elite formation, the praxis of elite governance, and the development of the relationship between elitism and nation building in Singapore from independence in late 1965 to approximately 1985.
* This study is significant because it is arguably the pivotal axis on which the Singapore experience of governance rests, and yet it has not been the subject of a dedicated study.
* It is expected that the study will produce a series of articles and a book that will contribute to our understanding of elite formation and nation building generally, as well as specifically in Singapore.
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Reaping the patriotic whirlwind: managed nationalism and the rise of militant xenophobia in Russia. This project examines the relationship between 'managed nationalism' and upsurges of ultranationalist activism and racially-motivated violence. This research will enhance our understanding of politics, diplomacy, and alternative governance.
The High Court of Australia: A Biographical Study. The High Court of Australia has shaped the legal, political and social landscapes of Australia. Yet despite its wide-ranging importance the Court has largely been the subject of a legal inquiry focusing on its substantial case law. This project seeks to fill a significant gap in the literature with the publication of an institutional history of the Court. Central to this project is a commitment to a multi-disciplinary approach that explores the ....The High Court of Australia: A Biographical Study. The High Court of Australia has shaped the legal, political and social landscapes of Australia. Yet despite its wide-ranging importance the Court has largely been the subject of a legal inquiry focusing on its substantial case law. This project seeks to fill a significant gap in the literature with the publication of an institutional history of the Court. Central to this project is a commitment to a multi-disciplinary approach that explores the Court beyond a merely legal paradigm. The outcomes of this project will be publications that situate the law, the judiciary and Australian history within a single explanatory narrative.Read moreRead less
RUSSIA (THE SOVIET UNION) AND AUSTRALIA IN THE 20TH AND 21ST CENTURIES. Revitalize Australian Russian studies by bringing in internationally recognized leadership and cutting-edge projects; making the University of Melbourne's Russian centre not just the southern hemisphere leader in this field but also a significant player worldwide.
The Power of Giving: Australian Women Philanthropists, 1880-2000. This collaborative project with the National Foundation for Australian Women explores the changing extent and nature of Australian women's philanthropic giving since1880. It will test the hypothesis that these activities both reflected broader constructions of gender and shaped civil society and public policy. The outcome will be enhanced understanding of changing gender relations, and elite women's identity, and a greatly expande ....The Power of Giving: Australian Women Philanthropists, 1880-2000. This collaborative project with the National Foundation for Australian Women explores the changing extent and nature of Australian women's philanthropic giving since1880. It will test the hypothesis that these activities both reflected broader constructions of gender and shaped civil society and public policy. The outcome will be enhanced understanding of changing gender relations, and elite women's identity, and a greatly expanded knowledge of the third sector. Given women's increasing wealth, such an understanding is not only of scholarly interest but is crucial for the nonprofit sector, including our industry partner, and for government interest in promoting philanthropic giving in Australia.Read moreRead less
Family, Politics and Society: The Valori Household and Florence, 1380-1650. This is a study of one family's engagement in the turbulent and dangerous world of Florentine politics over nine generations. A study of the Valori will enable us to identify the political assumptions that inspired them and other Florentines to fight against the trends towards despotism. An understanding of these assumptions and the civic values they engendered will benefit our society's efforts to strengthen family bond ....Family, Politics and Society: The Valori Household and Florence, 1380-1650. This is a study of one family's engagement in the turbulent and dangerous world of Florentine politics over nine generations. A study of the Valori will enable us to identify the political assumptions that inspired them and other Florentines to fight against the trends towards despotism. An understanding of these assumptions and the civic values they engendered will benefit our society's efforts to strengthen family bonds, instil civic responsibility and combat the political indifference which, in the opinion of our political leaders, threatens to 'disengage the young from the democratic process' (Governor-General Michael Jeffery, 26-1-2005).Read moreRead less
The International History of Cosmopolitanism and Nationalism, 1814-1822. We cannot understand our entrapment in nationalism until we unravel the history of its complex inter-relationship with cosmopolitanism. This project excavates an understanding of politics and community that offers alternatives to the current global impasse. The moment in the past I will study was the origin of our present predicament, namely the inescapability of nationalism for the cosmopolitan and of cosmopolitanism for t ....The International History of Cosmopolitanism and Nationalism, 1814-1822. We cannot understand our entrapment in nationalism until we unravel the history of its complex inter-relationship with cosmopolitanism. This project excavates an understanding of politics and community that offers alternatives to the current global impasse. The moment in the past I will study was the origin of our present predicament, namely the inescapability of nationalism for the cosmopolitan and of cosmopolitanism for the nationalist. This project will consolidate the significance of Australian scholarship to a field that is critical to understanding our choices and destinies in a global society. It will make Australia the headquarters of a new international history that investigates the relevance of the past to policy-making.Read moreRead less
From France to Europe: The Shift from Nationalism in French Discourse, 1900-1950. The aim of the project is to analyse a shift from France to Europe in French political rhetoric. The Revolution had inscribed Enlightenment ideals on terms like France and nation. After World War I, they no longer carried these ideals. For some citizens, Europe took them on. For others, Europe opened the possibility of inscribing new values on the polity. The project seeks to measure the extent of this shift and it ....From France to Europe: The Shift from Nationalism in French Discourse, 1900-1950. The aim of the project is to analyse a shift from France to Europe in French political rhetoric. The Revolution had inscribed Enlightenment ideals on terms like France and nation. After World War I, they no longer carried these ideals. For some citizens, Europe took them on. For others, Europe opened the possibility of inscribing new values on the polity. The project seeks to measure the extent of this shift and its contribution to the new mentality which made possible the construction of Europe. The result will be a major innovation in the way the construction of Europe is understood.Read moreRead less
Assimilating Modernity: The Harmonisation of Liberal, Socialist and Conservative Thought in Modern China, 1921-1949. The project will enable Australian policy makers to understand the way in which Chinese intellectuals grappled with the issue of modernity and questions about liberalism, socialism and conservatism in the recent past. This is important because the Chinese elites are tackling similar issues today as they face the challenges of globalisation. Knowing the role of China's public intel ....Assimilating Modernity: The Harmonisation of Liberal, Socialist and Conservative Thought in Modern China, 1921-1949. The project will enable Australian policy makers to understand the way in which Chinese intellectuals grappled with the issue of modernity and questions about liberalism, socialism and conservatism in the recent past. This is important because the Chinese elites are tackling similar issues today as they face the challenges of globalisation. Knowing the role of China's public intellectuals and their way of thinking, both past and present, is critical to a further strengthening of Australia's relations with China. The project will benefit the wider community as Australians interact and deal with the Chinese intellectually and culturally, as well as in trade, politics, diplomacy and tourism.
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