Comparative Border Studies. While borders are of increasing interest to Australian scholars and policy-makers, much existing research in Australia is focused on issues of border security or border integrity. There is an urgent need to supplement this work with theoretical and empirical insights drawn from the field of border studies. North America is a key site for international research in this field. Collaboration with North American scholars is thus an important step in developing and expandi ....Comparative Border Studies. While borders are of increasing interest to Australian scholars and policy-makers, much existing research in Australia is focused on issues of border security or border integrity. There is an urgent need to supplement this work with theoretical and empirical insights drawn from the field of border studies. North America is a key site for international research in this field. Collaboration with North American scholars is thus an important step in developing and expanding Australian expertise in border studies. This project will provide the intellectual environment and collaborative networks necessary to establish the first dedicated Centre for Border Studies in Australia.Read moreRead less
The political-economy of Australia-China relations. This project will analyse the bilateral economic relationship between Australia and China. The principal focus will be on how economic relations have been conditioned by distinctive patterns of economic and political organisation in each country. The approach will draw on and extend the Varieties of Capitalism literature to provide a detailed analysis of the institutional features of the Chinese and Australian economies, and how these instituti ....The political-economy of Australia-China relations. This project will analyse the bilateral economic relationship between Australia and China. The principal focus will be on how economic relations have been conditioned by distinctive patterns of economic and political organisation in each country. The approach will draw on and extend the Varieties of Capitalism literature to provide a detailed analysis of the institutional features of the Chinese and Australian economies, and how these institutions condition the economic relationship between the two. By analysing the different policymaking traditions and business structures the project aims to explain the challenges facing Australia-China economic ties, particularly over the minerals industry, foreign investment and free trade agreement negotiations.Read moreRead less
The politics of public administration reform: capacity development and ideological contestation in international state-building. Why do expensive international aid programs often fail to achieve public administration reform in fragile states? This study investigates how the beliefs of public servants about the nature of their role reflect societal conflicts and alliances. Understanding this offers aid practitioners a means of designing tactical responses to reform agendas.
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.
Securitisation and the governance of non-traditional security in Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific. In recent years, the Australian government has become concerned with managing non-traditional security threats such as terrorism and pandemics in Australia's region. This project compares responses to terrorism and health scares in Southeast Asia and the Southwest Pacific to explain the processes shaping the way security is understood and governed.