Australia and the OECD: A Neglected Arena in Multi-level Governance. Issues such as trade liberalisation and the development of international agreements are of considerable importance for domestic policy within Australia. Development of such ideas and policies often serve as the basis for subsequent agreements in the multilateral system through policy transfer or the strategy of ?forum shopping?. Australia's interests as a middle power lie in a rules-based system, and thus its ability to maximiz ....Australia and the OECD: A Neglected Arena in Multi-level Governance. Issues such as trade liberalisation and the development of international agreements are of considerable importance for domestic policy within Australia. Development of such ideas and policies often serve as the basis for subsequent agreements in the multilateral system through policy transfer or the strategy of ?forum shopping?. Australia's interests as a middle power lie in a rules-based system, and thus its ability to maximize its effectiveness in shaping those rules is of paramount importance. This project will contribute knowledge which will serve directly this goal, by enhancing our understanding of the OECD as an arena of multilevel governance and Australia's participation within it.Read moreRead less
The Nexus between Corruption and Money Laundering: Typologies and Policy Responses. Australia has sought to take a major role in fighting corruption and money laundering, an aspiration that requires a thorough knowledge of each problem as well as the links between them. Corruption has contributed to political instability, state failure and economic underdevelopment in our region. The fight against international money laundering is a central part of safeguarding Australia from transnational crime ....The Nexus between Corruption and Money Laundering: Typologies and Policy Responses. Australia has sought to take a major role in fighting corruption and money laundering, an aspiration that requires a thorough knowledge of each problem as well as the links between them. Corruption has contributed to political instability, state failure and economic underdevelopment in our region. The fight against international money laundering is a central part of safeguarding Australia from transnational crime. Our findings on the links between corruption and money laundering, and our suite of typologies, will assist Australian federal and state governments as well as businesses, to prevent and combat both types of crime.Read moreRead less
The Evolution of East Asian Regionalism. In the aftermath of the East Asian crisis of 1997, the countries of East Asia have embarked upon a self-consciously pursued project of political integration or regionalism. If successful, it will have profound implications for the region's internal and external relations, and future development. This project will examine how regionalism is evolving in this strategically pivotal area, detail the factors that are encouraging or obstructing this process, and ....The Evolution of East Asian Regionalism. In the aftermath of the East Asian crisis of 1997, the countries of East Asia have embarked upon a self-consciously pursued project of political integration or regionalism. If successful, it will have profound implications for the region's internal and external relations, and future development. This project will examine how regionalism is evolving in this strategically pivotal area, detail the factors that are encouraging or obstructing this process, and provide a more appropriate theoretical framework in which to understand East Asia's highly distinctive style of regional integration.Read moreRead less
Nuclear Giants? Prospects for Nuclear Energy in China and India. Since the traditional path of energy consumption is not an option for China and India, nuclear energy is recommended as a clean and sustainable alternative. If either China or India or both start expanding their nuclear energy capacity, Australia has a direct interest as a major supplier of coal, natural gas and uranium. As two unconvential great powers, their ability to expand nuclear energy to an extent necessary to meet the ch ....Nuclear Giants? Prospects for Nuclear Energy in China and India. Since the traditional path of energy consumption is not an option for China and India, nuclear energy is recommended as a clean and sustainable alternative. If either China or India or both start expanding their nuclear energy capacity, Australia has a direct interest as a major supplier of coal, natural gas and uranium. As two unconvential great powers, their ability to expand nuclear energy to an extent necessary to meet the challenges will have security implications in the region. Understanding the nuclear politics in these two countries is a necessary requirement for Australia.Read moreRead less
Following the Money: The Birth, Diffusion and Effectiveness of the Global Regime to Counter Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing. Countering international crime and terrorism are two of the government's top priorities, and attacking the financial underpinnings of these threats is crucial to combatting both. The more knowledge generated about the design, diffusion and effectiveness of existing standards in these areas, the more successful this effort can become. Australia is more closely invo ....Following the Money: The Birth, Diffusion and Effectiveness of the Global Regime to Counter Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing. Countering international crime and terrorism are two of the government's top priorities, and attacking the financial underpinnings of these threats is crucial to combatting both. The more knowledge generated about the design, diffusion and effectiveness of existing standards in these areas, the more successful this effort can become. Australia is more closely involved with the campaign to stop such illicit financial activity than any other country in the Asia-Pacific region. That our domestic laws and regulations are often designed by international organisations, rather than federal or state governments, is a matter of broad political significance and of community interest.Read moreRead less
From words to deeds: the politics of compliance in post-crisis international tax reform. The OECD embarked on an ambitious program to limit international tax evasion as part of the G20's response to the Global Financial Crisis. This project will evaluate whether national governments have honoured their commitments to this historic agreement. These findings will make a significant contribution to our understanding of compliance in global governance.
The politics of expertise during COVID-19. Experts play a crucial role during crises. This project aims to examine how four governments (Australia, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States) have incorporated public health expertise into their decision making during COVID-19. These countries have similar economic resources, liberal democratic institutions, health system capacities and pandemic preparedness. Yet, their governments responded differently to COVID-19. We will conduct a comparative st ....The politics of expertise during COVID-19. Experts play a crucial role during crises. This project aims to examine how four governments (Australia, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States) have incorporated public health expertise into their decision making during COVID-19. These countries have similar economic resources, liberal democratic institutions, health system capacities and pandemic preparedness. Yet, their governments responded differently to COVID-19. We will conduct a comparative study of how governments managed disagreements between experts and how they integrated diverse expert views into pandemic decision making processes. The research will advance our understanding of the role of experts during crises and help inform governments response to future pandemics. Read moreRead less
The political economy of military reform in Indonesia: Opportunities and challenges for civilian control of the TNI. Despite Suharto's fall, and limited reform process, the Indonesian military
(TNI) remains deeply involved in Indonesian politics, at Cabinet level, and
in state maintenance. The TNI also has substantial economic interests, about
two-thirds of which is illegal. The TNI is therefore still central to
Indonesia's political processes, and constitutes the major impediment to
Indone ....The political economy of military reform in Indonesia: Opportunities and challenges for civilian control of the TNI. Despite Suharto's fall, and limited reform process, the Indonesian military
(TNI) remains deeply involved in Indonesian politics, at Cabinet level, and
in state maintenance. The TNI also has substantial economic interests, about
two-thirds of which is illegal. The TNI is therefore still central to
Indonesia's political processes, and constitutes the major impediment to
Indonesia's democratisation. This project will locate military reform within
a broader Security Sector Reform agenda, assess the likelihood of further
voluntary TNI reform and external reform drivers, and structural problems
facing this process. It will analyse the TNI's reform process, and
investigate options for bilateral reform assistance.
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International Civil Servants and the World Bank: their Role and Impact. The World Bank is the principal international organisation responsible for alleviating poverty and advocating good governance.Understanding the World Bank and its impact in the South Asian and East Asia regions should enable an improved capability for Australia to appreciate the attempts to alleviate the poverty in the region that is so much a source of instability there. We further need to understand the potential of int ....International Civil Servants and the World Bank: their Role and Impact. The World Bank is the principal international organisation responsible for alleviating poverty and advocating good governance.Understanding the World Bank and its impact in the South Asian and East Asia regions should enable an improved capability for Australia to appreciate the attempts to alleviate the poverty in the region that is so much a source of instability there. We further need to understand the potential of internatonal civil servants to contribute to international cooperation and the process of globalization. Read moreRead less
Federalism and International Risk Management. The introduction of new quarantine disciplines with the World Trade Organisation agreements has given rise to tensions within the Australian Federation over the relationship between state and national quarantine measures. This project will review critically these developments in order to better understand and improve the process of risk assessment which is increasingly important after the Salmon case. The project will train a graduate student in ri ....Federalism and International Risk Management. The introduction of new quarantine disciplines with the World Trade Organisation agreements has given rise to tensions within the Australian Federation over the relationship between state and national quarantine measures. This project will review critically these developments in order to better understand and improve the process of risk assessment which is increasingly important after the Salmon case. The project will train a graduate student in risk assessment policy, produce several scholarly outputs and contribute to improved policy in an area of vital national importance.Read moreRead less