MELBOURNE GEELONG WARRNAMBOOL
News from the School of International and Political Studies
Spotlight on International Relations,
Politics and the Middle East Studies
International Conferences in
Melbourne and Hyderabad
Burchill on Afghanistan
The Gambling controversy
NGOs and Welfare Reform
The news on Research
Internships
A Socratic Dialogue
and more…..
Deakin University CRICOS Provider Code: 00113B
... the 20th century has been characterized by three developments of
great political importance: The growth of democracy, the growth of
corporate power, and the growth of corporate propaganda as a means
of protecting corporate power against democracy.
Australian social scientist Alex Carey, quoted by Noam Chomsky in
World Orders Old and New
http://www.wisdomquotes.com/cat_justice.html
ENLIGHTENAPRIL
APRIL 2010
2 ENLIGHTEN
WORLD IN CRISIS –
BUSINESS AS USUAL?
We live in a world that appears crisis-prone. But what does crisis mean in
today’s world?
Some of the risks we face are natural, about which we can do very little. They
come from geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, floods and tsunamis,
or astrophysical events such as comets and asteroids.
Many more are human-made crises, including economic disasters (eg global
financial crisis), systems failures (eg IT collapse), environmental challenges (eg
climate change), pandemics (eg swine flu), the perpetual problem of war, or
chemical, biological and nuclear threats.
For some analysts, the crises our species produce persist because we lack the
ideas and institutions to avert them, and sometimes the knowledge and skills
to attenuate their consequences. We “manage” the risks they impose on us
without any expectation that we can permanently liberate ourselves from their
grip.
Others argue we must learn to live in a “risk society” where “established risk
definitions are … a magic wand with which a stagnant society can terrify itself”
(Ulrich Beck).
Should we accept that these human-made crises are normal? Have we
successfully managed crises like them before? Are attempts to rid our world of
its propensity for human-made crises futile? Or have we grossly exaggerated
– even mythologised – the extent to which we are living in a world of endemic
crisies for political or other motives?
This conference invites participants from a range of disciplines to consider if the
world is in a crisis unique in character and scale, or whether ‘crisis’ is simply the
term we used to describe the normal patterns and fluctuations of human society.
Photos from SIPS School meeting held on 31 July 2009 at Williamstown.
ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010 3
International Conference to be held
in Melbourne 11-13 November 2010.
Sponsored by the School of International & Political Studies
In association with the Centre for Citizenship, development and Human Rights, Deakin University.
Conference Co-Conveners
Dr Scott Burchill
Professor Sue Kenny
Dr Burchill is Senior Lecturer in International
Relations in the School of International and
Political Studies at Deakin University. Before
joining Deakin University in 1990 he was a
political officer in the Department of Foreign
Affairs and Trade (Indo-china & Europe desks) in
Canberra. He has also taught at the University
of Melbourne, Monash University and the
University of Tasmania. Since 1995 he has
been a visiting lecturer at the the Peacekeeping
Centre at the Australian Defence Force Warfare
Centre in Newcastle and the Army Command
and Staff College in Queenscliff. In 1999 and
2000 he lectured at the Australian Defence
College in Canberra.
Professor Kenny is established as one of the
leading Australian and international scholars
of community development issues and trends.
Evidence of this recognition is demonstrated
in the number of invitations to speak at
conferences, including conferences in Australia,
Russia, Vietnam and Sweden, New York, New
Zealand, Switzerland and Indonesia.
Abstracts of papers to be presented at the conference addressing one or more of the themes above to be submitted by June 18
2010 (length 200 to 300 words) please state the principal theme at the top of the abstract. All academic abstracts and papers will be
considered for possible publication.
Enquiries: Ph: 03 5227 2113 or 03 9244 6274 Email: [email protected]
Website: www.deakin.edu.au/arts-ed/sips/events/conference-2010.php
Conference keynote speakers
Malalai Joya
Professor Bob Jessop
Professor John Mueller
www.malalaijoya.com/
www.lancs.ac.uk/fass/sociology/profiles/Bob-Jessop/
www.polisci.osu.edu/faculty/jmueller/
Malalai Joya, the extraordinary and youngest member
elected to the Afghan parliament in 2004, has been
likened to Aung San Suu Kyi for her forthright and
courageous pursuit of justice and unfailing dedication to
her people.
Bob Jessop is Distinguished Professor of Sociology and
Founding Director of the Institute of Advanced Studies
at the University of Lancaster, UK. He is presently
researching the ‘cultural political economy of crisis’. Bob
Jessop is recognised as a leading ‘regulation’ theorist
and for his strategic-relational theory of the state.
‘More convincingly than any other Marxist theorist past
or present, he succeeds in transcending the artificial
dualism of structure and agency by moving towards
a truly dialectical understanding of the relationship’
(Colin Hay). Books include Political Economy and
Global Capitalism: The 21st Century, Present and
Future, Anthem Press, 2010 (ed with R Albritton and R.
Westra); State Power: A Strategic-Relational Approach,
Polity 2007; Beyond the Regulation Approach: Putting
Capitalist Economies in Their Place, Edward Elgar, 2006
(with Ngai-Ling Sum); The Future of the Capitalist State,
Polity 2002; and State Theory: Putting the Capitalist
State in Its Place, Polity 1990.
John Mueller is Woodrow Hayes Chair of National
Security Studies, Mershon Center and Professor of
Political Science at Ohio State University.
She was just four days old when her family fled the
Soviet Union invasion and spent her childhood in
refugee camps in Iran and Pakistan. In the late 1990s,
she returned to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan to work for
underground organisations promoting the cause
of women.
She has received numerous, coveted awards for
her unceasing pursuit of human rights including the
International Human Rights in Film Award at Berlin in
2007 and the Anna Politkovskaya Award in 2008.
In 2009, she published her exceptional story in her book
‘Raising My Voice’.
4 ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010
Professor Mueller is one of the world’s leading
authorities on global risks and threats. He is the author
of Overblown: How Politicians and the Terrorism Industry
Inflate National Security Threats, and Why We Believe
Them (2006) and Atomic Obsession: Nuclear Alarmism
From Hiroshima To Al-Qaeda (2010).
The International Conference will
be divided into four broad themes:
Politics and
development
Risk and
governance
Culture, language
and identity
Ideas and
beliefs
The ‘Politics and Development’
Stream covers a wide range of
contemporary issues in the fields of
politics, international relations, and
development studies from various
theoretical and empirical approaches.
These may include, but are not limited
to, the dynamics of contemporary
world order, U.S. role in world politics,
power and responsibility, globalisation
and global challenges, regionalism
and regionalisation, great power
relations, the rise of China and India,
power transition, war, terrorism,
and international security, regional
instability and conflict, peace and
conflict resolution, nationalism and
national identity, democratisation
and political change, international
political economy, the future of
capitalism, models of development,
state sovereignty and the rise of
non-state actors, international norms
and institutions, the United Nations,
human rights and humanitarian crisis,
and international theory.
This stream considers the meaning
of risk in contemporary societies, and
the forms and practices of governance
constructed to deal with threat and
uncertainty. For example, it examines
how risk is constructed and managed
in various societies and settings,
such as those as diverse as rural
Afghanistan and Fifth Avenue New
York. It thus explores the questions
of whether we really do live in a
‘global risk society’ as discussed by
Ulrich Beck and others, and whether
contemporary risk calls for entirely
new types of governance. The
stream considers the challenge of
how to decide on whom to believe
regarding the dangers we confront, in
the context of conflicting information
from so-called experts, the media and
politicians. For example, where trust in
top-down decision-making is eroded,
how do we interpret and
negotiate risk? In the Culture, Language and Identity
stream, we will explore the theme
of identity relating to culture and
language. In this ever changing world
at increasingly faster pace, we are
frequently confronted with crises,
changes which we are not comfortable
with and beyond our control. Such
changes or crises inevitably impact
on our sense of cultural and linguistic
self, leading us to question who and
what we are, who and what we are
becoming, and who and what we want
to become. This stream will consider
various issues broadly related, but not
exclusive to, culture, language, and
identity in areas of cultural studies,
linguistics, social linguistics, language
acquisition, language policy, language
education etc.
The “Ideas and Beliefs” stream
captures issues about values in
politics, the role of religion in the
public sphere, the nature of ideology,
and the place of human emotions
in political discourses. This stream
will combine the psychoanalytic,
philosophical, political science and
international relations expertise of
the school, in that it will explore the
ideals and values that inform public
discourses – whether national or
global – and suggest that politics and
public discourse is best grasped in
light of an understanding of human
hopes and ideals. The stream will
focus on the understanding of the
normative and ideational dimensions
of contemporary social and cultural
issues such as: global ethics, religious
fundamentalism, new religions,
conservativism, terrorism and torture,
the morality of political violence,
theories of democracy, and global
justice.
Theme Leaders:
Theme Leaders:
Theme Leaders:
Theme Leaders:
Dr Chengxin Pan
Professor Sue Kenny
Associate Professor
Guo-qiang Liu
Dr Scott Burchill
Dr Verity Archer
Dr Peter Haeusler
Mr Hakeem Kasem
Associate Professor
Stan van Hooft
Associate Professor
Matthew Clarke
ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010 5
welcome
The School of International and
Political Studies is located in the
Faculty of Arts and Education.
Campuses are at Burwood, Geelong
and Warrnambool.
Editorial Committee
Ms Helen Andrew
Professor Gary Smith
Associate Professor Matthew Clarke
Dr Hans Lofgren
Dr Sally Totman
Contact Us:
School of International and Political
Studies
Faculty of Arts and Education
Deakin University
221 Burwood Highway
Victoria 3125
Australia
Tel: (03) 9251 7072
Fax: (03) 9244 6323
Email: [email protected]
Professor Gary Smith is Professor of International
Relations and Head of the School of International
and Political Studies.
Dear Reader,
The School of International and Political Studies at Deakin University is an exciting and complex
entity, engaged in innovative research and teaching across a range of disciplines, and involved in
productive partnerships, locally and internationally. Enlighten , published three times per year in print and online, places the spotlight on key elements
in the School, so you can see what staff and students “really do”. One readership group is the
prospective honours and PhD student, and if you find in Enlighten some inspiration to set your own
goals for further study, we would invite you to make contact with me or any of the staff whom you
see profiled in this publication. We are a friendly and engaged group and welcome your inquiries.
In this issue we feature two of our major disciplines, Politics & Policy Studies and International
http://www.deakin.edu.au/arts-ed/sips/ Relations and the rapidly emerging area of Middle East Studies. Research highlights in this issue include two major conferences that staff in the School are convening:
In Hyderabad, India, in collaboration with the University of Hyderabad, an international conference on
global pharmaceutical regulation and the impact of the World Trade Organisation
At the Melbourne Campus at Burwood: a national and international conference on the impact and
aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis.
DISCLAIMER
The editorial team reserves the right to refuse
articles inappropriate for inclusion in this
publication.
Opinions expressed in this publication represent
the views of the authors and do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of Deakin University
Images sourced from Google and academic
private collections.
6 ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010
I invite you to take a tour of Enlighten and I congratulate the editor and contributors who have created
this publication.
Professor Gary Smith
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
The world in your hands
ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010 7
International Relations has developed undergraduate and post graduate programs addressing a
wide range of key trends and developments in world politics. This coverage of topics, and the
academic skills taught within the units, prepare students to act effectively as professionals and
citizens in an increasingly complex and globalised world.
The International Relations (IR) discipline at Deakin is the largest in Victoria and one of the largest in Australia and the AsiaPacific region. In the past decade, we have grown to be 11 full time members of staff with three members based at Geelong
and eight members based at Burwood. Staff cover a broad range of teaching and research interests from Asian regionalism,
to human security, to environmental politics, to the effects of the global financial crisis, to conflict resolution. The group has a
significant profile in terms of its teaching, research and connections to government and society.
The discipline continues to develop units that address key issues in contemporary world politics, offering a range of units at
both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, both on and off campus. These units address issues such as the rise of China,
human rights, human security, global environmental threats, the impact of the Global Financial Crisis, the implications of
terrorism, and contemporary challenges to Australian Foreign Policy. The most recent addition to the curriculum is a unit on
international conflict analysis and resolution at the post graduate level.
Deakin’s MA (International Relations) is distinctive both in terms of the size of the program and diverse array of units. It is one
of the largest postgraduate IR degrees within Australia in terms of student numbers and the number of unit offerings. Four
specialisations, appealing to different student cohorts are also offered, including: Asia-Pacific Regional Politics, Conflict and
Security, Human Rights and International Law, and International History.
The undergraduate offerings of the IR discipline are also diverse. We also have opportunities for internships with the Bachelor
of International Studies and other opportunities for experiential learning. This year we will hold a United Nations Model
Conference at Deakin for our undergraduate students at Burwood. The simulation allows students to negotiate and discuss
important global issues in a context similar to the United Nations General Assembly, a form of experiential learning which
diversifies and enhances their student experience. In 2009 over 175 students participated on the simulation from the Burwood,
Geelong and off-campus cohorts. Dean Coldicott is responsible for developing this Model Conference for the students as part
of the Trimester 2 unit AIR 109 Critical Issues in International Relations.
Members of the IR discipline have made high profile contributions to IR research. Dr Craig Snyder’s Contemporary Security and
Strategy is in preparation for its 3rd edition and Dr Scott Burchill’s Theories of International Relations was recently produced
in its 4th edition. Furthermore, there are clear indications of a strong ‘teaching and research nexus’ within the IR group. This
is evident in that the scholarly profile and research outputs of the group are influenced by teaching activities (and vice versa).
For instance, the book Global Crises and Risks, edited by Dr Scott Burchill and Dr Sally Totman was a collection of chapters
written by IR staff at Deakin.
The IR group has strong connections to government and society. Several members have conducted presentations for the
law firm Minter Ellison on a range of contemporary issues in world politics. Others have lectured at Australia’s pre-eminent
centre for officer education - the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies (CDSS) in Canberra or have been invited to lecture
at international conferences or institutions such as the NATO Defence College in Rome. We also have members of staff who
regularly comment on current issues in world politics in the print and electronic media.
Dr Steven Slaughter
Discipline Convener
International Relations 8 ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010
Dr Craig Snyder
Program Director
Master of Arts (International Relations)
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
The Lynne Alice prize
Dr. Lynne Alice, a Senior Lecturer in International Relations at Deakin University,
passed away on the 30th January 2009. Lynne joined Deakin University in 2003
and was the Director of the Master in International Relations Program from
2005 – 2008. Lynne is remembered for her energy and enthusiasm for academic
life, for her mentoring of junior colleagues and for the ways she inspired many
of her students to ask probing questions and to combine intellectual rigor with
a commitment to furthering human rights and social justice.
In 2009 the Faculty and University established the Lynne Alice Prize to
remember Dr Lynne Alice’s contribution to the study and teaching of Human
Rights at Deakin.
A prize of $500 will be awarded annually to the student enrolled in the
Master of Arts (International Relations) course who has achieved standards of
excellence in his or her academic record in the Human Rights and International
Law specialisation.
The recipient of the inaugural prize in 2010 is Lucy Fenton.
Read more about Lucy on page 16.
The Faces of
International
Relations
Go to: www.deakin.edu.au/arts-ed/sips/
staff-teaching.php for further details of the
diversity of research activities and interests
of the academics in International Relations.
Professor Gary Smith
Professor Baogang He
Dr Steven Slaughter
Dr Craig Snyder
Dr Sally Totman
Dr Scott Burchill
Dr David Hundt
Dr Chengxin Pan
Dr Ken Boutin
Dr Juliet Pietsch
Mr Dean Coldicott
Dr Costas Laoutides
ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010 9
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
SCOTT BURCHILL ON
AFGHANISTAN
Protecting US prestige the only
reason to stay in Afghanistan
(unabridged version)
Scott Burchill & Kristian Lewis
The Age
January 8, 2010
Various pretexts have been offered for Australia’s ongoing
occupation of Afghanistan eight years after it began. All but
one has collapsed.
Scott also gave a lecture at the Royal United
Services Institute of Australia (RUSI) on 25
February 2010 :
“Shining the master’s shoes:
Australia in Afghanistan”
Abstract
The war in Afghanistan is now in its ninth
year and has been prosecuted for longer than
WW1 and WW2 combined. The speech will
examine the stated and un-stated purposes
behind both the war in Afghanistan generally
from a Western perspective, and specifically
Australia’s stated mission goals.
It will be argued that the only remaining
pretext for Australia’s ongoing intervention
in Afghanistan is to support the credibility
of US military power in an increasingly
sceptical world.
10 ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010
Denying sanctuary to Al Qaeda is unnecessary, given its
leaders have decamped to Pakistan, have plenty of other safe
havens to choose from (Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, etc), and
don’t actually require a protected physical space from which
to operate. As one astute observer has noted, maintaining
strategic denial in Afghanistan eight years after 9/11 is about
as rational as posting Secret Service agents today in Dallas at
the Texas School Book Depository, to keep President Obama
safe.
Nor are we concerned about the people of Afghanistan.
Widespread electoral fraud in August last year only distracted
attention from the nature of the government we are propping
up in Kabul: drug traffickers, warlords and violent thugs
accused of committing crimes against humanity. We continue
to ignore the pleas by courageous Afghan women such as
Malalai Joya MP and the Revolutionary Association of the
Women of Afghanistan (RAWA), who tell us their plight is
worsening and want us to leave their country now. Apparently,
we know better.
Elite and public opinion in Australia have been at odds over
wars in the past, including Vietnam, East Timor and Iraq.
Usually, elite opinion surrenders to popular will or suffers the
electoral consequences. Until that shift transpires, an elite
consensus ensures that a vital national issue - our military
occupation of another country - is not critically discussed.
Bipartisan support in the federal parliament for Australia’s
military involvement in Afghanistan is completely at odds
with public sentiment. Only 46% of Australians support
Most reports, including a critical one by analyst Anna Jones,
Australia remaining militarily involved in Afghanistan, with
suggest the training of the Afghan police and military is almost 51% opposed. These views have no support in the House of
a hopeless task. Obama’s strategy of doubling the strength of
Representatives.
the Afghan army to 240,000 and police to 160,000 will take
While Prime Minister Rudd is reluctant to send more than
until 2014 at the earliest, assuming all goes well. In reality this
1,550 troops to Afghanistan, Opposition leader Mr Abbott
task may never be accomplished due to endemic corruption
doesn’t think “we should rule out an increase in commitment,”
and deficiencies in the Afghan Army, including an illiteracy rate
even though 65% of Australians oppose just such an
estimated at 90%.
escalation.
Far from stabilising the region, our presence in Afghanistan
Hopefully, Mr Abbott’s views are not as extreme as Major
has raised the possibility of Pakistan’s disintegration. Its
General Jim Molan’s idea of sending 6,000 additional troops
borders are more porous and contested than ever. It has
for up to 5 years, a mobilisation that would require the redeveloped 90 nuclear weapons which could fall into the hands
introduction of conscription.
of Islamists, remains paranoid about New Delhi’s motives,
and is determined to have a friendly government in Kabul. At
The fervour of Mr Abbott’s opposition to an emissions trading
least 75% of the supplies essential for our war in Afghanistan scheme, which he dismisses as “a great new tax,” is also
flow through Pakistan, which is more anti-American today
strikingly at odds with his unconditional support for what
than at any time in its history. The last 8 years have seen the
should be called the “Afghanistan tax.” Unlike an ETS, the
intensification of centrifugal forces on the northwest frontier
Afghanistan tax isn’t hypothetical.
and the recent emergence of the insurgent Pakistan Taliban.
We conservatively estimate that between 2001 and 2009,
The only rationale left for our involvement in Afghanistan is
Australia’s military occupation of Afghanistan cost taxpayers
to restore Washington’s military credibility, which was badly
over $4.5 billion. At the current level of deployment,
tarnished in Iraq. As John Howard said recently, a withdrawal Australians will pay an additional $1.5 billion annually for what
from Afghanistan would be “an enormous blow to American
Mr Rudd calls “the long haul.” If the self-described “party of
prestige.” For the same reasons it bombed Serbia in 1999,
low taxation” becomes the government after the next election,
Washington needs to remind the world again just who the
this figure may rise significantly. The cost of 11 Australian and
boss is. Contributing to this task is what “maintaining the
countless Afghan lives is, of course, incalculable.
alliance” now means for Australia. More than just a quid pro
The most remarkable aspect of our venture in Afghanistan,
quo for exiting Iraq, Australia is in Afghanistan to help shine
however, is not the absence of plausible rationales for our
the master’s shoes.
presence there, the criminals we are keeping in power, or the
Canberra cannot articulate a coherent definition of “success”
human and material costs of our intervention. It is the absence
or “victory” in Afghanistan. The narrative of our occupation is
of a public debate about a war that a majority of Australians
weak, unconvincing and increasingly unpopular. All we have
believe is wrong.
left are meaningless sound bytes about being there for “the
long haul.”
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Seminars &
Partnerships
MINTER ELLISON SEMINAR SERIES 2010
Since 2007, the School of International and Political Studies (SIPS) has been providing geo-political seminars
on critical issues in international politics for Minter Ellison Lawyers. These seminars are well attended by
Minter Ellison staff at all levels of the organisation.
As both an acknowledgement of its global business reach and as part of its professional development program,
Minter Ellison wanted to enhance the awareness and understanding of its staff in contemporary global
political issues. The series of 90 minute presentations have ranged from an examination of contemporary US
foreign policy and the proliferation of nuclear weapons to the Arab-Israeli conflict and tensions on the Korean
peninsula. Seminar presenters were mostly SIPS staff, supplemented by a small number of external lecturers.
The 2010 series, which will focus on the Asia-Pacific region, will begin in June 2010. The focus will be on topics close to home eg Indonesia, Thailand, China/Taiwan and Asia in general.
WORKSHOP – NEO-LIBERALISM AND
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT IN GLOBAL
GOVERNANCE
Mr Dean Coldicott and Dr Steven Slaughter hosted a workshop on Neo-liberalism and Public Involvement in
Global Governance: From Transnational Contestation to Transnational Democracy, hosted by Deakin University,
on November 30 - December 1, 2009.
Papers were presented by:
•
Dean Coldicott, Saving Neoliberalism: The rise of the G20 and opportunities for public involvement.
•
Dr David Hundt, Contesting Neo-liberalism in Korea.
•
Professor Baogang He, Dealing with “Trouble-Making” Trade Unions: Wal-Mart’s Different Strategies in China,
Mexico, Germany, Canada and the U.S.
•
Dr Steven Slaughter, Deliberative Global Governance and the G8/20: Legitimacy, Contestation and Public
Participation
•
Daniel Bray, Anti-Neoliberalism and the Struggle for Transnational Democracy.
•
Professor Manfred B. Steger, The Three Dimensions of Neoliberalism: A Conceptual Analysis.
•
Professor Heikki Patomäki, Neoliberalism and the Global Financial Crisis
•
James Goodman, Climate governance: from neo-liberalism to climate justice?
•
Ravi Roy, A New Dawn in US-India Relations: from bi-polarity and non-alignment to neoliberal cooperation
•
Professor Marc Williams, Transnational Activism and the Global Trade Regime
•
Kate Macdonald and Terry Macdonald, Challenging neo-liberal governance from within: the liberal battle-fields
of global supply chains
•
Professor Tony McGrew, Global Governance with Chinese Characteristics ? Bulwark of, or Impediment to,
global neoliberalism.
ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010 11
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
SEMINARS
Seminar series to enrich
intellectual life at Deakin
As a result of discussions at the Senior Managers Planning Conference about developing a program of activities to
enrich the intellectual life at Deakin, an expanded series of meetings/seminars and other events has been planned.
Aimed to engage and inform students and staff about the large global problems of our times, the events will be
held across all Campuses. As the first events planned to take place, the Faculty of Arts and Education will offer a
fortnightly series of open seminars on intercultural issues, at the Melbourne Campus at Burwood through the Institute
for Citizenship and Globalisation (led by Professor Fethi Mansouri), and at the Geelong and Warrnambool Campuses
through the Alfred Deakin Research Institute (led by Professor David Lowe).
The School of International and Political Studies, which presents weekly seminars for Minter Ellison Lawyers over
several months, will bring a range of these presentations to the Campus communities.
12 ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010
DATE
SPEAKER
TOPIC
Date to be
advised
Dr Scott Burchill
A big mistake: how Washington paved the
way for Islamist terror
30 April
Bijay Kumar (ActionAid)
From the Tsunami to Haiti: Human Rights
Based Approaches and Humanitarianism
7 May
Associate Professor Matthew Clarke
The Millennium Development Goals: a case
for tailoring them
14 May
Dr Verity Archer
The youth compact: Bringing the ‘dole
bludger’ into youth income support policy?
28 May
Dr Steven Slaughter
Promising the World? The G20, Public
Accountability and Global Environmental
Governance
4 June
Professor Mark McGillivray
“Global inequality in health’ OR
‘Aid to Pacific Island states’ (to be advised)
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
publications
Books
Palgrave Macmillan have announced that the 4th edition of Theories of International
Relations is to be translated into Arabic. The 3rd edition of the book was translated into Romanian, Polish and Simplified Chinese.
There has been a lot of interest in the 4th edition with Italian, Spanish, Korean, Simplified
Chinese and Turkish translations also either imminent or likely.
www.palgrave.com/products/title.aspx?PID=309516
BOOK CHAPTERS
• Burchill, S, and Linklater, A, (2009) Introduction, in Burchill, S, Linklater, A; Devetak, R, Donnelly, J, Nardin, T,
Paterson, M; Reus-Smit, C and True, J (eds), Theories of International Relations, pp. 1-30, Palgrave Macmillan,
Basingstoke, England.
• Burchill, S, (2009) Liberalism, in Burchill, S, Linklater, A, Devetak, R, Donnelly, J, Nardin, T, Paterson, M ReusSmit, C, and True, J (eds), Theories of international relations, pp. 57-85, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke,
England.
• He, B, (2009) Social protests, village democracy and state building in China : how do rural social protests
promote village democracy?, in Kuah Pearce, K.E and Gilles, G (eds), Social movements in China and Hong Kong :
the expansion of protest space, pp. 25-43, Amsterdam University Press, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
• He, B, He, H and Liao, S, (2009) Justice as fairness, in Rawls, J (eds), A theory of justice, pp. 3-41, Social Science
Press, Beijing, China.
• Smith, G, (2009) Indo-Australian relations beyond indifference, in Lofgren, and Sarangi, P (eds), The politics and
culture of globalisation : India and Australia, pp. 277-294, Social Science Press, New Delhi, India
ARTICLES
• Boutin, K, ‘Arms and Autonomy: The Limits of China’s Defense-Industrial Autonomy,’ in Richard A. Bitzinger, ed.
The Modern Defense Industry: Political, Economic, and Technological Issues, pp. 212-226, Santa Barbara, CA:
Praeger Security International, 2009 www.deakin.edu.au/dro/view/DU:30022898
http://epress.anu.edu.au/sdsc/rc/mobile_devices/ch11.html
• Boutin, K, Emerging Defense Industries: Prospects and Implications,’ in Richard A. Bitzinger, ed. The Modern
Defense Industry: Political, Economic, and Technological Issues (Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger Security
International, 2009), 227-40 www.deakin.edu.au/dro/view/DU:30022898
• He, Baogang (2009) The fate of China’s liberalism, 21st century, pp. 4-12, Institute of Chinese Studies, The
Chinese University of Hong Kong, Xianggang, Hong Kong
ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010 13
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Casual Academic
Staff Reflect
Trudy Griggs
My background is in teaching Politics, International Relations and Women’s
Studies. I lectured at La Trobe University (Bendigo) for nine years before
teaching at Deakin. In 2007, I completed a teaching degree qualifying as a
primary and secondary teacher.
However, I prefer teaching at tertiary level. The course content is far more
stimulating and there are barely any classroom management issues
to deal with.
I tutor and/or mark in several International Relations units including
International Relations (AIR108), Critical Isues in International Relations
(AIR109), Global Capitalism and its Discontent (AIR236/336), Conflict, Security
and Terrorism (AIR244/344), American Foreign Policy (AIR245/345).
In AIR109, I am the tutor and Geelong contact person for students. I also
introduce the lecturers to the students each week as the lectures are delivered
by a range of staff speaking about their areas of expertise. I also do the
lectures, tutorials and marking for Introduction to University Study (ASC160).
Last year I also tutored in Business Power and Global Politics (AIP217) and the
online unit, Work Transition in the 21st Century (AIX391).
Marta Iniguez de Heredia
Marta Iniguez de Heredia is currently a PhD candidate at the London School
of Economics and part of the editorial team of the Millennium Journal of
International Studies. She was both a Masters student and a teaching
assistant in SIPS between 2005 and 2007.
“I chose Deakin for my Masters because it offered a really good combination
of core subjects in International Relations with a strong specialisation on
Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law. Teaching in SIPS provided
me with a unique insight into professional academic life as well as with
collegial and institutional support to push some of my Masters research
into what have been my first publications. All this academic experience has
definitely contributed to opening doors I would never have guessed they
would.”
14 ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
PhD Candidate
The European Union’s Foreign
Policy towards Iraq
“An evaluation of the European Union’s
foreign policy effectiveness during the
Iraqi crisis 2001-09”
Saleem Aljebori
I completed the first year of my PhD in November 2009 and my
candidature was confirmed in January 2010. My PhD is an investigation
of European foreign policy towards Iraq. The aim of my study is to
investigate and analyse the effectiveness and coherence of the EU’s
foreign policy in the context of the Iraq crisis. Iraq has been chosen as
a case study because the foreign policy of the EU towards this country
seemed to be inconsistent and variant in its outlook since 2001. This
study will, therefore, focus on the key domestic elements that affected
the EU’s foreign policy in particular the relationships and interactions
between EU institutions themselves and between these institutions and
key member states that will provide a better understanding of the EU’s
foreign policy in general and its positions towards Iraq in particular.
To achieve this aim, the following scopes will be explored in: To study
the influence of the relationships among the EU institutions on the
foreign policy formulation of the EU; To investigate the nature and scope
of coordination between the EU’s foreign policy and its key member
states’ foreign policies; To examine the impact of rivalries between
EU institutions on foreign policy-making; To analyse the effect of the
nationalist tendencies of key member states on the EU’s foreign policy
formulation and decision-making.
For my experience at Deakin University, I can say, Deakin University
offers great facilities and Faculty support for PhD students. For example,
in order to complete my PhD I need to go to Brussels and conduct
some interviews with European Union officials there, so, when I
asked about financial cost for this trip, Faculty staff informed me that
Deakin University would support me. That’s more than I could have
imagined, particularly when I compare with university assistance for PhD
students in my home country. Furthermore, I have experienced a strong
relationship between PhD students and their supervisors, and that’s
an important factor in assisting PhD students to achieve success. In
addition, Deakin University provides PhD students with sessions focused
on research skills, which is very useful for students who have come
from overseas. The seminar series is also a fantastic idea because it
is a good opportunity to share thinking, and communicate with other
students and academics.
I am very happy and proud to be able to complete my PhD at
Deakin University.
ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010 15
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
My Commonwealth
Competition
Congratulations to Brendan Wright, a first-year student in the School of International & Political Studies.
Brendan’s entry to the “My Commonwealth Competition” (essay competition) was judged to be among the top 5
entries and has been highly commended. There were more than 350 entries from 24 countries around the world
and so this really is a fantastic achievement. This Competition was part of the “Commonwealth Conversation”
(a global dialogue between peoples of the Commonwealth about their association) organised by the Royal
Commonwealth Society.
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Brendan Wright, aged 19, from Australia
“Decades ago we realised that The Commonwealth should not and could not be the UN, the WHO, the World
Bank or any other of the hundreds of international organisations. It cannot be summed up by an acronym a few
letters long, nor should it be. It should not try and supplement the activities of other organisations with its own. It
could not do everything, and would fail if it tried to do so. So The Commonwealth was reorganised into the entity
we see today.
A democratic institution which aims to do nothing more than promote, foster and advance ideas, philosophies
and actions which benefit all peoples, places and things in and out of The Commonwealth member states. The
Commonwealth is a symbol and a beacon.”
Read more at www.thecommonwealthconversation.org/my-commonwealth-competition/
Winner of the inaugural lynne
alice prize 2010
My motivation to study at Deakin University was to learn about academic and legal frameworks in human rights
and global politics, and to better understand their application concerning protection gaps in today’s global
context. From this starting point, Dr Alice proved a formative influence in my studies by consistently laying down
challenges; to challenge underlying assumptions in existing theories and models, to evaluate in light of cultural
relativism and complex debates, and in examining the gap between implementation and rhetoric.
Lucy Fenton completed the Master of
Arts (international Relations) in 2009
This approach of setting rigorous academic standards as well as encouraging an independent viewpoint and
analytical approach was a highlight of my learning experience. The extension of these standards towards the
collaborative online student forums also really helped me as an off-campus student, in developing the ability
to frame key questions by which to assess research materials and to bounce around ideas with fellow students
based around the world.
In particular, I consider the structure and depth of the Gender, War and Peace program and the International
Humanitarian Law unit to be especially pertinent in developing the analytical tools necessary to assess
these rapidly-developing fields in terms of their impact on policy-making and armed conflict globally, and that
graduates from these disciplines will be a strong testament to the leadership and insight of Dr Alice.
I am honoured to receive the inaugural Lynne Alice Prize, in memory of a dedicated scholar, teacher and activist.
16 ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010
POLITICS AND POLICY STUDIES
What’s happening in the
world of politics?
ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010 17
The combination of political theory with both policy studies and comparative politics makes both the
undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in politics distinctive in Australia.
We teach themes that are both relevant in contemporary workplaces and well anchored in current
research and the traditions of the discipline.
Politics is a basic discipline with roots in the thought of Aristotle, Machiavelli, Marx, J.S. Mill, Rawls, and many others.
It is central to the research culture of any university. Policy Studies applies the lessons of politics to practical issues of
governance within and between public authorities, corporations, and other organisations. Like many universities in Australia,
our major covers Australian politics, policy studies, and political theory. Our focus on comparative politics, including India,
the EU, and the Middle East is unusual. Comparative politics is common in Europe and North America, but uncommon in
Australia. Demand for our major in Politics and Policy Studies has increased strongly in the last ten years.
Our major is an integral part of the Bachelor and Masters of Social Work, the Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communication),
the Masters of Business Administration, and the Masters of Planning. It is a popular major in the combined Arts/Law degree
and within the BA it is a popular combination with International Relations and Journalism.
The post-graduate public policy course was relaunched in 2007. After a comprehensive revision and under a new name,
growth in our Master of Politics and Policy programme has exceeded expectations twofold over. Past and present students
include members of parliament, a senior advisor to the Prime Minister, and many senior managers in the public and
community sector. In 2010, we have introduced a combined Master of Politics and Policy/Master of Business Administration.
We have a long-standing and well established internship program. Several current students have prominent jobs as MPs,
or on the staff of MPs. Many former students work at newspapers, in trade unions, NGOs, political parties, and the highest
levels of government.
Two staff members belong to the editorial boards of important journals and five have held positions as visiting researchers at
prominent universities around the world.
Several staff have strong links with leaders of NGOs, local, state, and federal government, and trade unions in Australia,
China, India, the EU, and Canada. Others have good contact with universities around the world. These links derive from
research and they often involve student interns.
The Politics and Policy Studies staff have won nine Australian Research Council grants, along with many other grants to
investigate problem gambling, local transport, local health, local infrastructure, sustainability, aborigines, trade unions,
globalisation, deliberative democracy, and cosmopolitan citizenship. Our research covers issues relating to Australia, China,
India, the Middle East, Europe, Britain, Sweden, and Canada.
The Politics group has developed close collaborative relations with the University of Hyderabad, India. A joint conference
was organised in Hyderabad in 2006, and a co-sponsored major international conference on medicines policy is planned
for September 2010, again in Hyderabad. Dr Hans Lofgren was the recipient of a Commonwealth Government Endeavour
Executive Award in 2009 to extend this collaboration. Professor of Political Science, K.C. Suri, University of Hyderabad, will
visit Deakin, supported by an Endeavour Executive Award, for three months from July 2010.
Dr Andrew Vandenberg
Discipline Convener
Politics and Policy Studies
Associate Professor Kevin O’Toole
Program Director
Master of Politics and Policy
The Faces of
Politics
Go to: www.deakin.edu.au/arts-ed/sips/
staff-teaching.php for further details of the
diversity of research activities and interests of
the academics Politics and Policy Studies.
18 ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010
Professor Geoffrey Stokes
Associate Professor
Kevin O’Toole
Associate Professor
Linda Hancock
Dr Hans Lofgren
Dr Peter Haeusler
Dr Andrew Vandenberg
Dr Verity Archer
Dr Sally Totman
POLITICS AND POLICY STUDIES
Rural and Regional
Engagement
Warrnambool
One of the major goals of Deakin’s strategic plan is rural and regional
engagement and the Warrnambool campus is ideally placed to engage
in rural and regional research. As governance is integral to many social
science research projects in rural and regional areas, Associate Professor
Kevin O’Toole is well suited to engage with his local communities in his
position in the discipline of politics at the Warrnambool Campus.
Added to this is the ability of academics on a smaller campus to more
easily engage with one another since rural and regional research is often
interdisciplinary. This had led to a diverse range of projects that have
benefitted both Deakin (in terms of funding and publications) and the
local community (in terms of research outcomes).
Dr Kevin O’Toole is an Associate
Professor in Politics in the School of
International and Political Studies at
the Warrnambool Campus. His research
focuses on sustainability and governance
of aspects of rural and regional areas
which includes institutions such as local
government, health agencies, water
agencies, agicultural industries and
community and youth organisations.
Kevin has attracted major funding for a range of projects including:
catchment to regional scale indicators of sustainability; community
governance in small rural towns; demand management for domestic
water; comparative land use analysis; allied health retention in rural
areas; rural youth services; and integrated coastal zone management.
This has meant building and working with interdisciplinary research
teams of economists, ecologists, psychologists, health promotion
personnel and sociologists. In all of these projects, Kevin’s training in
the discipline of politics has been fundamental to resolving many of the
problems and issues of research design, implementation and analysis.
What this shows is that the study of politics is not a discipline that is
confined to national or international politics, but has relevance to many
areas of study and research that would not traditionally have been part
of political research. In fact, at a recent international conference on
rural sociology in Korea in which Kevin participated, there was a large
percentage of political scientists.
Accordingly, Deakin’s strategic goal of rural and regional engagement is
well served by having an active presence of the discipline of politics on
the Warrnambool campus.
ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010 19
POLITICS AND POLICY STUDIES
Hancock on Gambling
Gambling has existed for a long time but gains its recent controversial reputation from the social impact of
casinos and localised gambling venues and electronic gaming machines (slots, VLTs, known in Australia as
‘pokies’). The 1990s saw the growth of casinos (now numbering 13 across Australia) and of approximately
200,000 suburbanised poker machines in clubs and hotels.
The landmark 1999 Productivity Commission report on gambling has just been revisited under a second
reference; generating over 300 submissions, numerous national hearings and a final report delivered to the
federal government this year. A major barrier to states’ implementation of the 1999 recommendations has been
their reliance on gambling tax – on average 10 percent of state/territory revenue (approximately 13 percent in
each of Victoria and South Australia). Despite ‘harm minimisation’ measures introduced by the states (states
are currently responsible for gambling regulation), gambling losses continue to rise and annual profits (player
losses) for the industry exceed $18 billion per year.
In May 2009, represented by Senator Nick Xenophon, the mother of Katherine Natt, formerly a croupier at
Adelaide casino, sought to re-open the inquest into the death of her 24 year old daughter and mother of two
young children, who tragically took her life in August 2006. The South Australian Coroner heard the case in
February 2010 and is yet to report.
Associate Professor Hancock was called
to the Coronial Inquest to give expert
evidence and drew on current research
on Crown Casino, funded under a Deakin
University Partnerships grant with
the LHMU; research in international
gambling regulatory regimes, Canadian
best practice venue codes peer review;
and research conducted in London for
the Responsible Gambling Fund (the UK
charity responsible for national gambling
research).
In re-opening the case, Counsel sought to establish whether Ms Natt’s death was due to her gambling
addiction (taking into account the letter she left behind) and relates to broader issues of the vulnerability of
gambling industry employees to gambling-related problems; the adequacy of worker training; the workplace
policies in place under employee duty of care; and customer ‘host responsibility’ in the gambling venues
in which they gamble. The South Australian coronial hearing would not have happened without Senator
Nick Xenophon intervening to re-open the case and her mother re-visiting her grief to try to help others like
Katherine. It also raises broader issues about the role of regulators in determining and monitoring venue codes
of practice and of transnational corporations involved in the provision of internationalised products (gaming
machines and gaming software) in areas of ‘dangerous consumptions’. This case highlights how local - in
this case state - legislation sets the regulatory standards; but broader CSR or corporate social responsibility
imposes moral and ethical, if not legal, prescriptions.
There is a case to be made that gambling workers are at high risk due to their exposure to gambling, the
normalisation of gambling in their workplaces and especially for those on night shift work, local accessibility
to 24 hour gambling venues where they may go to wind-down after work. Australian research has established
that gambling industry employees have 6-8 times the rate of problem gambling compared with the population
(16 times higher in a Queensland study) – even if they are disallowed from gambling in their work place; as for
example in most casinos.
The case also raises questions about the role of the state regulator in determining and enforcing gambling
venue codes of practice on employee duty of care, venue staff training in gambling harm protection and
reporting and whether such codes should be mandatory or voluntary. Casinos also have a role to play. Many
are part of international consortia which work across different regulatory regimes. This raises questions about
whether international best practice or local (lowest common denominator) regulatory standards prevail in
specific jurisdictions.
20 ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010
POLITICS AND POLICY STUDIES
Advocating or abdicating?
The role of NGOs in Australian debates about youth
income support.
In July, I will present a paper titled ‘Representing the people to government or government to the people?
Not for Profits, advocacy and youth income support policies in Australia’ to the International Sociological
Association conference in Gothenberg, Sweden.
The paper draws on my current research into the history of income support discourses in Australia. It
contributes to a debate about the effects of welfare reform on welfare rights advocacy. The outsourcing
of welfare policy implementation to Not for Profit organisations has been a major part of welfare reform.
Currently the debate revolves around the issue of whether Not for Profit organisations can maintain their
traditional advocacy role while serving the dual function of implementing government policy.
Verity joined the School of International
and Political Studies in July 2009. Prior to
arriving at Deakin University, Verity held
a Williamson Postdoctoral Fellowship
at the Australian Centre, University
of Melbourne. Her project examined
unemployment benefit policy and
discourse under the Howard Government.
She has worked as a Lecturer and
Research Fellow in the Centre for Public
Policy, University of Melbourne, and as a
Manager in charge of youth research at
the Brotherhood of St Laurence.
The Not for Profit sector has responded to these changes with mixed feelings. While Not for Profits now
have a greater role to play in welfare policy, researchers have pointed out that the involvement of community
sector groups in welfare administration can actually mute the voice of these groups, effectively binding them
in funding arrangements that prevent antagonistic points of view from being represented to government. The
potential for isomorphic effects are increased and community sector groups can begin to take on the role of
government, representing government to the people rather than representing the people to government. This
research also indicated that workers feel that their advocacy role has been compromised by their involvement
in the implementation of welfare policies, particularly those involving a coercive ‘activation’ requirement for
income support beneficiaries.
My research examines whether government discourses about youth income support are mirrored by Not for
Profits and, if so, whether this has occurred in tandem with the shift toward these organisations becoming
involved in the implementation of welfare policy. In order to examine this I use government and Not for Profit
organisations’ media releases on youth income support changes across the years 1983-2010. This enables me
to track advocacy and isomorphic shifts across different models of welfare administration and across three
different governments: Hawke-Keating, Howard and the current Rudd Government.
ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010 21
Pharmaceuticals in Developing
and Emerging Economies:
Production, Innovation, and
Access to Medicines in the Wake
of TRIPS
Co-sponsored by the University of Hyderabad, India and
Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia.
Friday 17 September 2010 - Sunday 19 September 2010
The conference will examine the state of drug production and innovation in the global South in the wake of the
implementation of TRIPS-mandated intellectual property rights. The interface between industrial capabilities, and
access to essential medicines, is a second major theme. The aim is to provide a landmark assessment of these critical
areas in global health and development.
This event provides a unique opportunity for researchers, policy makers, public health advocates, and industry
representatives to deliberate on the economics and politics of the pharmaceutical industry and access to medicines,
across the developing and emerging economies.
Background
The Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement imposes global minimum standards for
intellectual property protection to be phased in across all members of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The stated
purpose is to improve the conditions for innovation and technology transfer – for the benefit not only of incumbent
industry leaders but also developing and emerging economies.
It is not evident however that the overall gap in the global pharmaceutical industry between developed and developing
countries has diminished. The global drug market and global health research remain dominated by North America,
Europe and Japan. These regions account for around 75% of global sales and more than 90% of global health-related
research. From this perspective, TRIPS would seem to impose a ‘one size fits all’ model on the developing countries,
notwithstanding different health needs or stage of economic development.
Yet firms and research organisations in some emerging economies have established a significant presence in global
innovation and production networks. India is the outstanding case and countries such as China, Brazil, Cuba, Thailand
and South Africa also have notable capabilities. But there is scarce systematic knowledge of the present state and
future prospects of pharmaceutical production and innovation across the global South – a deficiency addressed by this
conference. Among the papers presented will be detailed studies of the impact of TRIPS on the pharmaceutical industry
and public health in particular countries in all major regions of the developing world.
Professor Seyed E. Hasnain
Vice-Chancellor
University of Hyderabad
Honorary Conference Chair
Dr Hans Lofgren
Deakin University
Co-Chair
Professor J. Manohar Rao
University of Hyderabad
Co-Chair
Information and Registration:
www.deakin.edu.au/arts-ed/icg/events/conferences/pharma-conf10.php#Call%20for%20Papers
22 ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010
POLITICS AND POLICY STUDIES
publications
Books
Ommundsen, W., Leach, M., Vandenberg, A. (eds). Cultural Citizenship and the Challenges of
Globalisation, Cresskill, New Jersey, Hampton Press (in press).
Citizenship, culture and globalization, as recent history demonstrates, can be an explosive
mix, with the capacity to unsettle not only traditional modes of belonging, but also
established ways of thinking about being and belonging. Destabilising boundaries between
culture and state, self and other, sameness and difference, cultural citizenship in the global
era brings out tensions between individual and group rights, between human and cultural
rights, between principles of universalism and respect for cultural difference, and between
the authority of the state, the rule of international law, and the seemingly lawless operations
of transnational capital.
BOOK CHAPTERS
• Lofgren, H. and Sarangi, P. (2009) Introduction : dynamics and dilemmas of globalisation, in Lofgren, Hans and
Sarangi, Prakash (eds), The politics and culture of globalisation : India and Australia, pp. 1-18, Social Science
Press, New Delhi, India.
• Lofgren, H. (2009) Regulation and the politics of pharmaceuticals in Australia, in Eggleston, Karen (eds),
Prescribing cultures and pharmaceutical policy in the Asia Pacific, pp. 129-144, Asia Pacific Research Inst,
Stanford, Calif.
• Lofgren, H. (2009) India’s drug multinationals : growth strategies and global industry dynamics, in Lofgren, Hans
and Sarangi, Prakash (eds), The politics and culture of globalisation : India and Australia, pp. 181-198, Social
Science Press, New Delhi, India
• Lofgren, H. (2009) The competition state and the private control of healthcare, in Kay, Adrian and Williams,
Owain David (eds), Global health governance : crisis, institutions and political economy, pp. 245-264, Palgrave
Macmillan, Basingstoke, England
• Lofgren, H. & Harvey, K. (2009) The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, in Willis, Eileen; Reynolds, Louise and
Keleher, Helen (eds), Understanding the Australian health care system, pp. 71-82, Churchill Livingstone Elsevier,
Chatswood, N.S.W
• Stokes, G. (2009) ‘Neoliberal Hyperglobalism in Australian Political Thought’, in H. Löfgren and P. Sarangi (eds)
The Politics and Culture of Globalisation: India and Australia. Social Sciences Press, New Delhi, pp. 56-75.
• Vandenberg, A. (2009) Terror, power and protest : India and Australia, in Lofgren, Hans and Sarangi, Prakash (eds),
Politics and culture of globalisation : India and Australia, pp. 295-314, Social Science Press, New Delhi, India
Journal Articles
• Lofgren, H., (2009) was the guest editor for a special issue of Australian Health Review, vol 33, no 2, May 2009,
titled The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and the Dilemmas of Medicines Policy.
• Lofgren, H., (2009) From the editor: The economic crisis, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, and the dilemmas
of medicines policy. Australian Health Review 2009; 33 (2): 171-175.
• Lofgren, H., (2009) Medicines policy and drug company investments: the Irish experience (book review). Australian
Health Review 2009; 33 (2): 295-298.
• Lofgren, Hans (2009) Generic medicines in Australia : business dynamics and recent policy reform, Southern med
review, pp. 24-28, Zaheer Babar, Ed. & Pub., Auckland, New Zealand
ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010 23
POLITICS AND POLICY STUDIES
Casual Academic Staff Reflect
Brian Coffey
Environmental issues present an interesting angle on age old questions. For example, the politics of the environment
means that the question ‘how should we live’? becomes ‘how should we live, on this planet’? Not surprisingly, there
are diverse responses to this question and their adequacy and influence varies considerably across time and space.
In a very general sense, such a question has motivated my PhD research, which investigates how sustainability
was defined in Victorian Government policy discourse between 1999 and 2006. In this research I am examining the
influence of different discourses (particularly neoliberalism and ecological modernization) on policy making and the
effects this has for the way in which the challenge of sustainability is understood and responded to.
With my thesis to be submitted shortly (hopefully), I am looking forward to getting my life back, and starting work on
a new research project. As someone studying remotely on a part time basis, while making a career transition from
the public service to academia, my journey has been made easier by the support provided by Dr Hans Lofgren.
Lucinda Horrocks
Contract and sessional work is on the one hand fragmented and temporary, on the other, rewarding and filled with
opportunity. I started working for SIPS in 2002 as a first year politics tutor. I was extremely nervous to begin with.
After years of working in market research I knew a lot about how to administer questionnaires and analyse data, but
my academic skills were rusty and I lacked confidence even in my own discipline areas of politics, gender studies
and cultural studies. Well. The tutoring turned into a part-time research assistant contract, which led to further
research opportunities and teaching work. In my eight years at Deakin I have taught sociology, philosophy, gender
studies, and politics. I have researched diverse areas: greening our suburbs, cosmopolitanism, illicit drug use,
work-integrated learning, discourses of home. I have written reports, study guides, grant applications and a book
chapter, and have delivered training seminars and conference papers on topics I never dreamt I would know about.
In part, it is this eclectic journey that has led me to where I am now: a freelance researcher and writer and fledgling
documentary video producer. In all, I enjoy being part of the extended SIPS community. Bring on the next project.
PAST STUDENTS
Dr Andrew TayloR
Dr. Andrew Taylor went to Laverton Secondary College from 1983 to 1988 and reckons more of his class mates went
to jail than university. At school he played in a rock band and his squash team won the Victorian All High Schools
Championship in 1987.
During the 1990s he worked as a manager of import/export warehouses. As a mature-age student, he studied Arts
(Politics)/Commerce (Economics) at Deakin in Waurn Ponds from 1995-1997, and then Honours in politics, with a
dissertation about “The Natural Rate of Unemployment”.
Between 1999 and 2002, he completed a PhD at Deakin on “The Politics of Econometric Modelling”. This included
case studies on the politics of negotiating a GST and climate change policies.
After a few interviews for different jobs, he finally won a fantastic job in the Federal Public Service in 2003. An
incoming head of Prime Minister and Cabinet wanted to employ more staff who were not only economists but also
skilled in politics. His PhD had provided him with precisely the skills they wanted. Since then his very demanding
work has involved liaising with all other departments and stakeholders in order to write one-page briefs for the
Prime Minister (both Howard and Rudd) on matters coming before the cabinet that cover climate change, Telstra and
communications, workplace relations, and superannuation.
24 ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010
INTERNSHIPS IN SIPS
Through the School’s undergraduate internship programs in Policy Studies and
International Studies a record number of almost 60 students undertook placements with
a diverse array of organisations domestically and internationally in 2009. Two thirds of
those went out during the summer in what proved to be a popular trimester,
and a busy one for the Unit Chair Peter Haeusler.
If the next few pages are not enough to entice you … view our video at http://www.deakin.edu.
au/arts-ed/internships/bais/index.php and hear from the students themselves about their exciting
internship experiences!
Policy internship program
Several Policy Studies interns completed placements with MP’s offices, but the majority worked with non-governmental organisations including VACCHO,
Australian Multicultural Foundation, Geelong Trades Hall Council, Institute of Public Affairs, Lasallian Foundation, Refugee Council of Australia, and
National Disability Services. This reflects the focus of the program in recent years on the NGO sector where we have found that students benefit from the
broad exposure they receive in terms of the organisation and its constituency, together with the mix of ‘front desk’ type activities and engagement on often
very substantive policy research work. This niche has also distinguished our internship program from many of its competitors where the emphasis is on
parliamentary placements.
Caitlin Brown
Caitlin has completed her third year of a five year Arts/Law degree at Deakin and undertook her internship with the
independent public policy think tank, the Institute of Public Affairs, in Melbourne in November 2009. Caitlin was
heavily involved in researching and writing up a research paper on carbon tariffs, which was particularly topical
given the debates and ructions in Federal parliament over emissions trading and climate change in the lead up to
the Copenhagen Climate Change conference. She also got to attend the IPA’s conference, The economics of climate
change policy, ‘a fantastic opportunity to watch and be involved in some of the theoretical processes I have studied
at university’. Caitlin’s work has now been released as an IPA occasional paper. See Tim Wilson and Caitlin Brown,
Costly, ineffectual and protectionist carbon tariffs, at http://sustainabledev.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/
Carbontariffs.pdf .
‘My experience at the IPA has left me feeling very positive about a possible future career in this area. As well as
learning from the staff there…I learnt a lot about leadership and team work…I have also made contacts that will be
useful for future employment not just in public policy but also in the legal sector. Being able to witness and contribute
to part of the policy process was very exciting, especially considering the relevance of climate change legislation to
contemporary politics and policy-making.’
Breigh Smith
Breigh completed an internship at National Disability Services (Victoria). NDS is a peak body representing over
600 disability service providers nationally, and is very active in a range of associated policy areas. Her brief was
to examine the implications for service providers of Australia’s recent signing of the UN convention of the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and how the CRPD fits within the framework of existing Federal and State
legislation. Breigh developed a set of practical resources for NDS members that included information about the CRPD
and how to make a complaint about human rights breaches; a publication linking legislation, standards and policies
to the CRPD; and a Human Rights Tools and Resources Index.
‘Through this experience my research, communication and interpersonal skills have been extended. Likewise, my
proficiency in planning, organisation and time management and my ability to work as part of a team have been
enhanced. The placement has taught me much about putting policy into practice, consultation with stakeholders
and report writing. The mentorship I received from my supervisors at NDS and the experience and knowledge of
the staff I worked with have been crucial to the development of my professional skills and understanding…By
providing a realistic insight into policy application, the role of a peak body and working in the community sector, the
internship has informed my future career goals and opened my eyes to wider opportunities. Moreover, I believe it has
strengthened my career prospects. The internship has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have had during
my time at University.’
ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010 25
INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
INTERNSHIPS
Matthew is enrolled in the Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor
of Arts (International Studies) and as mentioned above
has just completed an internship under the UCWIP
2010 program with the office of Congressman Lincoln
Diaz-Balart (Republican, Florida). The following are his
reflections on the experience.
‘Swapping my Australian summer of the beach, cricket
and relaxation for a two-month internship in freezing
conditions in Washington DC was always going to
require an enormous leap of faith on my part. And,
despite being bombarded with one of the worst snow
blizzards in local history I was delighted to have taken
part in UCWIP 2010.
By virtue of working for a district from Florida that has a
strong Haitian representation, the Haiti earthquake was
an incredibly busy time where I conducted research into
the immediate recovery/reconstruction process and the
earthquake’s potential impact on illegal immigration. I
was also answering the phones on a regular basis, and
I couldn’t help but be impressed by how passionate
Americans are about domestic politics.
One of my favourite aspects of working on ‘the Hill’
is that it is think-tank central. Moreover any issue
that makes news headlines will invariably become
the subject of a congressional committee hearing or
non-partisan briefing. It is the epicentre of debate on
26 ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010
political, economic and social matters. For example,
the president of Toyota was scorned by the House
Oversight and Government Reform Committee for his
handling of car safety issues in the last week I was
there – something which made international news yet
was happening at my work! Therefore, I sincerely mean
it when I say there was never a dull moment during the
internship.
Program Director Eric Federing combined the internship
with various events and round-table discussions that
supplemented our knowledge of US Congress gained
on ‘the Hill’, including meetings at the US State
Department, the Australian Embassy, with Richard E.
Cohen of the National Journal, and with Thomas Mann
of the Brookings Institute. As a group, we also made
weekend trips to Gettysburg and Philadelphia to visit
sites that are momentous in American, if not world
history. Of course, indulging in a famous Philly cheese
steak was an essential component of our hands-on
approach! Overall, the UCWIP program provides
Australian students with the most incredible opportunity
to learn about American culture, history and politics, so
these out-of-office activities were a fundamental aspect
of that learning.
The program provided me with benefits at many levels.
Both in and out of the office, I developed valuable
skills that I will be able to apply during my final years
of study and in which ever field I pursue. I also formed
close friendships with those involved in the program,
the staffers in my office and many others that I met
along the way. Ultimately, I found the UCWIP program
to be highly-exhilarating, highly-rewarding and highlyrecommended.’
Matthew with the Congressman
Matthew at the Washington Monument
ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010 27
INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
INTERNSHIPS
Numbers in the BA (International studies) course, including the combined degree iterations involving Law and
Commerce, have grown enormously in recent years with currently enrolments totalling over 500 students. All students
are required to complete some form of international experience, with the international internship option proving an
increasingly popular choice. We are sending students out on placements to an ever-growing list of locations and
organisations worldwide.
The past year has seen placements in countries ranging from Ecuador and Nicaragua, to the USA, to Indonesia,
Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Nepal, China and South Korea, to Germany and Bulgaria, and to countries such as Ghana
and Rwanda in Africa. Students have undertaken placements with Australian embassies, the UNDP, private enterprises
and organisations such as the Australia-China Alumni Association, together with NGOs such as Reprieve in the USA,
Rwanda Aid, Future Cambodia Fund, Mayibuye South Africa, and the Slum Rehabilitation Society in Mumbai. We
have had a group of 15 undertake volunteer work in Nepal through Antipodeans Abroad in Trimester 3. This was the
largest single group we have sent out, with the focus on grassroots community work with local NGOs. Among their
achievements this group constructed a basketball court for the State Secondary School in Thulaket.
Two students were successful in securing placements under the prestigious Uni-Capitol Washington Internship
Program. Only 12 placements were made available across all eight participating Australian universities so this is
an excellent result for us. The successful students were Ian Bloomer who worked with the Commission on Security
and Cooperation in Europe, and Matthew Robertson who worked in the office of Representative Lincoln Diaz-Balart
(Republican, Florida).
Students also have the option of completing their internship with organisations based in Australia, providing that the
organisation or work they are involved in meets certain criteria. Again there have been some excellent outcomes with
students completing internships with, for example, the International Affairs Unit of the Victorian Dept. Planning and
Community Development, Edmund Rice Centre, Lasallian Foundation, and Ethnic Council of Shepparton & District.
28 ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010
John Brenton
John was in the final stages of his BA(International Studies) and undertook
his placement with the Edmund Rice Centre in Sydney in November 2009. The
Edmund Rice Centre is a not for profit NGO that deals in the areas of asylum
seekers, fair trade, business ethics, indigenous programs, women’s rights,
eco justice and climate change. John primarily worked within the Pacific
Calling Partnership program, the main objective of which is to support Pacific
Island nations like Kiribati deal with the threat climate change poses to them,
helping them find a voice within Australia and on the global arena. During
his internship John was involved in a range of activities as the organisation
prepared for the Copenhagen round of climate change talks.
John Brenton (far left) with two of the staff
from the Edmund Rice Centre, presenting a
petition of 5000 signatures collected in one
month asking for the Rudd government to take
serious action on climate change.
‘The experiences I had during my internship were amazing. Most of all I
enjoyed contributing to a team that wanted to make a difference, no matter
how small, to the people of the Pacific. This small group of volunteers inspired
me and proved to me that a little group can help in the wider context of a
global problem. What I value most about the experience was the real life
working conditions that I experienced. Taking the academic knowledge, from a
University context, and seeing how it operates in a 9 to 5 working environment
was eye opening. Added to this I value the long term friends that I made in
just a month at the Centre. I value the memories and time I shared with them
all.’
In the course of his internship a contact at the Edmund Rice Centre who was
working for Nestle made John aware of an opportunity with the corporation
involving its plans concerning global action on climate change. The contact
arranged an interview, John was successful and began work with the
company in February. ‘This amazing opportunity to graduate and forge a
carrier along sustainability and ethical development lines has absolutely
blown me away. If it was not for the internship and the experiences and
relationships I formed this may never have happened.’
ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010 29
ENLIGHTENAPRIL
APRIL 2010
30 ENLIGHTEN
Middle East STUDIEs
Deakin is the only university in Victoria that offers a major in Middle East Studies. In 2008, this popular major was
introduced and student numbers studying the Middle East have grown from 145 in 2007 to over 480 in 2010.
The first unit in the major Introduction to the Middle East (AIE153) offers students an overview of the Middle East
as a region. It draws upon an integrated complex of geographical, historical and ideological concepts, and students
study the region as a cradle of civilisations, religions and ideologies. Students survey those cultural features of the
Middle East that make it a region: its role as a birthplace of the three great monotheistic religions, and setting for
the development of influential ideologies.
The Modern Middle East (AIE154) presents a study of the Middle East tracing the development of the region from
colonisation to independent statehood. Starting with World War I, which effectively redrew the political map of
the region, the unit traces the rise and decline of European influence on the Middle East. It reviews the mid-century
revolutions, and the tension between the ambitions of independent states and the world superpowers in the region.
Dr Sally Totman is the Associate Head of
School (Teaching and Learning) and teaches
across the three disciplines of Middle East
Studies, Politics and Policy Studies and
International Relations.
For more information on the major, please
contact Dr Sally Totman, or follow the link.
Middle East Politics (AIE255) examines Western concepts and definitions about what constitutes the Middle East,
and how people and institutions in the Middle East have coped with these definitions. Students analyse social and
ideological movements within the Middle East, determine their impact on world events and explore the way Middle
Eastern groups and states see their place in the international community. Students studying International Relations
and Politics can take Middle East Politics (AIE255) as an elective unit in their majors. One of the most exciting
aspects of this unit is that students have the opportunity to participate in the internationally renowned Middle East
Politics Simulations in which they, along with students from the University of New South Wales and Charles Sturt
University, simulate the politics of the Middle East through online role-play.
The Politics of Terrorism (AIE363) introduces students not only to the politics of terrorism and counter-terrorism
today, but to the historical, philosophical and indeed psychological triggers which have led to its current
importance. During the early weeks of the unit, the emphasis is on epistemological and historical issues involved
in the analysis of terrorism and political violence in general. The course will then move on to an investigation of a
series of terrorist case studies involving both secular, and religiously inspired terrorist movements past and present.
A particular emphasis is placed on the changing role of the United States in the post-Cold War era of globalisation,
the Middle East, and on the nature and implications of current government policies designed to counter the terrorist
threat, both here and abroad.
Units from Middle East Studies include: Introduction to the Middle East; The Modern Middle East. Middle
East Politics; The Politics of Terrorism. Units from International Relations include: American Foreign Policy;
Conflict, Security and Terrorism; Australia’s Foreign Relations; Order and Justice in World Politics. Politics units
include: Political Leadership; Democracy and Citizenship; Democratisation: Comparative Studies; and from
Philosophy World Religions is available.
The current structure of the major in Middle East Studies is:
Core units
ELECTIVE units
Trimester 1
AIE153 Introduction to the Middle East (B)
Trimester 1
AIE255 Middle East Politics (B, G, X)
AIR245/AIR345 American Foreign Policy (B, G, X)
AIP398 Political Leadership (B, G, W, X)
AIP205 Democracy and Citizenship (B, G, W, X)
ASP202 World Religions (B, G, X)
Trimester 2
AIE154 The Modern Middle East (B)
Select 6 credit points from level 2 and 3 ensuring at
least 2 credit points are undertaken at level 2 and one
more credit point at level 3.
Trimester 2
AIE363 The Politics of Terrorism (B, X)
AIR244/AIR344 Conflict, Security and Terrorism (B, G, X)
AIR220/AIR320 Australia’s Foreign Relations (B, G, X)
AIP206 Democratisation: Comparative Studies (B, G, X)
AIR234/AIR334 Order and Justice in World Politics (B, G, X)
From 2011 all Middle East Studies units will be available at Burwood as well as Off-Campus.
ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010 31
What’s GOING ON
AROUND SIPS
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
Mansouri Fethi, Jenkins, Louise, Leach,
Michael and Walsh, Lucas (2009), Building
bridges : creating a culture of diversity
Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Vic.
Download Full Book
Mansouri, Fethi, Jenkins, Louise, Morgan, Les
and Taouk, Mona (2009), The impact of racism
upon the health and wellbeing of young
Australians, Settlement Council of Australia,
Surry Hills, N.S.W.
Download Full Report (Research Report)
32 ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010
RESEARCH
ALFRED DEAKIN RESEARCH INSTITUTE - CITIZENSHIP, GOVERNANCE, AND GLOBALISATION
In 2009 the DVC Research called for submissions from across the University for the Establishment of a number
of strategic research centres (SRCs). The Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation (ICG) and the Alfred Deakin
Research Institute (ADRI) collaborated in making a strong joint bid under the Alfred Deakin Research InstituteCitizenship, Governance and Globalisation (ADRI_CGG) banner which was successful in attracting substantial
funding for the next three years and beyond. This new important SRC co-led by Professor Fethi Mansouri and
Professor David Lowe, draws largely on researchers from SIPS and SHHS. It aims to be known nationally and
internationally for its outstanding research quality in the broad area of citizenship, governance and globalisation.
It brings together a critical mass of leading researchers who work on topics as diverse as human rights and social
inclusion; active citizenship in democratic societies; governance and public policy; post-conflict nation-building; and
Australia’s relationships in Asia and the Pacific, as well as globally.
Professor Fethi Mansouri
This SRC will deliver a world class program of research in the humanities and social sciences that is both
innovative and responsive to new and emerging issues of national and international importance. It will generate
exciting research opportunities and create a stimulating intellectual community amongst researchers, students,
practitioners, policy makers and the media. The mentoring of early career researchers (ECRs) and engagement with
HDR students will also help to grow research capacity and will assist in improving overall research performance. In
order to build a high quality, integrated program of research, this SRC builds on a number of emerging and existing
strengths that can be categorised into six research clusters (detailed below), at least four of which fall largely
within the expertise of SIPS researchers:
1.Regional Communities and Development
This cluster focuses on planning, governance, well-being, sustainability, demographic change and social/
economic indicators in the context of regional development.
Professor David Lowe
2.Democracy, Democratisation and Governance
This research cluster aims to explore relationships between democracy and governance in national, international and global settings. This includes pioneering research in deliberative democracy, political ideas and practices, health policy, risk and regulation, citizen journalism and procedural justice.\
3. International Development and Human Rights
This research theme brings together a team making major contributions to socio-political theory, analysis and practice aimed at supporting human rights, citizenship, third sector organisations and democracy.
4.Beliefs, ideas, ethics and ideologies
This research team has expertise in religion, belief systems, morality in transnational and local contexts, psychology, political philosophies and ideologies, and memory and identity.
5. Migration, Identity and Intercultural Understanding
This cluster will make major contributions to research on relationships between migrant youth and citizenship, multiculturalism and governance, and comparative experiences of refugees.
6.Australia, Regionalism and Change in Asia and the Pacific
This research theme brings together a large team of experts to explore contemporary and historical concepts and examples of Asian regionalism, ‘Asian Literacy’ and Australia’s changing role in its region, and the consequences of decolonisation in Asia and the Pacific.
The above clusters feature many SIPS staff who are ‘top third’ in research profile. The clusters enable expansion in
ways that broaden the base of high level activity and will ensure sustained excellence.
ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010 33
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
OUR NEWEST STAFF
MEMBERS
Dr Brett Parris
As I write this reflection, it’s almost a month since I started at Deakin and I’m
pleased to find that I have no regrets about joining. I’m in the odd position of
having dual citizenship – I’m three days a week at Deakin Burwood, teaching
some units in the Masters in International and Community Development, and
two days a week at Monash Clayton in the Department of Econometrics and
Business Statistics. Prior to joining Deakin I’d been working for World Vision
for almost 15 years.
I’ve lived within about 20 minutes of Deakin Burwood for years, but until
February I had never set foot on the campus. I drove past and watched the
buildings going up, but it was still something of a pleasant surprise to arrive
and discover that a vibrant, modern university community had been created
on my doorstep. I’ve been impressed by the emphasis on quality teaching and
research – and by the facilities developed for distance eduction. I love walking
across Gardiner’s creek each morning and evening, and I am enjoying engaging
with my students and colleagues. I could hardly have hoped for a more
encouraging start and I’m looking forward to contributing to life at Deakin.
Dr Costas Laoutides
I joined SIPS two months ago as a Lecturer in International Relations and my
experience during this period is very positive. The members of staff welcomed
me and provided me with a lot of assistance in order to settle in my new
position, I had the opportunity to talk to several people and receive advice vis
a vis research matters, teaching methodologies and about the general modus
operandi of the School. This input was helpful for the two postgraduate
units I am teaching this trimester, one on international conflict analysis, and
one on human rights in the international system. My ideas and suggestions
were embraced and I was encouraged to contribute further to the thriving
curriculum of the School. An additional source of stimulation is my students
whose diversity of backgrounds indicates the interdisciplinary and interpractical nature of world politics.
As a junior researcher I have received very useful advice by several
members of staff who are keen in sharing their knowledge and experience
apropos various aspects of research such as research design, funding and
collaboration. Furthermore, SIPS hosts a number of fora where researchers
can share their findings, receive feedback and establish new linkages.
34 ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010
STUDENTS
AURORA PROJECT
INTERNSHIP
Stacey Taylor
I was fortunate enough to spend 6 weeks working in Cairns for the Cape
York Institute for Policy and Leadership and Balkanu Cape York Development
Corporation as part of an internship through the Aurora project. Cape York
Institute and Balkanu work with, and for, Aboriginal communities in Cape York
to establish Aboriginal freehold land and to facilitate community capacity
building. In particular, Cape York Institute and Balkanu focus much of their
work on welfare reform, education, substance abuse, leadership development
and economic development.
I am currently undertaking my Master of International and Community
Development (MICD) and I have a background in conservation biology
and ecology. Given that these organisations deal with both environmental
and indigenous community issues, I was truly excited to be offered the
intern position. I thought this would be the perfect placement to gain
an understanding of how solutions to these important issues can be
conceptualized and approached together.
This Aurora placement not only provided me with a better understanding
of indigenous and environmental concerns; I also gained an appreciation of
the range of work these indigenous institutions undertake and the valuable
contributions they make to indigenous communities, despite their severe
lack of resources. I successfully applied my knowledge in community
development and conservation across a range of tasks undertaken during my
placement. What I had learnt from subjects within the MICD course proved
invaluable; of particular use were concepts and practical examples from the
core community development subjects. During this internship I was fortunate
to gain experience in an area in which practical experience is essential,
while providing much needed assistance to well-deserving, under-resourced
institutions. During my placement I also met a number of people who were
passionate and dedicated to improving the welfare of indigenous people and
who may one day be future employers.
Aurora provides an opportunity for students to be placed within a range of
indigenous organisations and Native Title Representative Bodies across
the country. The tasks vary considerably depending on the needs of each
organization however, you can be assured that any work you do is greatly
appreciated. I would recommend an Aurora placement to any student
interested in indigenous issues or native title. I truly value the opportunities I
was provided with through this internship program and wish future applicants
the best of luck!
The Aurora Project is the collective name for a number of programs that
work with Australia’s Indigenous communities and organisations to facilitate
prosperity through capacity building. To achieve this, the Project focuses
on professional development in law, anthropology, research, management,
education and other disciplines.
‘Aurora’ is the Latin name for the goddess of dawn and symbolises renewal
and rejuvenation. The five interlinking circles of our logo evoke figures joining
hands, representing entities working together, motivated by a shared vision.
www.auroraproject.com.au
ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010 35
STUDENTS
INVESTIGATING THE
ROLE OF ARTS IN SOCIAL
CHANGE IN TIMOR-LESTE
I recently emerged from the demands of the childrearing years and found
myself at last with the freedom to make any choice I wanted. I had long
contemplated doing a PhD, and a few months away accompanying my
husband on sabbatical leave finally gave me some thinking space. I wanted
to conceptualise a topic that would be engaging and hopefully useful for
those whom I sought to research. I was also very keen to choose a topic that
would earn me a scholarship, allowing me the complete focus on study that I
had not had previously, doing a Masters while running a business and raising
a family.
Kim Dunphy
Dr Phil Connors
And so I was extremely delighted to find myself becoming a PhD researcher
investigating ‘the role of arts in social change in Timor-Leste’. My
professional field is cultural development, and my work is about promoting
the cultural vitality of communities throughout Victoria, particularly through
supporting and resourcing local government. In this work I have become
aware of many initiatives that are undertaken by artists and arts organisations
who seek to make a positive contribution to communities with which they
engage through the arts. Mostly these people apply themselves to their work
with great enthusiasm, artistic passion and sense of social justice, especially
for those with whom they engage who may be disadvantaged. But they often
have no way of finding out dispassionately about the impact of that work, and
outcomes for communities of their participation in arts projects.
I sought to contribute to the scholarship that is developing around
measurement of impact of cultural development work, and decided to add a
degree of difficulty by siting my research in a developing nation. My choice
of Timor was partly a personal challenge- to move right out of my comfort
zone; partly professional development. My other areas of expertise include
Asian and Pacific performing arts but I had never been to Timor. It was also
partly a choice based on the fact that Timor is in many ways, a new country,
so it is an excellent place for a researcher to investigate something entirely
new. I am planning data collection where I will study organisations and
individuals working with Timorese communities through the arts, so we can
better understand the impact that work has on involved communities.
Owing to my scholarship, and my very study-conducive personal
circumstances, I have been able to take up so many opportunities provided by
Deakin that I wasn’t able to during previous studies. Recently these include
a four day Chapter Writing Retreat, a three day Summer School (where I met
my Principal Supervisor Phil Connors and Associates Max Kelly and Jacqui
Dreessens for the first time), Endnote training, Presentation Skills training,
a welcome BBQ for new PhDs, a one- on-one consultation about my Ethics
application and a supportive and challenging Colloquium experience.
I feel so grateful to have this opportunity to study at Deakin, and to progress
my interests and my field through such an intense period of study.
Kim Dunphy is supervised by Dr Phil Connors
36 ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010
SEMINARS
SOCRATIC DIALOGUE
On February 22, 2010, Associate Professor Stan van Hooft, who is the first
fully trained facilitator of the Modern Socratic Dialogue process in Australia,
conducted a dialogue on behalf of the school on the question, “What is a
good class?”. The topic was intended to generate discussion of good teaching
practice and attracted an interesting list of participants:
In attendance from the School were: Dr Lin Zheng, Dr Costas Laoutides, Dr
Matthew Sharpe. From around the Faculty came Associate Professor Ann
McCulloch, Dr Sally Gardner, Mr John Cumming, and PhD students Mercedeh
Makoui and David Adamson.
Dr Stan van Hooft lectures in Philosophy
in the School of International and Political
Studies. He has written in international
journals on moral philosophy, philosophical
psychology, bioethics, business ethics,
and on the nature of health and disease.
His more recent work has been on global
ethics, cosmopolitanism and the political
philosophy of international relations.
Stan draws his philosophical inspiration
from such classical philosophers as
Plato, Aristotle and Kant, as well as such
contemporary thinkers as Paul Ricoeur,
Emmanuel Levinas and Bernard Williams.
Based on the ideas of German philosopher Leonard Nelson (1882-1927),
Modern Socratic Dialogue is a powerful method for doing philosophy in a
group. While Modern Socratic Dialogue derives its name from Socrates,
it is not an imitation of a Platonic dialogue and it is not simply a teaching
strategy using questions and answers. It is a method of painstaking inquiry
into the ideas, concepts and values which influence the decisions we make in
everyday life. A Socratic Dialogue is a collective attempt to find the answer to
a fundamental question. The question is the centre of the dialogue, but rather
than being discussed in the light of philosophical theory, it is exemplified in
the concrete experience of the participants. Systematic exploration of, and
reflection upon, this experience is then the basis of the group’s search for
shared judgements about the question.
The dialogue aims at consensus. Effort, discipline and perseverance are
required. Everyone’s thoughts need to be clarified in such a manner that
participants understand each other fully. The discourse moves slowly and
systematically, so that all participants gain insight into the content of the
dialogue. Participants can also engage in meta-dialogue, which is about the
process and strategies of the dialogue. The role of the facilitator is not to
introduce any content into the discussion, but to ensure that the process is
followed so that the intellectual insights of the group can emerge.
Based on the ideas of German philosopher Leonard Nelson (1882-1927),
Modern Socratic Dialogue is a powerful method for doing philosophy in a
group. While the Modern Socratic Dialogue derives its name from Socrates,
it is not an imitation of a Platonic dialogue and it is not simply a teaching
strategy using questions and answers. It is a method of painstaking inquiry
into the ideas, concepts and values which influence the real decisions we
make in everyday life.
The question is the centre of the dialogue, but rather than being discussed
in the light of theory, it is exemplified in a concrete experience of one of the
participants that is made accessible to all other participants. Systematic
reflection upon this experience is then the basis of the group’s search for
shared judgements about the question.
The example that was discussed on this occasion led to an exploration of the
role that teacher creativity plays in creating a good class and of the notion
of “student empowerment” as an outcome of a good class. Discussion was
intense and lively from 10am to 3pm and was interrupted only by
excellent catering!
ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010 37
We hope you have enjoyed the first issue of Enlighten for 2010,
featuring articles from academics and students in three of our
leading disciplines. Ranging from the cutting edge International
Relations; to the diverse range of interests in Politics and Policy, to
Middle East Studies, they characterise diversity and uniqueness.
Our August issue will place the spotlight on another prestigious
group of academics in our International and Community
Development program who are challenging current developing
thinking.
The issue will present you with thought-provoking insights on
post-disaster reconstruction, community development, poverty,
sustainability, non-government organisations, gender, humanitarian
settlement and cross-cultural practices.
Creative, innovative, diverse specialised – all SIPS programs are
designed to bring the most up-to-date information to the forefront
of teaching and research.
Helen Andrew
Editorial Co-ordinator
38 ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010
ENLIGHTEN APRIL 38
ENLIGHTEN APRIL 2010 39
The School of International and Political Studies
Faculty of Arts and Education
Deakin University
221 Burwood Highway
Victoria 3125
Australia
Tel: (03) 9251 7072
Fax: (03) 9244 6323
[email protected]
http://www.deakin.edu.au/arts-ed/sips/