Scaling-up the impact of voluntary sustainability standards. How can global sustainability regulators, such as Fairtrade or the Rainforest Alliance, more effectively tackle large-scale regulatory problems of deforestation, land use conflict and recurring labour rights violations? This project will address this question by analysing and evaluating innovative regulatory schemes that were designed to have broad, sector- or jurisdiction-wide impacts on critical social and environmental problems in S ....Scaling-up the impact of voluntary sustainability standards. How can global sustainability regulators, such as Fairtrade or the Rainforest Alliance, more effectively tackle large-scale regulatory problems of deforestation, land use conflict and recurring labour rights violations? This project will address this question by analysing and evaluating innovative regulatory schemes that were designed to have broad, sector- or jurisdiction-wide impacts on critical social and environmental problems in South-East Asia and Latin America. A new framework will be developed to strengthen the effectiveness and accountability of sustainability regulation - benefiting workers, businesses and the environment and enabling the Australian public to participate in more sustainable systems of production and consumption.Read moreRead less
Climate change and national security: international responses. This project aims to give a systematic account of how states facing different dynamics of threats associated with climate change have gone about developing distinct institutional responses, policy settings and practices. Climate change is increasingly recognised as a national security threat. A range of states have developed climate security strategies to address climate change that threaten defence infrastructure and contribute to p ....Climate change and national security: international responses. This project aims to give a systematic account of how states facing different dynamics of threats associated with climate change have gone about developing distinct institutional responses, policy settings and practices. Climate change is increasingly recognised as a national security threat. A range of states have developed climate security strategies to address climate change that threaten defence infrastructure and contribute to population movements, regional instability and even conflict. The findings from this project will inform recommendations for Australian policy-makers in addressing the climate change-security relationship that can be communicated to practitioners, and tailored to the needs of Australia’s security and defence establishment. This project will help Australia respond effectively to pressing impacts of environmental change.Read moreRead less
Pacific Partners? The Australia-New Zealand alliance in the Pacific Islands. This project aims to investigate how alliances operate and why they endure using an in-depth analysis of the Australia-New Zealand alliance in the Pacific Islands, the region where the alliance has focused and in which there is growing strategic and policy interest. It intends to build a micro-level analysis of the influence of the behaviors and beliefs of individuals onto existing conceptual accounts. Informed by exten ....Pacific Partners? The Australia-New Zealand alliance in the Pacific Islands. This project aims to investigate how alliances operate and why they endure using an in-depth analysis of the Australia-New Zealand alliance in the Pacific Islands, the region where the alliance has focused and in which there is growing strategic and policy interest. It intends to build a micro-level analysis of the influence of the behaviors and beliefs of individuals onto existing conceptual accounts. Informed by extensive interviews, it expects to advance understanding of how the two states negotiate differences in approaches and interests while working together to preserve their security. It anticipates pinpointing strengths and vulnerabilities in the alliance and contributing to a more informed policy debate about how it should operate.Read moreRead less
Agents of Disinformation: The Rise of Counterfeit Election Observers. This project investigates the rise of “counterfeit” election observers as agents of disinformation. Using four case studies and four qualitative methods, it identifies how autocratic regimes entice partisan individuals to imitate genuine international observers. The expected project outcome is an explanation for the origins, features and impact of counterfeit election observers that is practically applicable to our foreign aff ....Agents of Disinformation: The Rise of Counterfeit Election Observers. This project investigates the rise of “counterfeit” election observers as agents of disinformation. Using four case studies and four qualitative methods, it identifies how autocratic regimes entice partisan individuals to imitate genuine international observers. The expected project outcome is an explanation for the origins, features and impact of counterfeit election observers that is practically applicable to our foreign affairs and national intelligence communities as well as genuine observation organisations. The knowledge gained from this project will not only help defend Australia from malign disinformation, but advance its interest in the promotion of good governance and stronger democratic institutions everywhere.Read moreRead less
The infrastructure of China's international influence. This project aims to investigate how China uses infrastructure-driven development to wield international influence, by studying how Chinese ideas of ‘developmentalism’ interact with nation building and regime security imperatives in Indonesia, Myanmar and Laos. The project expects to generate new comparative knowledge about development logics and competing sectoral interests around major infrastructure projects that breaks new conceptual gro ....The infrastructure of China's international influence. This project aims to investigate how China uses infrastructure-driven development to wield international influence, by studying how Chinese ideas of ‘developmentalism’ interact with nation building and regime security imperatives in Indonesia, Myanmar and Laos. The project expects to generate new comparative knowledge about development logics and competing sectoral interests around major infrastructure projects that breaks new conceptual ground on analysing international influence and the economic-security nexus in Asia. Enhanced understanding of the conditions under which China’s development model is attractive to others, would benefit Australian and international agencies seeking strategic diplomatic and investment decisions in the Asia-Pacific.Read moreRead less
Perceptions of terrorist groups in conflict-affected states. How do terrorist groups adapt in the face of counterterrorism measures and sustain themselves despite their lack of local popularity? This project answers this question through a systematic analysis of how local observers understand extremist groups in four states facing significant terrorist activities: Yemen, Iraq, Pakistan, and Somalia. This comparative analysis will provide an opportunity to assess local knowledge as a form of resi ....Perceptions of terrorist groups in conflict-affected states. How do terrorist groups adapt in the face of counterterrorism measures and sustain themselves despite their lack of local popularity? This project answers this question through a systematic analysis of how local observers understand extremist groups in four states facing significant terrorist activities: Yemen, Iraq, Pakistan, and Somalia. This comparative analysis will provide an opportunity to assess local knowledge as a form of resistance to terrorism, thereby generating new approaches to conceptualising and countering violent extremism. Other expected outcomes include new collaborative research networks between Australia and conflict-affected states, the creation of new datasets for researchers, and training for research students.Read moreRead less
East Asia's clean energy shift: enablers, obstacles, outcomes and lessons. This project aims to reveal the drivers of the transition to a low carbon economy, and the key enablers and obstacles to this transition. It will investigate how states in our region are seeking to overcome these obstacles, and the effectiveness of their efforts. The project will develop and analyse four new longitudinal case studies of clean energy industry creation in two of Australia's top Asian trading partners. Findi ....East Asia's clean energy shift: enablers, obstacles, outcomes and lessons. This project aims to reveal the drivers of the transition to a low carbon economy, and the key enablers and obstacles to this transition. It will investigate how states in our region are seeking to overcome these obstacles, and the effectiveness of their efforts. The project will develop and analyse four new longitudinal case studies of clean energy industry creation in two of Australia's top Asian trading partners. Findings will advance scholarly and policy debates and strategies about the role of the state in high-tech industry creation and clean energy transitions, and benefit Australian exporters seeking new market openings.Read moreRead less
Internationalisation and Democracy. This project aims to advance knowledge of how internationalisation affects the quality of democratic representation in established democracies such as Australia, the US and the UK. It expects to generate new insights into how internationalisation expands or limits the scope for democratic accountability, responsiveness and responsibility. It plans to develop and test new theories with comparative analyses that focus on economic, social and environmental polici ....Internationalisation and Democracy. This project aims to advance knowledge of how internationalisation affects the quality of democratic representation in established democracies such as Australia, the US and the UK. It expects to generate new insights into how internationalisation expands or limits the scope for democratic accountability, responsiveness and responsibility. It plans to develop and test new theories with comparative analyses that focus on economic, social and environmental policies. Expected outcomes include improved measures of internationalisation, and insights into the opportunities and challenges it poses for democratic representation. The project should provide significant benefits by countering misconceptions in current academic and public debates.Read moreRead less
Religious Populism, Emotions and Political Mobilisation. This project aims to investigate the main features of religious populism with a focus on emotions in Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan. Through multiple analytical methods that examine populist statements and interviews with voters, it will advance theoretical and empirical knowledge on religious populism, particularly in relation to emotive political mobilisation and polarisation. The expected outcomes are benchmark data sets and conceptual ....Religious Populism, Emotions and Political Mobilisation. This project aims to investigate the main features of religious populism with a focus on emotions in Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan. Through multiple analytical methods that examine populist statements and interviews with voters, it will advance theoretical and empirical knowledge on religious populism, particularly in relation to emotive political mobilisation and polarisation. The expected outcomes are benchmark data sets and conceptual frameworks that can be used in other contexts where religious populism poses a danger to democracy. This will help democratic governments better understand religious populism so that they can generate effective policies to deal with any potential negative effects.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190101252
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$401,000.00
Summary
China and the future of international peacebuilding. This project aims to enhance the understanding and evaluate the impact of China's expanding role in international peacebuilding. Over the past decade, China has assumed a more proactive role in international peacebuilding. This project will generate new data to assess China as an emerging peacebuilding actor, and offer the first systematic cross-regional analysis that evaluates the impact of China’s new peacebuilding activism using case studie ....China and the future of international peacebuilding. This project aims to enhance the understanding and evaluate the impact of China's expanding role in international peacebuilding. Over the past decade, China has assumed a more proactive role in international peacebuilding. This project will generate new data to assess China as an emerging peacebuilding actor, and offer the first systematic cross-regional analysis that evaluates the impact of China’s new peacebuilding activism using case studies on Myanmar, Afghanistan and South Sudan. The expected outcome is an evidence-based policy analysis that can help policymakers and peacebuilding practitioners respond to China’s expanding peacebuilding presence in order support sustainable peace.Read moreRead less