Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120101021
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Islam and foreign policy. This project explains the link between Islam and foreign policy, to illuminate ideological foreign policy making in the post-Cold War era. It also unveils crucial decision making dynamics in the political systems of key actors of the contemporary Greater Middle East, a strategically crucial region for Australia.
Democratizing the Middle East: implications of Washington's policies. Regime change has been justified by the coalition of willing as beneficial to the promotion of democracy and stable governance in the Middle East. It is, therefore, important to examine how effective this project has been. Australia's foreign policy towards the region resembles that of the United States, including military intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan. This involvement warrants an assessment of the way state building h ....Democratizing the Middle East: implications of Washington's policies. Regime change has been justified by the coalition of willing as beneficial to the promotion of democracy and stable governance in the Middle East. It is, therefore, important to examine how effective this project has been. Australia's foreign policy towards the region resembles that of the United States, including military intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan. This involvement warrants an assessment of the way state building has set these two societies on a democratic trajectory, and whether they are serving as beacons of democracy in their neighbourhood. It is in Australia's national interests to have a realistic assessment of its foreign policy impact in the Middle East and Central Asia. Read moreRead less
RUSSIA (THE SOVIET UNION) AND AUSTRALIA IN THE 20TH AND 21ST CENTURIES. Revitalize Australian Russian studies by bringing in internationally recognized leadership and cutting-edge projects; making the University of Melbourne's Russian centre not just the southern hemisphere leader in this field but also a significant player worldwide.
Gender after conflict: a gendered analysis of the international community's engagement in post-conflict zones. Efforts by the international community to transition post-conflict societies into peaceful democracies can be fraught with complex politics. This project seeks to examine the role that the international community's ideas and policies about gender have on the failures and successes of this transition.
International Conflict, Religion and Culture: Implications for Southeast Asia and Australia. This study will:
(1) Provide governments and their agencies critical benchmarks and strategic options for policy development and public discourse, especially in periods of international tension;
(2) Offer religious and ethnic organisations greater expertise and more usable resources to help defuse potential conflict and hostility within Australian society;
(3) Widen media skills in interpreting and ....International Conflict, Religion and Culture: Implications for Southeast Asia and Australia. This study will:
(1) Provide governments and their agencies critical benchmarks and strategic options for policy development and public discourse, especially in periods of international tension;
(2) Offer religious and ethnic organisations greater expertise and more usable resources to help defuse potential conflict and hostility within Australian society;
(3) Widen media skills in interpreting and disseminating material originating from diverse religious and cultural sources;
(4) Enhance Australia's reputation as a vibrant multicultural society able to develop cutting-edge dialogical programmes;
(5) Help to make Australia's engagement with Asia more sensitive to the religious and cultural dimensions of international diplomacy.Read moreRead less
The role of development agencies in shaping national identity in Thailand. The study will provide much needed research on a country that has an important bilateral relationship with Australia. More specifically, the role of development agencies in the shaping of national identity is little understood. Given the increased role that such agencies play in the reconstruction of nations, this is a timely study. My study, based on intense fieldwork and extensive use of Thai language documents, will of ....The role of development agencies in shaping national identity in Thailand. The study will provide much needed research on a country that has an important bilateral relationship with Australia. More specifically, the role of development agencies in the shaping of national identity is little understood. Given the increased role that such agencies play in the reconstruction of nations, this is a timely study. My study, based on intense fieldwork and extensive use of Thai language documents, will offer an analysis of this role. Understanding how Thai national identity has adapted to change is an important component of Australian cross-cultural literacy, and important in understanding the future direction of Thai politics. Read moreRead less
Islamic Perceptions of Justice in International Relations. This research moves beyond the conventional view of Islam and the West dichotomy and explores the middle ground. It explores the potential for redressing Muslim grievances through the existing international system by examining the sources of these grievances. It contextualises Islamic activism within time and space and, by implication, facilitates the formulation of relevant policy responses. As a result, this project contributes to a de ....Islamic Perceptions of Justice in International Relations. This research moves beyond the conventional view of Islam and the West dichotomy and explores the middle ground. It explores the potential for redressing Muslim grievances through the existing international system by examining the sources of these grievances. It contextualises Islamic activism within time and space and, by implication, facilitates the formulation of relevant policy responses. As a result, this project contributes to a de-ideologised view of the Muslim experience and the building of bridges to cross the imagined schism between Islam and the West. Read moreRead less
The Theological and Ideological Bases of al-Qa'ida's Political Tactics. This research moves beyond the conventional view of Islam and generates new understandings of the many complexities of political Islam, and the role of violence and terrorism; explores the theological and ideological foundations of al-Qa'ida's political tactics; the long-term objectives beyond al-Qa'ida's terrorist activity. It conceptualizes Islamic activism within time and space and, by implication, facilitates the formula ....The Theological and Ideological Bases of al-Qa'ida's Political Tactics. This research moves beyond the conventional view of Islam and generates new understandings of the many complexities of political Islam, and the role of violence and terrorism; explores the theological and ideological foundations of al-Qa'ida's political tactics; the long-term objectives beyond al-Qa'ida's terrorist activity. It conceptualizes Islamic activism within time and space and, by implication, facilitates the formulation of relevant policy responses. As a result, this project contributes to security and counter terrorism works and falls squarely within the National Research Priority, Safeguarding Australia (Terrorism and Transnational Crime). Read moreRead less
The ideological war within al-Qa'ida: The Jihadis' religio-political and intellectual revisions and ideas on counterterrorism, extremism and radicalisation. This research focuses on new directions in jihadist thought and practice. It generates a better grasp of the current ideological war within al-Qa'ida and explores its theo-political ideas which influenced al-Qa'ida's backbone Jihadi groups to renounce violence, abandon al-Qa'ida, and critically stressed wide disagreements with al-Qa'ida's id ....The ideological war within al-Qa'ida: The Jihadis' religio-political and intellectual revisions and ideas on counterterrorism, extremism and radicalisation. This research focuses on new directions in jihadist thought and practice. It generates a better grasp of the current ideological war within al-Qa'ida and explores its theo-political ideas which influenced al-Qa'ida's backbone Jihadi groups to renounce violence, abandon al-Qa'ida, and critically stressed wide disagreements with al-Qa'ida's ideological ideas. Utilising this thought as ideological tool to counterterrorism and radicalisation, this project contributes to national security and counterterrorism works and raises Australian understanding of Islam's place in the world, which is of importance given the large and growing Muslim community in Australia and the commitment to make Australia a tolerant, multicultural society.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354509
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$20,000.00
Summary
China's Asia-Pacific Century: Enhancing Australia's Engagement. The emerging regional economic sphere of China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, encompassing close to a quarter of humankind, is fast becoming one of the world's two major powerhouses--and a potential locus for international conflict. Australia contains a very large and robust field of hundreds of modern China specialists--as many as all of Europe--but we are very spread out geographically and divided among twenty disciplines. There is a pate ....China's Asia-Pacific Century: Enhancing Australia's Engagement. The emerging regional economic sphere of China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, encompassing close to a quarter of humankind, is fast becoming one of the world's two major powerhouses--and a potential locus for international conflict. Australia contains a very large and robust field of hundreds of modern China specialists--as many as all of Europe--but we are very spread out geographically and divided among twenty disciplines. There is a patent, felt need for concerted, collaborative, multi-disciplinary research and analysis, as a wide range of important potential synergies exist.Read moreRead less