Research
Politics and International StudiesResearch
Polis members currently lead dozens of national and international research projects in partnership with government departments, international agencies, NGOs, civil society and local communities.
We work to convert this research into outputs that advance knowledge in our field and have a meaningful impact in contemporary society.
Our research can be divided into the below four broad themes. Under each heading you will find details of existing funded research projects that are indicative of the broad range of research we do.
Politics and International Relations
View these select research projects
- Parliamentary Careers Project
The Parliament of Victoria commissioned Deakin University to investigate the various challenges experienced by former parliamentarians in their transition to life after Parliament.
Chief Investigator: Amy Nethery, Zim Nwokora, Peter Ferguson & Matthew Clarke
Funding: Parliament of Victoria
- Religious Populism, Emotions and Political Mobilisation
This project will investigate the main features of religious populism in Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan, particularly in relation to emotive political mobilisation and polarisation.
Chief Investigators: Ihsan Yilmaz, Greg Barton & Zahid Ahmed.
Funding: Australian Research Council Discovery Project.
- China and Human Rights in North Korea: Part of the Problem or a Partial Solution?
By exploring the “China factor” in the North Korean human rights debate, this project evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of applying the Chinese development-based approach to human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Chief Investigators: Baogang He, Chengxin Pan, David Hundt & Danielle Chubb
Funding: Korea Foundation
- Animals and Geopolitics in South Asian borderlands
This project evaluates the impact of animals on the politics of South Asian borderlands, which are exposed to climate change, species decline and intensifying nuclear state rivalry.
Chief Investigator: Yamini Narayanan
Funding: Australian Research Council Future Fellowship
Defence, Peace and Security Studies
View these select research projects
- Dangerous decade 2020s: prospect of a military conflict in East Asia and implications for Australian security strategy
This project examines the prospects of escalating conflict in East Asia and the critical security consequences this would have for Australia and the region.
Chief Investigator: Jade Guan
Funding: Department of Defence, Strategic Policy Grants Program
- Enhancing the work of local peace entrepreneurs after ethnic cleansing
The project examines ways to support peace entrepreneurs working with between Rohingya Muslims and Rakhine Buddhists in Rakhine State, Myanmar.
Chief Investigators: Anthony Ware & Vicki Ware
Funding: Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- South Korean and Australian Responses to China’s New Statecraft in an Age of Great-Power Rivalry
The project develops a new means of analysing the emergence of new forms of coercive statecraft in Chinese foreign policy, and the responses (both actual and potential) to it adopted by middle powers in the Indo-Pacific region.
Chief Investigators: David Hundt & Baogang He
Funding: Korea Foundation
- Tracking the evolution of the Indonesia-China relationship in a post-COVID-19 context
This project examines the complex and evolving relationship between China and Indonesia in the context of the post-COVID era and broader regional security across the Asia Pacific region.
Chief Investigator: Josh Roose, Shahram Akbarzadeh & Greg Barton
Funding: Australian Department of Defence
Humanitarian Crises, Emergency and Disaster Management
View these select research projects
- Supporting local humanitarian leadership in response to the war in Ukraine
The outcomes and impact of this project will be novel contributions to the academy on humanitarian leadership and leadership in crises, as well as practical support to local leaders in the regional Ukraine humanitarian response.
Chief Investigators: Mary Ana McGlasson, Max Kelly, Daniel Mcavoy & Josh Hallwright
Funding: Centre for Disaster Philanthropy
- Local humanitarian leadership in West and Central Africa
Supporting local humanitarian leadership and providing insights into leadership in crises in West and Central Africa, through the Diplôme d’Études Supérieures en Leadership Humanitaire (DESLH).
Chief Investigators: Cai Wilkinson & Mary Ana McGlasson
Funding: Bureau of Humanitarian Affairs, US Agency for International Development
- Changing the way the world responds to humanitarian crises
This project seeks to train current and future humanitarian leaders as innovative thinkers and dynamic achievers.
Chief Investigators: Mary Ana McGlasson & Cai Wilkinson
Funding: Action Against Hunger
International and Community Development
View these select research projects
- Development Responses to Violent Extremism in Asia
This project is a partnership between Plan International Australia and Deakin University investigating how violent and hateful extremism (VHE) can be best addressed at the community level, through development and humanitarian activities.
Chief Investigator: Anthony Ware & Greg Barton
Funding: Australian Research Council Linkage Project.
- Animals and urban planning: Indian cities as ‘Zoöpolises’.
This project examines the ways in which animals are instumentalised to project an image of a racially pure Hindu nation through conflict, marginalisation and violent exclusions in India.
Chief Investigator: Yamini Narayanan
Funding: Australian Research Council Discovery Project
- Leadership for Young Multifaith Women in Indonesia
This project seeks to build capacity and leadership skills among young multifaith women across Indonesia.
Chief Investigator: Shahram Akbarzadeh
Funding: Tetra Tech International Development (DFAT – Australia Award Indonesia)