Past Initiatives

Regional Perspectives on Global Security

Regional Perspectives on Global Security investigated international security as it expanded and deepened within the regional global nexus.  The research initiative incorporated multidisciplinary approaches, human security as a policy dynamic, order-building and rising powers, and asymmetrical security.  The Security Research group has convened or co-convened workshops, established a Visiting Scholars program and has produced several edited volumes and numerous scholarly papers which found their way into professional journals.  ANU, Todai, Beida and NUS remain involved in the MacArthur Foundation's Asia Security Initiative and individual scholars who have initially networked through the IARU projects initiated during 2007 and 2008 remain active in interacting with each other through these networks.

Culture and Citizenship: Towards a Civic Pluralism

The workshop was held in Copenhagen on 2 November 2009 covering such topics as culturally defined citizenship rights, multiculturalism, migrant workers, and religious diasporas. Specific examples were drawn from such diverse cases as Latin America, North America, Europe, Singapore, and Australia. One doctoral student from Copenhagen and one post-doctoral student from Singapore also participated in the meeting.

Human Mobility: New Opportunities, Inequalities and Challenges to Human Security

Human mobility has soared as millions of people throughout the world have come to see migration as an avenue towards improvement. These global movements constitute new social developments and formations, which challenge policy makers and organizations seeking to develop policies to manage mobility and its social and economic impacts. This research project examined the perspectives on global migration dynamics. To improve our understanding of human mobility, we need to fundamentally rethink the central assumptions on the forces that drive global migration