Asia-Pacific Development & Security

Scooter riders on city street in Vietnam

Exploring our corner of the world

The Asia Pacific Development & Security Research Group are experts working on current significant socio-political changes affecting the Asia-Pacific region. Our researchers explore topics including gender, religion and development, as well as regional security issues, through interdisciplinary approaches including anthropology, development studies, history, political science and social policy.  

Our group shares a broad research agenda with the UNSW Institute for Global Development (IGD), which aims to deliver on the UN Sustainable Development Goals.  

The Asia Pacific Development and Security Research Group is led by Associate Professor Minako Sakai. 

Research themes

Gender, religion and development

We explore how socio-cultural norms interact with the perceptions of equitable and just development in the Asia-Pacific region.  Gender equality is an important research topic. How the emergent digital economy in Southeast Asia impacts upon women’s entrepreneurial activities is among our research concerns

Infrastructure development and its local impact

Our research explores the development and human security impacts deriving from China’s Belt and Road Initiative, IT and Ecommerce development in Southeast Asia

Human security and development

Our research examines how significant social changes such as urbanisation, climate change and natural disasters have affected community resilience, food security, refugees, governance and social policy

Military politics, democracy and human rights

We investigate political development processes with particular attention to the drivers and obstacles to change and the role of the international community in facilitating or inhibiting progress

China and Asia-Pacific security

Our research explores the external and internal drivers of China’s foreign and security policies, Chinese military modernisation, China’s relationship with countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands region including the implications for Australia’s strategic interests

Publications

Our researchers

Deputy Head of School (Research) Associate Professor in Indonesian Studies and Southeast Asian Social Inquiry Minako Sakai
Deputy Head of School (Research) Associate Professor in Indonesian Studies and Southeast Asian Social Inquiry
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Professor of International Law and Security Douglas Guilfoyle
Professor of International Law and Security
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Associate Professor of History  David Lee
Associate Professor of History
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Senior Lecturer Tristan Moss
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Senior Lecturer Gavin Mount
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Senior Lecturer in International and Political Studies Morten Pedersen
Senior Lecturer in International and Political Studies
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Program Convenor of Indonesian Studies  Nicolaas Warouw
Program Convenor of Indonesian Studies
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Associate Dean (Education)  Jian Zhang
Associate Dean (Education)
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Menghu Xia
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Visiting Fellow Ashok Sharma
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 Amelia Fauzia
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Head of School and Professor in Public Sector Management Strategy Deborah Blackman
Head of School and Professor in Public Sector Management Strategy
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Professor Satish Chand
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Senior Lecturer Intercultural Management and Entrepreneurship Nelia Hyndman-Rizk
Senior Lecturer Intercultural Management and Entrepreneurship
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Associate Professor in Development Studies Krishna Shrestha
Associate Professor in Development Studies
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Head of School, School of Social Sciences and Co-Convener, Gendered Violence Research Network (GVRN) Jan Breckenridge
Head of School, School of Social Sciences and Co-Convener, Gendered Violence Research Network (GVRN)
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Sarah Cook
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Emeritus Professor of Modern Chinese History Louise Edwards
Emeritus Professor of Modern Chinese History
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Associate Dean (International) Felix Tan
Associate Dean (International)
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Associate Professor of Sociology  Claudia Tazreiter
Associate Professor of Sociology
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