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Reposted by Koen Stapelbroek

Australian Journal of International Affairs @austjia.bsky.social · 6d

🚨Delighted to announce the winner of the Boyer Prize for best article published in the AJIA in 2024. Warm congrats to @liammoore.bsky.social for this paper analysing the complexity of 🇦🇺relations with Pacific states. #OpenAccess
www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10....
#AcademicPublishing

ABSTRACT
I argue the instrumental, paternalistic strategic culture often adopted in Australian foreign policy circles is counter-productive, preventing Australia from having productive and sustainable relationships with Pacific states. If Australian officials want to follow through on rhetorical commitments to enhance Australia's relationships in the Pacific, Australia must actively recognise the agency Pacific states have and place itself within this community of actors. Australia often positions itself as part of the 'Pacific family, but to be a collaborative member of this family it must go beyond headline commitments and fundamentally reconsider the evolving agency of small Pacific states and how this shapes Australia's interactions with them. We can understand this through the lens of normative communities.
Revisiting
constructivist International Relations theory, I reexamine who is included and excluded in the communities of actors that norms apply to. This has particularly significant implications around norms of climate change action and mitigation. Australia has historically tried to water down agreements and slow-role actions in this space. The ongoing bid to host COP31 perhaps offers an opportunity to both show leadership on climate-related issues and to reconfigure assumptions around Pacific agency and address the effects this has on Australia's relationships in the Pacific.

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Matt Fitzpatrick @kilderbenhauser.bsky.social · 27d

"...the un-versities are busy hollowing out the humanities, key contributors to our developing culture." insidestory.org.au/from-deserts...

From deserts the profits come • Jim Davidson

Universities and the assault on cultural infrastructure

insidestory.org.au

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Koen Stapelbroek @stplbrk.bsky.social · Sep 5

Our 8th 'Studies in North Queensland History' retrospective for
@austhistassoc.bsky.social #AHA2025 @jcucase.bsky.social
@jcuofficial.bsky.social is @sophieloywilson.bsky.social on "Topsawyers: The Chinese in Cairns 1870-1920", by Cathie R. May: jculibrarynews.blogspot.com/2025/09/tops...

Topsawyers: the Chinese in Cairns, 1870-1920

This year James Cook University celebrates its proud legacy in historical research, writing and publishing through the Studies in North Que...

jculibrarynews.blogspot.com

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jcuCASE.bsky.social @jcucase.bsky.social · Sep 4

Congratulations to Dr Elizabeth Smyth, a writer and researcher at JCU’s Roderick Centre for Australian Literature and Creative Writing in Cairns.
She is off to the USA after securing a prestigious Queensland-Smithsonian Fellowship to examine rare manuscripts written by rainforest travellers.

USA Fellowship to help understand rainforest stories

A James Cook University researcher is off to the USA after securing a prestigious Queensland-Smithsonian Fellowship to examine rare manuscripts written by rainforest travellers up to 125 years ago.

tinyurl.com

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James Cook University @jcuofficial.bsky.social · Sep 4

A James Cook University researcher is off to the USA after securing a prestigious Queensland-Smithsonian Fellowship to examine rare manuscripts written by rainforest travellers up to 125 years ago.
Full story: shorturl.at/hFB2d

USA Fellowship to help understand rainforest stories

A James Cook University researcher is off to the USA after securing a prestigious Queensland-Smithsonian Fellowship to examine rare manuscripts written by rainforest travellers up to 125 years ago.

shorturl.at

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Matt Fitzpatrick @kilderbenhauser.bsky.social · Aug 25

theconversation.com/universities...

Universities have lost their way, but cost-cutting and consultants are not the answer

Last week in Sydney, we saw a melodrama acted out that could stand in for the state of Australian universities more generally.

theconversation.com

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Matt Fitzpatrick @kilderbenhauser.bsky.social · Aug 25

Don't forget that this history PhD scholarship, including an international student fee waiver, is now open for applications. It's linked to my team's current project on comparative imperialism in the Pacific region. www.flinders.edu.au/scholarships...

PhD Scholarship: Pacific Powers - Flinders University

www.flinders.edu.au

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Koen Stapelbroek @stplbrk.bsky.social · Aug 22

Yes, this, and a lot more: skills taught in the humanities are highly valuable across the board, should be included in STEM and health degrees, do what GenAI can't do, and can help recover social licence of Australian higher education. Time to get off the backfoot! (first vision, then redo policies)

Australian Academy of the Humanities @humanitiesau.bsky.social · Aug 22

Great article. Employers say they need graduates with the skills in which the humanities are uniquely talented—critical thinking, problem-solving, communication.

Yet students who want to build these skills are slugged with almost double the debt under JRG. bit.ly/47I3Xml

Drop the ‘job-ready’ mantra, leading dean tells business

Expectations that universities produce graduates who understand work culture from day one are misguided, says the head of Melbourne Business School.

bit.ly

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Matt Fitzpatrick @kilderbenhauser.bsky.social · Aug 15

Announcing a PhD scholarship for a history project on imperialism and great power projection in the Pacific. Supervised by Prudence Flowers and I here at Flinders, Adelaide. It includes an international fee waiver and stipend. Start Jan 2026. www.flinders.edu.au/scholarships...

PhD Scholarship: Pacific Powers - Flinders University

www.flinders.edu.au

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Jennifer Ashby @jenniferashby.bsky.social · Aug 8

Tell me you don't understand the purpose of humanities research without telling me you don't understand the purpose of humanities research

@economist.com @eui-history.bsky.social

www.economist.com/europe/2025/...

"Soon after its founding, however, it became apparent that the EUI’s splendid digs might be distracting its scholars. As one insider explained to Charlemagne: “Left to their own devices, the academics began producing studies of the wool trade in 15th-century Flanders and suchlike.” He was joking—up to a point. A search for recent articles on the EUI’s database produced a list headed by “Silk consumption and dressing practices in late-medieval Catalonia”. In 1993 the university set up a new division, the Robert Schuman Centre, to keep things forward-looking and relevant, but with mixed success. In 2017 a School of Transnational Governance was founded in the hope that this would finally do the trick."

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AHA (Australia) @austhistassoc.bsky.social · Aug 7

All the links relating to the current campaign to repeal Job-Ready Graduates are housed here. Please feel free to share widely! We'd especially love people to sign the petition. Thank you for your support! linktr.ee/aushistorica...

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Michelle Arrow @michellearrow.bsky.social · Jul 27

If you would like to add your voice in support, you can sign here:

url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/w2nbCBNqgB...

Repeal Job-Ready Graduates Policy Now: Restoring Equity in Higher Education - Online petition

We sign this petition in solidarity with those who signed the Open Letter to the Prime Minister on 28 July 2025 (about:blank). We also write as individuals with a range of political beliefs. We are de...

url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com

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Michelle Arrow @michellearrow.bsky.social · Jul 27

More than 100 high-profile and distinguished Australians -and BA graduates- have signed the @austhistassoc.bsky.social open letter calling for the repeal of Job-Ready Graduates: a policy that punishes humanities students with life-changing debts: www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Tim Winton among 100 high-profile Australians calling for university fees that don’t ‘punish’ arts students

Open letter urges Labor to reverse JRG scheme, introduced by Coalition in 2021, as cost of humanities degrees reaches more than $50,000

www.theguardian.com

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Matt Fitzpatrick @kilderbenhauser.bsky.social · Jul 27

What is the use of a Labor government that won't address this punitive tax on humanities students? www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Tim Winton among 100 high-profile Australians calling for university fees that don’t ‘punish’ arts students

Open letter urges Labor to reverse JRG scheme, introduced by Coalition in 2021, as cost of humanities degrees reaches more than $50,000

www.theguardian.com

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Matt Ryan @mattdjryan.bsky.social · Jul 17

@hannahforsyth.bsky.social's *Virtue Capitalists*, “the sort of book that changes how you see the world”. (Me, quoting @adamtooze.bsky.social, quoting Claire EF Wright). Class, settler-colonialism, global history - it's good!

My review out now in @jas-jozstudies.bsky.social: doi.org/10.1080/1444...

Virtue Capitalists: The Rise and Fall of the Professional Class in the Anglophone World, 1870–2008

Published in Journal of Australian Studies (Ahead of Print, 2025)

doi.org

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Warwick Anderson @wombatscholar.bsky.social · Jul 9

The decline of academic history in Australia: an interesting & important article in SMH by @nickbryantoz.bsky.social Much more to be said, but a good start. Includes @frankbongiorno.bsky.social @capandgown.bsky.social @michellearrow.bsky.social Anna Clark et al
#history @austhistassoc.bsky.social

History’s booming in podcasts – but many of its academics are out of a job

We live in momentous times. History podcasts and books are more popular than ever. So why is academic history in crisis?

www.smh.com.au

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Koen Stapelbroek @stplbrk.bsky.social · Jul 10

Our 7th 'Studies in North Queensland History' retrospective for
@austhistassoc.bsky.social #AHA2025 @jcucase.bsky.social
@jcuofficial.bsky.social is Richard White (USyd) on "No Swank Here: The Development of the Whitsundays as a Tourist Destination"
jculibrarynews.blogspot.com/2025/07/no-s...

No Swank Here: : The Development of the Whitsundays as a Tourist Destination to the early 1970s

This year James Cook University celebrates its proud legacy in historical research, writing and publishing through the Studies in North Que...

jculibrarynews.blogspot.com

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AHA (Australia) @austhistassoc.bsky.social · Jul 7

Congratulations to our 2025 Prize Winners, announced last week at the AHA conference in Townsville!

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Hannah Forsyth 🍉 @hannahforsyth.bsky.social · Jul 4

Towering over Townsville in North Queensland is a stunning rock. Just before flying home I took a walk up there to watch the sunrise.

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Koen Stapelbroek @stplbrk.bsky.social · Jul 4

#AHA2025 @austhistassoc.bsky.social in Townsville officially complete with last minute salt water croc spotting on the Friday arvo. Thanks everyone for all the inspiration and see you next year at Macquarie!

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Australian Women's History Network @auswhn.bsky.social · Jul 4

Many Australian Women's History Network members had a beautiful week in Townsville for the 2025 @austhistassoc.bsky.social Conference.

Highlights included the fantastic presentations in the AWHN stream, a plenary panel cultivating solidarity against academic precarity and our feminist dance party 👯‍♀️

A photograph of downtown Townsville, Queensland, featuring Ross Creek and views of Flinders Street on Wulgurukaba country.

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Bianca Martin @beeeeonka.bsky.social · Jun 20

I've started this awesome new project with @johannawiggers.bsky.social ! if you're a HDR or ECR and super into longform literary criticism you should consider pitching!

Exhume @exhumelit.bsky.social · Jun 20

📢 CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

🖋️ Now accepting essay pitches (3-4k words) by HDRs & ECRs
📅 Submit by 11 July 2025
📩 [email protected]

Includes payment for contributors + collaborative workshopping sessions.

More info and submission guidelines here:
exhume.substack.com/p/call-for-s...

Call for Submissions

Exhume is a new critical literary space designed to explore themes relevant to a history of Australian literary criticism.

exhume.substack.com

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Koen Stapelbroek @stplbrk.bsky.social · Jul 4

Presentations finished, but #AHA2025 @austhistassoc.bsky.social still “Looking up”!! Birdwatching tour with Russell McGregor on town common

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Hannah Forsyth 🍉 @hannahforsyth.bsky.social · Jul 3

With a million thanks to @stplbrk.bsky.social for the best collegiality ever, I had two incredible days but a bazillion heartbreaking conversations in North Queensland hannahforsyth.substack.com/p/the-world-...

The world is going troppo: and things in universities are not looking up.

This week I went to a *really* good conference with the theme 'Looking Up'. But I was alarmed at the experience of those currently working in universities, many of whom are not able to look up rn.

hannahforsyth.substack.com

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jcuCASE.bsky.social @jcucase.bsky.social · Jul 2

This past week, educators and those interested in democratic and citizenship education came to Townsville for the SCEAA conference hosted at JCU. Attendees participated in two days of exciting discussions about the future of democratic and citizenship education across contexts.

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