Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs

The achievements of the Bell School colleagues, many of which are captured in this year in review, were considerable. During 2017 alone, we collectively published 83 journal articles, 48 book chapters and 15 books, many with leading academic journals and university presses.

Bell School scholars won 13 research grants worth a total of $22 million. A particular highlight here was the success of Associate Professor Nicole Haley and her colleagues in the newly named Department of Pacific Affairs, who won a major competitive tender with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The School hosted a total of 137 events, with over 4,500 attendees. Prominent speakers at these events included Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, Shadow Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Frances Adamson, and former Australian Ambassador to the United States Kim Beazley.

A particular highlight for 2017 was the signing – by the Vice-Chancellor himself in Japan – of a 10-year agreement with Ritsumeikan University that will see the Bell School delivering Australia’s first undergraduate dual degree with a Japanese university.

Robert Cribb from our Department of Political & Social Change was awarded the 2017 NSW Premier’s General History prize. His departmental colleague, Nick Cheesman’s book on Burma’s courts received the Asian Law and Society Association’s Distinguished Book Award for 2017. And Amy King from our Strategic & Defence Studies Centre was announced a Paul Bourke Early Career Researcher by the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia, to add to her growing list of richly deserved accolades.

Thank you for supporting the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs in 2017, without which none of this would be possible.