George Carter is a Research Fellow in Geopolitics and Regionalism, at the Department of Pacific Affairs at The Australian National University (ANU). He is also the Director for the ANU Pacific Institute a network hub of over 200 scholars - connecting and promoting Pacific Sudies - research, teaching and training at the university.
George lectures courses in international relations, diplomacy, security, environment and climate change, policy, cross-cultural communication, and Pacific studies.
He attained his PhD from ANU, having completed a Masters of Arts in International Relations with Honours, and a Masters of Diplomacy as an Australian Awards scholar. Subsequently he received the Prime Minister’s Australia Pacific Award and the SSGM/DPA Pacific Scholarship for his doctoral studies. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Pacific Studies from Voctoria University of Wellington. Prior coming to Australia for studies, he was the Political Advisor at the U.S. Embassy in Apia.
George’s research and teaching interests are informed by his education, work experience in the Pacific and upbringing through his proud Samoan Tuvaluan, i-Kiribati, Chinese, British ancestry. He serves his family and village in Samoa, where he holds the matai/chiefly title of Sala.
Research Interest
The broad focus of George’s research interests is understanding small states and peoples’ influence in decision-making processes in international politics. His research projects explore Pacific states and Small Island Developing States' agency in multilateral climate change negotiations, regionalism, climate security, climate knowledge and education, foreign policymaking and geopolitical security interests, Oceania diplomacy and Pacific diaspora politics.