Celebrating women scholars in Strategic Studies: A career reception for future leaders

Six accomplished women scholars of the Strategic & Defence Studies Centre came together to host a Career Reception as part of the Women in International Security (WIIS): Theory and Practice Seminar Series 2018-19. The purpose of the reception was to discuss the academics’ work and share their experiences in war and strategic studies.

Professor Emerita Joan Beaumont, Professor Evelyn Goh, Dr Aurore Chow, Dr Amy King, Dr Meighen McCrae and Dr Joanne Wallis unpacked and explored assumptions and challenges surrounding gender in international security scholarship. The academics also had the opportunity to provide advice to attendees looking to start a career in the fields of defence and security.

The problems of our age are so vast that we need unprecedented breadth and depth to our collective knowledge. We also need to be able to work with dualities, hybridity, and contingency in international affairs (‘grey zones’ of many sorts) – rather than easy dichotomies or linear assumptions. These changing conditions are so challenging to our existing mindsets and standard operating practices, that we need all the best hands on deck and a diversity of backgrounds, talents and creativities to draw from, says Professor Goh. 

By introducing one another, outlining the immense achievements of their colleagues, this Career Reception was a unique opportunity to celebrate and learn about the successes of each academic, including – but certainly not limited to:

• Briefing 12 US government agencies in Washington in 2018 and advising on Papua New Guinea’s first Foreign Policy White Paper (Dr Joanne Wallis)
• Winning the 2014 Prime Minister’s Prize for Australian History (Professor Emerita Joan Beaumont)
• Currently holding a Westpac Research Fellowship and an Australian Research Council DECRA Fellowship (2017-2019) to investigate China's role in shaping the international economic order (Dr Amy King)
• Winning the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Programs that Enhance Learning in 2016 (Dr Aurore Chow)

The Bell School community is enriched by the contributions of these women scholars in an increasingly dynamic field of study. We look forward to following their successes in the future.

Watch the full video of the event here.