The Accidental Guerrilla:Â Fighting Small Wars in the Midst of a Big One
In the first few years of the post-9/11 era, the established models for fighting ‘small wars' proved distressingly ineffective against resilient insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan. As the insurgents fought Western armies to a stalemate, it was clear that a new approach was necessary. Dr David Kilcullen, a former Australian army officer, and one of the world's most influential experts on guerrilla warfare, became a key architect of the West's revamped military strategy. As the seni
Lost Opportunities and Possibilities in Australian Foreign Policy
Bruce Haigh argues that Australian foreign policy has been, and remains, inept in advancing Australia's national interest. Given the limited independence of Australia's Foreign Minister, and the trend of governments to be perpetually in election mode, Australian foreign policy is too often managed to maximum domestic political gain by the Prime Minister, with negative fallout reserved for Ministers. What has changed since the election of the Rudd Government? How does Australia manage the dual ri
President Obama’s ‘New’ Afghanistan-Pakistan Strategy: Why it is Unlikely to Work
Shifting resources from Iraq to the so called ‘war of necessity' in Afghanistan by President Obama, while significant, is unlikely to be effective. This is largely because the fundamental assumptions long held by the Bush administration policy makers about the nature of the conflict in Afghanistan and Pakistan, their conception of terrorism and how to defeat it, and how to reclaim American and global security remain unchanged. Without honest reconsideration of such assumptions within the b
Against the odds? Pathways to peace in East Timor, Aceh and West Papua
States rarely disintegrate in the way that former Yugoslavia did in the 1990s. Many thought Indonesia would disintegrate in the wake of a large number of violent internal conflicts at the turn of the century. East Timor was an exception that did break away to achieve independence. Aceh followed the more historically common path of reintegration after a peace process that made substantial concessions to separatists. West Papua is another Indonesian exception in failing to achieve positive peace a
The Next 100 Years - A Forecast for the 21st Century
In his book The Next 100 Years, George Friedman offers a lucid, highly readable forecast of the changes we can expect around the world during the twenty-first century. He explains where and why future wars will erupt (and how they will be fought), which nations will gain and lose economic and political power, and how new technologies and cultural trends will alter the way we live in the new century.
Drawing on history and geopolitical patterns dating back hundreds of years, Friedman shows that w
Climate Change and Global Health
Climate change raises a number of challenges to human wellbeing, among these is the threat to our health. In combination with climate change, large-scale global environmental changes such as loss of biodiversity, changes in fresh water supplies and stresses on food production systems, have the potential to cause systemic adverse alterations in patterns of health and disease. These can combine with many other specific challenges, including the emergence of new infectious diseases and the re-emerg
Working Towards a Connected Frontline Health System
Commonwealth Government needs to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Australia's health care system. Primary health care provides the first point of contact for patients and is touted as the cornerstone of a more effective health system, but it is undermined by fragmented services. Frontline clinicians need be able to provide comprehensive, coordinated and personalised care to patients, particularly those with multiple serious illnesses such as cancer, diabetes and depression.
Dr Stange
Unravelling the mysteries of chromsomes
The DNA in our cells is tightly packed into structures called chromosomes. The role of the physical structure of chromosomes in diseases and genetics is being explored thanks to recent advances in technology that allow scientists to look at how the DNA is packaged into chromatin- the structures that form chromosomes. In this lecture Dr Grigoryev will discuss current models of chromosome organisation, several examples of cutting edge research aimed at understanding role of chromatin in cell diffe
2.3 Interception, evaporation and transpiration
Water is arguably the most important physical resource as it is the one that is essential to human survival. Understanding the global water cycle and how we use water is essential to planning a sustainable source of water for the future.
What's a Kid to Do?
Students write letters as part of an environmental action campaign. They become more aware of global environmental problems and play a part in their solution.
Truth Maker Semantics
In this lecture, Professor Kit Fine will explore the notion of truth-makers. What are truth-makers? He will argue that truth-makers are helpful for understanding how things are true but not for understanding what is in the world.
An Architecture for International Cooperation on Climate Change
The Fifth Annual Sir Leslie Melville Lecture was presented by
Professor Warwick J McKibbin. Sir Leslie Melville’s legacy
includes the design and establishment of new institutions for dealing
with global macroeconomic interdependence. Today the world is grappling
with a far more complex set of problems related to environmental
interdependence on a global scale.
In this lecture, Professor Warwick McKibbin argues that major countries
must respond to the issue of climate change, tak
Reforming the United Nations
Graduate students from The Australian National University have greater access to show their skills on the world stage now The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and ANU have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU will give ANU graduate students the chance to apply directly for allocated internships with the UNDP - places fiercely contested by students worldwide. The MOU was signed today at the University by Professor Lawrence Cram, Acting Vice-Chancellor
What Color is Your Air Today?
Students develop awareness and understanding of the daily air quality using the Air Quality Index (AQI) listed in the newspaper. They explore what engineers can do to help reduce poor air quality.
Eliminating Nuclear Weapons
The Rt Hon Sir Malcolm Rifkind MP on how, in the 21st century, nuclear weapons pose a greater danger than ever before and their possession is less necessary. The time has come to forge agreement on a process of multilateral disarmament. Achieving an end-state of "zero" has emerged as an important policy goal for a number of 21st Century challenges. The most prominent example is the "Global Zero" campaign to eliminate nuclear weapons. Yet, in a century of globalization, when the life of every ind
Understanding social construction and social constructionism
Within the field of social sciences the terms social construction and social constructionism are frequently used, particularly in relation to social policy. This unit will enable you to achieve a greater definition and understanding of these terms.
Climate Change and the Fate of the Amazon 2007 - What impact would the dieback of Amazonia have on r
What impact would the dieback of Amazonia have on regional and global climate, carbon, water, and energy cycles?
Seminar 11 International Economic Cooperation
This session will be convened by Professor Christopher Findlay and will discuss the benefits of international cooperation for the development of global markets.
Climate Change: Catastrophic Impacts
The pair will deliver a joint presentation which addresses the impacts of climate change on global communities. Professor Brook will review the most recent scientific projections which suggest we are pushing the Earth towards dangerous and irreversible ‘tipping points’. Mr von Doussa will then explore how a human rights framework might be developed to cope effectively with climate change.
Sponsorship: creating meanings and delivering value
The evolution of sponsorship in recent times has been remarkable. From a peripheral and relatively small scale marketing communication technique, it has grown into a major marketing strategic tool, particularly for global brands. More often than not, however, its use remains haphazard and its evaluation sketchy. To date, academic research in this area continues to uncover as many questions as it provides answers.
