A World of Resistance: India and the Global Antibiotic Crisis The discovery of antibiotics was one of the most significant medical breakthroughs of the twentieth century, dramatically increasing human lifespans. Yet today, with antibiotic-resistant superbugs implicated in as many deaths as HIV/AIDS and malaria combined, the limits of these miracle drugs have become alarmingly clear. …
Emeritus Professor Cheryl Dissanayake AM FINSAR FASSAAffiliation: Olga Tennison Autism Research CentreDiscipline: PsychologyYear elected: 2022 What initially drew you to your field of study? A film, seen on daytime TV during a semester or term break while I was a student, that profiled a young autistic child, motivated my interest in autism; this field engaged…
The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia welcomes the proposed changes to the National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP) and supports the overall direction of the review. The Academy particularly welcomes the recognition of the Australian Research Council’s (ARC) critical role as the primary funder of early-stage research in Australian universities, the strengthened support for…
Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia Fellow Professor Rae Cooper presents the 2026 Hancock Lecture Professor of Gender, Work and Employment Relations at the University of Sydney, Rae Cooper AO argues that better workplaces and stronger careers depend on getting flexibility right. Flexible work has become a defining feature of modern working life, but…
An evening with Larissa Behrendt AO, Billy Griffiths and Sean Ulm To celebrate Social Sciences Week, and the research that helps us understand and shape society, RMIT University is proud to present celebrated Eualayai/Gamillaroi author, filmmaker and academic Larissa Behrendt AO, award-winning author and historian Billy Griffiths and one of Australia’s leading archaeologists, Sean Ulm,…
The Great Debate is back for its fourth big year! Join us for an evening of compelling debate as six of Australia’s premier academics argue for and against the state of Australian politics. Arguing for the affirmative are: For the negative, the team includes: But wait! There’s more! For the third year running, the Great…
A National Science Week event Finally, a social science themed event for National Science Week! From climate change and AI to health, energy and inequality, the challenges facing Australia today are not just technical – they are deeply social. For our panel of researchers creative and effective innovation starts with an understanding of people, systems…
Scientia Professor of Economics Richard Holden Affiliation: UNSW Discipline: Economics Year elected: 2016 What initially drew you to your field of study? I loved that economics provides rigorous tools to help address some of society’s most pressing challenges. How would you describe your work at a dinner party? I work on cognitive economics which is…
The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia is pleased to announce eight recipients of the 2026 Spark Grants program, providing funding of up to $1,000 for events planned for Social Sciences Week 10 to 20 September 2026. Spark Grants were decided using a lottery system, a process found to reduce the influence of conscious…
Laureate Professor of Education Jenny Gore AM Affiliation: The University of Newcastle Discipline: Education Year elected: 2023 What initially drew you to your field of study? I come from a family where teaching was common, especially among the women. Education was always around me. My deeper interests—how to get better outcomes for teachers and students,…
Submarines in International Law Submarines in International Law is the first book to explore both the legal history and the contemporary regulation of submarine operations in varied areas of international law. The analysis demonstrates the instances where submarines influenced the development of the law of the sea and the law of armed conflict, as well…
Two First Nations researchers have received grants from the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia with support from the Wilhelm, Martha, and Otto Rechnitz Memorial Fund. This year’s recipients are Dr Samara Hand, Worimi/Biripi woman, born on Awabakal Country and raised on Bidjigal Country in South Sydney and Dr Shani Crumpen from the Torres Strait Islands. Dr Hand’s work…
The Academy of the Social Sciences welcomes you to join Professor Marcia Langton AO for the inaugural Rechnitz Memorial Lecture. As an Indigenous woman and anthropologist entangled in Australian life and scholarship, I have examined the challenges to distinctive Aboriginal ways of being and knowing. In a world turning to nativist fundamentalism and racism in the…
In this issue, the Academy brings the ‘social’ to National Science Week, plus not-to-be-missed upcoming events and opportunities for international collaboration. View the July 2026 newsletter.
Professor Michelle Arrow Affiliation: Macquarie University Discipline: History, heritage and archaeology Year elected: 2023 What initially drew you to your field of study? I think I first became interested in history from observing the ways that my grandparents were profoundly shaped by their experiences during the Great Depression: they saved string and bits of brown paper and never…
Re-imagining Risk and Disruption: The Nature of Complex Unbounded Problems This timely book traces the common attributes of slow and fast-moving disruptions and disasters, from climate change and pandemics to increasingly crowded near-Earth space and nuclear emergencies. It shows how these challenges form, coalesce and cross boundaries, and recommends preventative policies and action.
Professor Rob RavenAffiliation: Sustainability Transitions Lab, Monash UniversityDiscipline: Human geographyYear elected: 2024 What initially drew you to your field of study? When I was a teenager in the 1980s, I was attracted to problem solving and finding solutions by tearing apart broken televisions or developing code on our first personal computer for automated solving of word-searching puzzles. While I no longer…
Professor Quentin Grafton Affiliation: Centre for Water Economics, Environment and Policy, Australian National University Year elected: 2013 How would you describe your work at a dinner party? I guess I would say: “I’m researcher and economist who works in the area of the environment with focus on water and how the environment connects to people…
Professor Kathy Bowrey Affiliation: UNSW Law & Justice Discipline: Law and legal studies Year elected: 2022 What initially drew you to your field of study? I had a law degree and also friends and flat mates who were artists making experimental digital music, artworks and videos for crushingly small audiences of fellow travellers. Lawyers kept telling them they had…
The 2024-2027 Australia–France Indo-Pacific Studies Program (AFIPS) is a flagship initiative delivered by the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, with support from the Australian Government (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade). Anchored in the shared strategic commitment to advancing peace, resilience, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, the program supports interdisciplinary, policy-relevant social science research…
Top row (L to R): Professor Michael Berk AO FASSA FAHMS, Professor Justin Kenardy AO FASSA & Professor Mike Young AO FASSAMiddle row: Professor Rosemary Rayfuse AM FASSA , Professor Chandra Athukorala AM FASSA & Professor Steve Zubrick AM FASSA FAHMSBottom row: Professor Colin MacLeod AM FASSA, Professor Louise Chappell AM FASSA & Professor Greg…
The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia made a submission to the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion. The Academy welcomes the opportunity to engage with the Royal Commission. The antisemitic terrorist attack at Bondi must be a turning point in Australian public life, a moment of acute national reckoning that prompts deep…
The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia made a submission to the Education and Employment References Committee inquiry into Australian university graduates. The Academy welcomes the committee’s focus on graduate employment outcomes, which has important implications for productivity, public confidence in universities and student wellbeing. The inquiry was referred amid concerns about declining Australian…
In this issue, the Academy is on the hunt for a new CEO, congratulations are in order for many Fellows, mark your calendars with upcoming events and consider a tax-time donation to support the Academy’s work. View the June 2026 newsletter.