Director: Dr Susan Blackburn
The foundation of the Development Studies Centre was approved by the university Council in November l987, to coordinate and foster research and teaching on all aspects of international development. Central to this task is the recognition that issues of development are essentially complex and multifaceted, and are best tackled by groups of scholars from a variety of disciplines.
This commitment to interdisciplinary approaches is reflected in the composition of the centre's committee, which consists of representatives from seven faculties, from a number of individual departments and as well as from graduate students. While the majority of the issues of concern to the centre relate to developing countries, many subjects such as poverty, environmental degradation, third world debt and industrial development, can best be approached from a global perspective. Such insights are also useful in understanding the current problems of Australia, which like countries of the third world is faced with declining prices for its major export commodities, has considerable levels of foreign debt, is heavily dependent on imported technology and is seeking to restructure its economic base.
Staff associated with the centre are engaged in a wide variety of research projects, including health in China, industrial restructuring in East Asia, irrigation management in Indonesia, development of law and government in the South Pacific, changing food consumption patterns in Asia, Australian foreign aid, and child labour in Southeast Asia.
A number of centre staff have been engaged by government and other agencies to advise on a variety of projects and policies. The centre also has strong links with the non-government organisations concerned with aid and development.
The centre organises a regular series of seminars at which visitors, staff and graduate students present the results of their work. Its publications list consists of a number of monographs, occasional papers and working papers.
While most graduate students work in individual departments, most students benefit from a wide range of advice. The centre regards this interdisciplinary supervision of graduate students as an important part of its activities.
Susan Blackburn Foreign aid; Southeast Asian development policies; gender and Asian politics; non-government organisations and social movements in Southeast Asia.
Tannetje Bryant Environmental law.
Alice de Jonge Pacific Island legal systems; Asian legal systems; human rights in the Asia-Pacific region; international trade and development in the Asia-Pacific region; international trade and human rights in developing Asia; international trade and human rights in Pacific Island nations
Gale Dixon Geography of Southeast Asia; cultural geography; cartography.
Robyn Eckersley Green politics and philosophy; modern social and political theory; new social movements; environmental philosophy; environmental law and ecological economics.
Penny Graham Anthropology of eastern Indonesia; labour migration in Southeast Asia.
David Goldsworthy Politics of development; decolonisation; Australian foreign policy.
Peter Marden Modern social and political theory, nationalism, state theory, cultural studies; development studies and ethics.
John McKay Asian economic development; industrial restructuring; Korea and Taiwan.
Andrew Perry Modern politics and economies of Japan, Korea and the Philippines; East Asian international relations; American foreign policy, especially in relation to Asia; politics of international and transnational trade and finance; Japanese relations with Southeast Asia and Australia.
Guy Powles Law, government and society in the Pacific Islands region.
Alan Rice Education in developing countries.
Robert Rice Indonesian economy; economics of development.
Bill Russell Public sector management, public enterprise management, development administration.
Michael Stevenson Political economy and social relationships between the first and third worlds; theories of development and under-development; comparative study of social movements of indigenous peoples; the history of social and cultural theory; history and psychology of colonialism.
Michael Toole Health in developing countries.
Keith Trace International trade and business.
Marika Vicziany Australia's business relations with South Asia; the Untouchables of India.
Mark Wahlqvist Health in developing countries.
Ian Wills Agriculture, environmental economics.
Dennis Woodward Australian politics with special reference to elections and parties; Chinese politics with special reference to People's Liberation Army and to industrial and agricultural policies.
Xiokai Yang Chinese economy.
Course code: 0017
Course fee: Local students HECS; international students $12,000 pa
This program provides some coursework which serves as a foundation for students who are being supervised in a substantial piece of research relating to development theory, policy or practice. It is intended primarily to extend the knowledge, research and writing skills of people seeking employment in organisations involved with issues relating to third world development. The degree may be completed in one year full-time study or its part-time equivalent.
The core subject in the degree will enable students to understand some current issues facing practitioners and scholars of development. In addition, students will deepen their knowledge in one field of development studies by means of a supervised thesis.
To gain entry to the MA as a research student (ie 75 per cent thesis), applicants must have at least Honours IIA in an approved bachelors degree in a discipline relevant to development studies (eg arts majoring in anthropology, economics, geography, politics or sociology). At the recommendation of the director and the approval of the faculty, students with exceptionally good results in their graduate diploma may be admitted into the MA by coursework/research combined.
Candidates are required to complete DSM5000.12 (Development studies and development planning in an era of global crisis) plus a 75 per cent thesis of 35,000 to 40,000 words which fulfils three-quarters of the course requirements. Topics must be determined in consultation with supervisors who are to be selected by the student in consultation with the director of the Development Studies Centre. The thesis will normally be examined by one internal and one external examiner.
Course code: 0017
Course fee: Local students HECS; international students $12,000 pa
This program provides a range of coursework subjects intended to be useful to people seeking employment in organisations involved with issues relating to third world development. These include government departments, non-government aid organisations, and consultancy firms. The degree may be completed in one year full-time study or its part-time equivalent.
The core subject in the degree will enable students to understand some current issues facing practitioners and scholars of development. Coursework students are expected to deepen and extend their knowledge through studying policy-oriented subjects related to development studies.
To gain admission to the the MA program by coursework only, applicants must have completed an honours degree in a relevant discipline (eg arts majoring in anthropology, economics, geography, politics or sociology) with a result of at least HIIB, or have completed a Graduate Diploma in Development Studies with a credit average.
Candidates are required to complete DSM5000.12 (Development studies and development planning in an era of global crisis) and any subjects totalling thirty-six points value chosen from the following:
* Offered subject to approval.
Course code: 2050Course fee: Local students HECS; international students $12,000 pa
The graduate diploma is intended for students who wish to complete a post-graduate qualification in development studies within one year of full-time study or two years part-time. The diploma is not a research-oriented qualification and does not include a dissertation. Students who perform at credit average in the diploma are eligible to apply for entry into the MA (Development Studies) by coursework.
The core subject in the course (DSM4000) will enable students to understand the interdisciplinary, policy-oriented nature of development studies, and other subjects available will extend and deepen students' knowledge of academic disciplines relevant to development studies.
Applicants for the diploma should have an approved pass bachelors degree in a discipline relevant to development studies (eg arts majoring in anthropology, economics, geography, politics or sociology).
Candidates are required to complete DSM4000.12 (Development studies: theories and approaches to policy) and subjects totalling thirty-six points value chosen from the following list:
NB With the approval of the director, other subjects may be studied as part of the diploma.