Asia-Pacific Development & Security

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Exploring our corner of the world

The Asia Pacific Development & Security Research Group are experts working on current significant socio-political changes affecting the Asia-Pacific region. Our researchers explore topics including gender, religion and development, as well as regional security issues, through interdisciplinary approaches including anthropology, development studies, history, political science and social policy.

Our group shares a broad research agenda with the UNSW Institute for Global Development (IGD), which aims to deliver on the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The Asia Pacific Development and Security Research Group is led by Associate Professor Minako Sakai.

Research themes

Sustainable Development Goals and Social Inclusion

Our research investigates how local socio-cultural norms and contexts interact with the Sustainable Development Goals. Social policy, gender, religion, urbanisation, digital economy, and forced migration in Asia Pacific are some of our research topics.

Environmental Futures

Our work is focused on improving law, public policy, local governance, and international cooperation to protect ecosystems and enhance community resilience, and mitigate the effects of human-caused environmental change. It also investigates the significant impact of climate change on communities.

Challenges in Asia Pacific Security and Development

The focus of our research is to examine the increasing regional tension and strategic security concerns in the Asia Pacific region, particularly in light of China's emergence as a significant player in the region. We examine traditional security concerns such as military modernisations, strategic security partnerships, diplomacy, and more.

Publications

Gambia vs Myanmar: The Last Best Hope for the Rohingya? – Dr Morten Pedersen

The Roots of the Rohingya Refugee Crisis – Dr Morten Pedersen

Narratives of Muslim Womanhood and Women’s Agency – Minako Sakai and Samina Yasmeen

Disaster Relief in Asia Pacific: Agency and Resilience – Edited by Minako Sakai, Edwin Jurriëns, Jian Zhang, Alec Thornton

Climate Change and the UN Security Council – Edited by Shirley V. Scott and Charlotte Ku

Uranium – Anthony Burke

International Law in the Era of Climate Change – Edited by Rosemary Rayfuse and Shirley V. Scott

Our researchers

Minako Sakai

Deputy Head of School (Research) Associate Professor in Indonesian Studies and Southeast Asian Social Inquiry