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Research

Was the first orangutan a cretin?

When Western observers first encountered a red ape from Indonesia in the 17th century, they named it 'orangutan', from Malay words meaning 'person of the forest'. Yet Malays never used this term.

» read more

Rethinking economy and democratisation

It’s usually stated as fact that economic growth leads to democratisation. However when we consider democratisation as a strategic outcome, the opposite is true.

» read more

The difficult position of 'yoga fiction'

As 'yoga fiction' floods the literary marketplace, it changes the way we think about one of India’s most popular cultural exports, paradoxically making India both more and less visible.

» read more

Asia Pacific ideas

Our College has some big thinkers and some big ideas about Asia and the Pacific. Below you’ll find a selection of some our most remarkable findings. It’s a tasty selection of ideas to get you thinking... and exploring, commenting on and sharing.

Australia can defend itself

11
likes
By controlling the “ocean moat” that protects our northern approaches, Australia can defend itself without calling on help.
» read more, comment and like

Asian language learners not going native

22
likes
Western learners of Asian languages often resist speaking as native speakers do.
» read more, comment and like

India: a democracy or not?

23
likes
India is a democracy… but not quite a democracy. It is a nation… but not really.
» read more, comment and like

The PNG sweet potato mystery

7
likes
In Papua New Guinea the staple food crop of sweet potato sometimes becomes scarce - with no apparent cause. Research over the course of a decade discovered why.
» read more, comment and like

Strong states fading out across Asia

3
likes
From Myanmar to South Korea, Indonesia to China, the once strong states of Asia are fading.
» read more, comment and like

Humanitarian war in Ancient China

8
likes
The idea of military intervention to protect populations from tyranny has a long history, not limited to the West.
» read more, comment and like

The eternal division of Korea?

6
likes
Ethnic ties are increasingly irrelevant for young people in their conception of the South Korean nation.
» read more, comment and like

Saving your sashimi

5
likes
Current stocks of tuna in the Western and Central Pacific tuna fishery are in danger. A new harvest target, maximum economic yield (MEY), can reverse this trend.
» read more, comment and like

The environment shapes traditional knowledge

9
likes
Traditional cultures rely on their environment for the transmission of knowledge.
» read more, comment and like

The difficult position of 'yoga fiction'

6
likes
As 'yoga fiction' floods the literary marketplace, it changes the way we think about one of India’s most popular cultural exports, paradoxically making India both more and less visible.
» read more, comment and like

Pages

The decline of China and India

459
likes
China and India might be regarded as this century’s rising powers, but in the globalisation of research and development their leverage vis-à-vis the United States is declining.
» read more, comment and like

India: a democracy or not?

23
likes
India is a democracy… but not quite a democracy. It is a nation… but not really.
» read more, comment and like

Asian language learners not going native

22
likes
Western learners of Asian languages often resist speaking as native speakers do.
» read more, comment and like

Was the first orangutan a cretin?

15
likes
When Western observers first encountered a red ape from Indonesia in the 17th century, they named it 'orangutan', from Malay words meaning 'person of the forest'. Yet Malays never used this term.
» read more, comment and like

Are we trading women's rights for peace?

13
likes
In Afghanistan, human rights advocates speak of women’s rights being ‘traded away’.
» read more, comment and like

Australia can defend itself

11
likes
By controlling the “ocean moat” that protects our northern approaches, Australia can defend itself without calling on help.
» read more, comment and like

Hard lessons in soft power

10
likes
Increasingly Asian states are investing in public diplomacy, through Facebook, Twitter, traditional media and academic and cultural exchanges, to build “soft power”.
» read more, comment and like

The environment shapes traditional knowledge

9
likes
Traditional cultures rely on their environment for the transmission of knowledge.
» read more, comment and like

Humanitarian war in Ancient China

8
likes
The idea of military intervention to protect populations from tyranny has a long history, not limited to the West.
» read more, comment and like

Islamic art goes Asian

8
likes
Contemporary artists are bringing an Asian or multicultural look to Islamic art in order to assert their identity in an increasingly cosmopolitan and global art world.
» read more, comment and like

Pages

India: a democracy or not?

23
likes
India is a democracy… but not quite a democracy. It is a nation… but not really.
» read more, comment and like

The decline of China and India

459
likes
China and India might be regarded as this century’s rising powers, but in the globalisation of research and development their leverage vis-à-vis the United States is declining.
» read more, comment and like

The environment shapes traditional knowledge

9
likes
Traditional cultures rely on their environment for the transmission of knowledge.
» read more, comment and like

Humanitarian war in Ancient China

8
likes
The idea of military intervention to protect populations from tyranny has a long history, not limited to the West.
» read more, comment and like

Islamic art goes Asian

8
likes
Contemporary artists are bringing an Asian or multicultural look to Islamic art in order to assert their identity in an increasingly cosmopolitan and global art world.
» read more, comment and like

China: globalising or nationalising?

2
likes
The popular image of “modern” China emphasises how the country is globalising. But this emphasis masks the importance of nation-building.
» read more, comment and like

Telling The China Story

2
likes
Strong unified states, and their opponents, often project national narratives in terms of historical destiny.
» read more, comment and like

The difficult position of 'yoga fiction'

6
likes
As 'yoga fiction' floods the literary marketplace, it changes the way we think about one of India’s most popular cultural exports, paradoxically making India both more and less visible.
» read more, comment and like

Asian language learners not going native

22
likes
Western learners of Asian languages often resist speaking as native speakers do.
» read more, comment and like

China: there goes the neighbourhood

2
likes
In China, middle-class homeowners engage in ubiquitous ‘not-in-my-back-yard’ (NIMBY) neighbourhood disputes that replicate the political and social practices of the country’s regime.
» read more, comment and like

Pages

Asia’s middle-income peasants

5
likes
The popular image of Asian peasantry is no longer a useful one for understanding the political dynamic in much of the region.
» read more, comment and like

Rethinking economy and democratisation

7
likes
It’s usually stated as fact that economic growth leads to democratisation. However when we consider democratisation as a strategic outcome, the opposite is true.
» read more, comment and like

When is trust more important than money?

3
likes
When it comes to winning votes, it’s the economy, stupid. But economic performance does not correlate with democratic support. When it comes to democracy itself, political trust outweighs economic conditions.
» read more, comment and like

China: globalising or nationalising?

2
likes
The popular image of “modern” China emphasises how the country is globalising. But this emphasis masks the importance of nation-building.
» read more, comment and like

Saving your sashimi

5
likes
Current stocks of tuna in the Western and Central Pacific tuna fishery are in danger. A new harvest target, maximum economic yield (MEY), can reverse this trend.
» read more, comment and like

Strong states fading out across Asia

3
likes
From Myanmar to South Korea, Indonesia to China, the once strong states of Asia are fading.
» read more, comment and like

Decentralised conservation: money talks

3
likes
To improve conservation, decentralised systems must take financial motivations into consideration.
» read more, comment and like

Finding holes in the social safety net

1
likes
Where there’s high economic growth and widespread under-nutrition we can’t assume that the implementation of workfare programs will actually improve nutrition.
» read more, comment and like

G20 SOS: seeking urgent PR makeover

1
likes
As Australia prepares to host the G20 leaders in 2014, questions remain over the effectiveness of the organisation.
» read more, comment and like

The decline of China and India

459
likes
China and India might be regarded as this century’s rising powers, but in the globalisation of research and development their leverage vis-à-vis the United States is declining.
» read more, comment and like

The environment shapes traditional knowledge

9
likes
Traditional cultures rely on their environment for the transmission of knowledge.
» read more, comment and like

The PNG sweet potato mystery

7
likes
In Papua New Guinea the staple food crop of sweet potato sometimes becomes scarce - with no apparent cause. Research over the course of a decade discovered why.
» read more, comment and like

Will climate change alter IP policy?

3
likes
The current valuing of traditional knowledge to cope with the effects of climate change may be the catalyst for more indigenous intellectual property policies being adopted.
» read more, comment and like

Saving your sashimi

5
likes
Current stocks of tuna in the Western and Central Pacific tuna fishery are in danger. A new harvest target, maximum economic yield (MEY), can reverse this trend.
» read more, comment and like

Under control? Chernobyl and Fukushima

3
likes
While there are undeniable differences between late capitalist Japan and the Soviet Union, the techniques to conceal the public health risks of radiation are disturbingly familiar.
» read more, comment and like

New Guinea is as Asian as it is Pacific

7
likes
What do you get when the divide between ‘Pacific’ and ‘Asia’ isn’t a divide at all?
» read more, comment and like

Japan: citizen science vs nuclear crisis

6
likes
Fukushima’s ordinary citizens are taking science into their own hands, helping to unravel mysteries that experts failed to solve.
» read more, comment and like

Decentralised conservation: money talks

3
likes
To improve conservation, decentralised systems must take financial motivations into consideration.
» read more, comment and like

Towards truly sustainable cities

1
likes
Exempting existing buildings from regulatory changes allows for a major weak link in achieving truly sustainable cities.
» read more, comment and like

Pages

Australia can defend itself

11
likes
By controlling the “ocean moat” that protects our northern approaches, Australia can defend itself without calling on help.
» read more, comment and like

The decline of China and India

459
likes
China and India might be regarded as this century’s rising powers, but in the globalisation of research and development their leverage vis-à-vis the United States is declining.
» read more, comment and like

Was the first orangutan a cretin?

15
likes
When Western observers first encountered a red ape from Indonesia in the 17th century, they named it 'orangutan', from Malay words meaning 'person of the forest'. Yet Malays never used this term.
» read more, comment and like

Humanitarian war in Ancient China

8
likes
The idea of military intervention to protect populations from tyranny has a long history, not limited to the West.
» read more, comment and like

Telling The China Story

2
likes
Strong unified states, and their opponents, often project national narratives in terms of historical destiny.
» read more, comment and like

Under control? Chernobyl and Fukushima

3
likes
While there are undeniable differences between late capitalist Japan and the Soviet Union, the techniques to conceal the public health risks of radiation are disturbingly familiar.
» read more, comment and like

An Australian suffragette goes to Korea

2
likes
Belle Menzies’ life as a suffragist and foreign missionary helped to shape modern womanhood.
» read more, comment and like

Just how Chinese is Chinese philosophy?

1
likes
Chinese philosophy is conventionally presented as a system that exported ideas to neighbouring cultures. But what if it was an importer of ideas as well?
» read more, comment and like

Killers flaunt atrocities on film

1
likes
The study of the 1965-1966 massacres in Indonesia can never be the same again following the release of the film The Act of Killing (2012).
» read more, comment and like

Nuclear war can't be controlled

2
likes
Command and Control systems can't be relied upon to prevent an all-out nuclear exchange.
» read more, comment and like

Pages

The eternal division of Korea?

6
likes
Ethnic ties are increasingly irrelevant for young people in their conception of the South Korean nation.
» read more, comment and like

India: a democracy or not?

23
likes
India is a democracy… but not quite a democracy. It is a nation… but not really.
» read more, comment and like

The decline of China and India

459
likes
China and India might be regarded as this century’s rising powers, but in the globalisation of research and development their leverage vis-à-vis the United States is declining.
» read more, comment and like

Asia’s middle-income peasants

5
likes
The popular image of Asian peasantry is no longer a useful one for understanding the political dynamic in much of the region.
» read more, comment and like

Rethinking economy and democratisation

7
likes
It’s usually stated as fact that economic growth leads to democratisation. However when we consider democratisation as a strategic outcome, the opposite is true.
» read more, comment and like

When is trust more important than money?

3
likes
When it comes to winning votes, it’s the economy, stupid. But economic performance does not correlate with democratic support. When it comes to democracy itself, political trust outweighs economic conditions.
» read more, comment and like

Humanitarian war in Ancient China

8
likes
The idea of military intervention to protect populations from tyranny has a long history, not limited to the West.
» read more, comment and like

Peace no relief for Timorese women

6
likes
Timorese women fought and suffered for independence from Indonesian occupation, but that suffering didn’t end when formal peace was achieved.
» read more, comment and like

Telling The China Story

2
likes
Strong unified states, and their opponents, often project national narratives in terms of historical destiny.
» read more, comment and like

Strong states fading out across Asia

3
likes
From Myanmar to South Korea, Indonesia to China, the once strong states of Asia are fading.
» read more, comment and like

Pages

Australia can defend itself

11
likes
By controlling the “ocean moat” that protects our northern approaches, Australia can defend itself without calling on help.
» read more, comment and like

Peace no relief for Timorese women

6
likes
Timorese women fought and suffered for independence from Indonesian occupation, but that suffering didn’t end when formal peace was achieved.
» read more, comment and like

Will climate change alter IP policy?

3
likes
The current valuing of traditional knowledge to cope with the effects of climate change may be the catalyst for more indigenous intellectual property policies being adopted.
» read more, comment and like

Strong states fading out across Asia

3
likes
From Myanmar to South Korea, Indonesia to China, the once strong states of Asia are fading.
» read more, comment and like

Are we trading women's rights for peace?

13
likes
In Afghanistan, human rights advocates speak of women’s rights being ‘traded away’.
» read more, comment and like

Paramilitaries make me nervous

3
likes
Armed paramilitaries are part of the problem rather than the solution in Thailand's insecure areas.
» read more, comment and like

Torture is okay under Anglo-Indian law

2
likes
While formally prohibited in Anglo-Indian law, torture is institutionalised in British post-colonial states.
» read more, comment and like

Whose rule of law in Muslim Mindanao?

2
likes
The Philippines is an Asian rule of law success story. But the real test comes in 2013-14, when the Acquino administration finalises a peace settlement with separatists in Mindanao.
» read more, comment and like

Deputy vice-chancellors have their uses

3
likes
Multinational pharmaceutical corporations with a 'Vice President Responsible for Going to Jail'.
» read more, comment and like

Towards truly sustainable cities

1
likes
Exempting existing buildings from regulatory changes allows for a major weak link in achieving truly sustainable cities.
» read more, comment and like

Pages

Updated:  24 April, 2017/Responsible Officer:  Dean, ANU College of Asia & the Pacific/Page Contact:  CAP Web Team