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Home > Research > Extending Frontiers Research Program > Fragile States
Fragile States
The Fragile States Project focuses on the concepts of state capacity and the interaction of domestic and international institutions in shaping forms of governance. It is also concerned with examining the international consequences of state fragility, particularly in the context of the Asia-Pacific. Developments in Northeast Asia (especially North Korea), South Asia (especially Pakistan); Southeast Asia (especially Burma); and the South Pacific are key foci of the project’s academic scholarship. The consequences of these developments for regional security and stability are a critical dimension of the project’s level of analysis.
Project team members published their research in 2010 in a wide range of high quality scholarly outlets. These included: Asian Security; Pacific Review; Review of International Political Economy; Governance; Politics and Policy; Modern Asian Studies; and the Australian Journal of International Affairs. Dr Riccardo Pelizzo’s edited book (with John Owens) The War on Terror and the Growth of Executive Power - was published with Routledge UK.
Team members maintained a high public profile with a range of national and international conference presentations as well as expert briefings for industry stakeholders, including: the World Bank, Credit Suisse, the American Bar Association, and the International Fiscal Association.
Media commentary also featured strongly in the Fragile States project public profile, with pieces from team members appearing in: The Australian, The Courier-Mail, Asia Society (US); and The Lowy Interpreter.
A research workshop was also held in Brisbane on 8-9 April examining “The Quality of Democracy in the Asia-Pacific”. This workshop brought together a range of international experts on the topic and was led by Leonardo Morlino, Professor of Political Science at the University of Florence and President of the International Political Science Association. In their deliberations, participants focussed on the extent to which ideas of democracy are applicable across the Asia-Pacific. The workshop’s findings - in the form of scholarly book chapters - are due to be published as part of edited book by Routledge in 2011.
In December, Professor O’Neil was formalised by the ARC as Project Chief Investigator to replace former Chief Investigator Dr Michael Wesley.
Professor Andrew O’Neil (Chief Investigator)
Professor William Tow (Project Collaborator)
Dr Bjoern Dressel (Research Fellow)
Dr Riccardo Pelizzo (Associate Investigator)
Professor Jason Sharman (Associate Investigator)
Dr Andrew Selth (Research Associate)
