As part of the VC’s strategic plan for the next five years, ANU has committed to a bold new engagement program entitled ‘Australia and the World’. Central to the delivery of the program is the establishment of an Australian Studies Institute (AuSI).

Establishing the AuSI has been an passionate objective of mine for a few years. I developed this idea further with the DVC (Global Engagement) and officially established an Australian Studies Institute while I was acting Dean. The AuSI mission is simple: to promote the study of Australia, to share our research and, drawing upon that, to help bring an Australian perspective to comparative, transnational and international projects. In short, we hope to join global conversations and also help to facilitate them. In addition to my role as Director RSHA, I have requested to lead the AuSI for the first triennium and hope, with your help, to make it a lasting resource for the University.

Going forward, we’re keen to work with those across all disciplines and are eager to engage in discussions regarding the role for CASS, in particular. We will be holding a roundtable discussion on 17 April to discuss the CASS contribution to the AuSI. I encourage all who are able and interested to attend and contribute your ideas regarding how the AuSI might support existing CASS strengths.

Professor Paul Pickering
Director, AuSI