Welcome to the Department of Political & Social Change

The department does in-depth research and graduate teaching on politics and society in Asian and Pacific countries. Faculty and graduate students emphasise the contemporary period but also pay close attention to history. Our work focuses on domestic conditions while incorporating wider influences such as the world economy, the international state system, and transnational social movements.

Our research is relevant to three kinds of audiences. We engage with and contribute to theories and debates in political science and the social sciences generally. Our work also adds to the academic literature on political processes and conditions in Asian and Pacific countries. And it informs journalists, development professionals, social activists, policy makers, lawyers, diplomats, and others who need background on the region’s countries and peoples.

Department members regularly collaborate with colleagues in other parts of the university, and we have strong connections to universities, research organisations, and other institutions in numerous Asian and Pacific countries as well as elsewhere in the world. A major focus of the Department's work is PhD training, though our staff also teach in masters and undergraduate programs.

This web site will provide you with more information about the department's activities, staff, students, application for graduate work, and other matters. If the information you need is not here, please do contact us.