Professor Colin Brown
Adjunct Professor
PhD
Research interests
- Modern Indonesian politics
- Indonesian history
Biography
Colin Brown is an Adjunct Professor in the Griffith Asia Institute at Griffith University. From 2009-2013 he was a Professor in the Department of International Relations at Parahyangan Catholic University in Bandung. He has extensive experience in supervising PhD students and mentoring colleagues, both Indonesian and Australian. His fields of teaching and research expertise cover modern Indonesian history and politics.
Colin is author of Australia’s Indonesia Project: 50 years of engagement, A Short History of Indonesia: The Unlikely Nation? and (with Roger Knight) 'Commanders and Subalterns: Foreign Capital, the Sugar Industry, Farmers and Workers in Rural Java, 1930–1959'.
Dr Marshall Clark
Adjunct Senior Research Fellow
PhD
Research interests
- Indonesian society, culture and politics
- International relations of Southeast Asia
- Socio-cultural aspects of fisheries in maritime Southeast Asia
Biography
Marshall Clark is an Adjunct Professor in the Griffith Asia Institute at Griffith University, with more than 20 years’ experience teaching and researching Indonesian society, culture and politics. His research focuses on Indonesia and Southeast Asia, including the region’s international relations and the socio-cultural dimensions of fisheries in maritime Southeast Asia.
Marshall has published book-length monographs on Indonesian popular culture, the Indonesia–Malaysia bilateral relationship, and the historic Australia–Indonesia bêche-de-mer fishery. His work on the bêche-de-mer fishery takes an interdisciplinary approach to examining the historical, social and cultural dimensions of this important Australia–Indonesia connection.
Dr Larry Crump
Senior Fellow
PhD, MSW, BSc
Research interests
- Multilateral, regional and bilateral negotiations
- Asia and the Pacific
- Negotiation strategy
- Negotiation complexity and its management
Biography
Larry Crump began his career in America in the mid-1970s, relocated to Japan in 1985, and arrived in Australia in 1994. Following studies in Sociology and Psychology, Larry practiced Social Work in America before establishing an international management consulting business in Tokyo—serving a diverse client base in electronics, automotive, finance, insurance, trade, and other sectors.
Larry accepted a tenured contract at Griffith University, shortly after immigrating to Australia, where he lectured in negotiation strategy and skill, international negotiation, and comparative management during his 26-year Griffith career. Larry also represented the Griffith Business School on the Human Research Ethics Committee and served as the Deputy Director of the APEC Study Centre. Larry remains actively engaged in the community by providing negotiation training in governmental and corporate settings.
After conducting ground-breaking research, Larry received research awards for academic articles and books that investigate negotiation complexity and its management. Larry has examined many bilateral trade treaty negotiations between national governments, and numerous regional associations (APEC , EU , Mercosur, Pacific Alliance, and UfMG), and international organisations ( G20 , GATT , UN , and WTO ). Recent research builds theory on negotiation strategy and closure, deadlocks, linkages, turning points, and framing. Initially, Larry will study negotiations between Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Island nations as a GAI Senior Fellow.
Dr Peter Dirou
Adjunct Research Fellow
PhD
Areas of expertise
- Finance sector development
- Pacific finance sector architecture
- Private sector development
- Institutional economics
Biography
Peter Dirou is an adjunct research fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute. His research lies at the intersection of institutional economics and public law. It focuses on advancing thinking on conceptual frameworks that address the lack of scale in PICs and the implication for local institutions. He earned his PhD from the University of Melbourne Law School.
Over the last 25 years Peter has worked for a number of multilateral and bilateral organisations advising on financial sector issues, primarily in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Prior to joining Griffith, he led the finance focus area of the Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative.
Professor John Hay
Adjunct Professor
PhD
Research interests
- Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience
- Climate Variability and Change
- Environmental Policy and Governance
- Sustainable Development
- Sea Level Rise and Coastal Communities
- Interdisciplinary Environmental Science
Biography
John Hay is an environmental scientist with more than forty years of experience spanning academia, the private sector, and governmental and intergovernmental organisations. His work has focused on applying science to reduce human impacts on the environment and advancing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and addressing environmental challenges. He has also contributed extensively to technical and policy-relevant assessments, particularly in relation to climate variability, climate change, and sustainable development.
John has played a leading role in international climate research and policy. He served as a Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and co-authored Chapter Four of the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, which examined sea level rise and its implications for low-lying islands, coastal regions and communities. In recognition of his contribution to the IPCC’s work, he was a co-recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
Professor Michael Heazle
Adjunct Professor
PhD
Research interests
- Energy, human, and environmental security
- China-Japan relations
- Australia-Japan security relations
- East Asia security
Biography
Dr Michael Heazle is a Non-Resident Research Fellow with the Korea Institute for Maritime Strategy, based in Seoul, and an Adjunct Professor (International Relations and Security) with the Griffith Asia Institute (GAI). He was previously an Associate Professor at GAI and the School of Government and International Relations at Griffith University, where he taught international relations and politics from 2003 to 2018. He currently lives by the Japan Sea in Kyoto, Japan.
Dr Heazle has internationally recognised expertise in energy, human, and environmental security; policy making and specialist advice; China-Japan relations; Australia-Japan security relations, and East Asia security. His publications include a collection of books and edited volumes (University of Washington Press, Cambridge University Press, Routledge-Earthscan, Edward Elgar) in addition to numerous articles in peer reviewed journals including Marine Policy, Environmental Science and Policy, Intelligence and National Security, The Pacific Review, and The Australian Journal of International Affairs. His latest book is China’s Rise and Australia-Japan-US Relations: Primacy and Leadership in East Asia (Edward Elgar, 2018).
Professor Yan Islam
Adjunct Professor
PhD , MA (Economics), BA Economics ( Hons )
Research interests
- East Asian political economy
- Neoliberalism
Biography
Iyanatul (Yan) Islam held, until recently, a director-level appointment at the International Labour Organization ( ILO ), Geneva, Switzerland with supervisory responsibility as Chief, Employment and Labour Market Policies Branch, Employment Policy Department, ILO Geneva. He was responsible for leading, coordinating and managing the work of over 40 staff.
He is now Adjunct Professor, Griffith Asia Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia.
Yan held the position of Professor of International Business at the School of International Business and Asian Studies, Griffith University, Australia from 2003 to 2010, having first joined Griffith in 1989. He is an international development economist educated at Manchester [Bachelor of Arts in Economics, First Class Honours and Richard Cobden Prize Winner], Western Ontario [Master of Arts in Economics], Cambridge [PhD, Economic Development]. Since the mid-1980s, he has worked as an external expert for the ILO and, on some occasions, for the UNDP . He is the author and co-author of more than 100 publications consisting of refereed journal articles, books and edited volumes, book chapters, working papers, policy reports (principally for the ILO ) and commentaries in leading online journals (voxeu.org and Social Europe Journal). He is one of the founding editors of the Journal of Asia-Pacific Economy [Routledge, London and New York].
Dr Jackie Kauli
Adjunct Research Fellow
PhD, Masters
Research interests
- Creative practice research and applied theatre
- Communication strategies for development outcomes
- Development communication in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific region
Biography
Jackie Kauli has over 15 years of experience working in international development and communication for development, working across Papua New Guinea and Australia. Her work focuses on harnessing process drama techniques, creative practice and communication strategies to contribute to development practice. She is currently a Senior Research Fellow in the Creative Industries at Queensland University of Technology where she supervises HDR students.
Dr Zannie Langford
Adjunct Research Fellow
PhD
Research interest
- Agricultural Development
- Food Security
- Indigenous Economic Development
- Rural Livelihoods
Biography
Dr Zannie Langford is an economist and social scientist. She has undertaken a range of applied research projects focusing on land tenure, global value chains, smallholder agribusiness and rural development financing in Australia, Indonesia and the Pacific. Her books include 'Assembling Financialisation: Local actors and the making of agricultural investment' (Berghahn books) and 'Globalisation and livelihood transformations in the Indonesian seaweed industry' (Routledge).
Freya McLachlan
Research Fellow
PhD
Research interests
· Intimate Partner Violence
· Intimate Partner Femicide
· Domestic Homicide and Femicide
· Violence Against Women
· Perpetrator and Bystander Interventions
· Feminist Criminology
Biography
Freya McLachlan is a criminologist and Research Fellow at the Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (CEVAW) at Griffith University. Her research focuses on intimate partner femicide, domestic homicide and evidence-based approaches to preventing violence against women. She completed her PhD at Queensland University of Technology in 2023, examining the risk factors and heterogeneity of male-perpetrated intimate partner femicide in Queensland.
Freya's work explores interventions with perpetrators and bystanders of intimate partner violence, the prevention of domestic and family violence, and feminist approaches to understanding and responding to violence against women. Her research contributes to improving policy and practice aimed at preventing lethal violence and enhancing community responses to gender-based violence.
Associate Professor Tess Newton Cain
Adjunct Associate Professor
PhD
Research interests
- Governance and political dynamics in Pacific island nations in Pacific island nations
- Development policy and strategic planning for sustainable regional growth
- Regional security issues, including climate security and resilience
- Legal frameworks and their influence on Pacific societies and institutions
- Social and economic challenges in the Pacific, especially for small island states
- Australia-Pacific relations and their impact on regional cooperation
Biography
Tess Newton Cain is an esteemed academic, consultant, and researcher with over 25 years of experience in Pacific governance, development, and security. Formerly leading the Griffith Asia Institute's Pacific Hub, Tess remains an Adjunct Associate Professor and regularly authors the Pacific Bulletin. With dual citizenship in Vanuatu, her longstanding connection to the region and prior role as a lecturer in Law at the University of the South Pacific have deeply informed her expertise on the unique legal, political, and social contexts of the Pacific islands.
Through her research, analysis, and policy advisory work, Tess collaborates with a diverse range of stakeholders to support strategic development initiatives across the region. Her experience spans a broad network of policy makers, development organisations, and community leaders, enabling her to contribute insights that address key regional challenges and opportunities.
As a consultant, Tess has partnered with major organisations such as the United Nations, the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, the Asian Development Bank, and various government agencies in Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific. She has also advised the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, the Lowy Institute for International Policy, and other development-focused entities.
In addition to her advisory roles, Tess regularly provides commentary to media outlets including ABC, SBS, Radio Australia, The Guardian Australia, BBC, and Reuters, where her perspectives continue to shape public understanding of Pacific affairs.
Chapika Sangkapitux
Adjunct Research Fellow
PhD
Research interests
- Environmental, resource and development economics
- Natural resource governance and water tenure
- Sustainable agriculture and land management
- Rural livelihoods and development in Southeast Asia
Biography
Chapika Sangkapitux is a researcher specialising in environmental, resource and development economics, with extensive research experience in Thailand and Southeast Asia. She holds a PhD in Environment and Public Policy from Monash University, Melbourne.
Her research has examined natural resource governance, water tenure and watershed management, particularly in the highlands of northern Thailand. She has also researched sustainable agricultural development, environmental services, land tenure security and resource management, with a focus on the relationships between environmental policy, local livelihoods and rural development.
Chapika has published research on water management systems and water tenure security in northern Thailand and has contributed to interdisciplinary research on sustainable land use and rural development in Southeast Asia. More recently, she was a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Auckland on a project examining the impacts and responses of COVID-19 on tourism in Southeast Asia, funded by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Professor Andrew Selth
Adjunct Professor
PhD, M Arts, GDip Strategic Studies, B Arts ( Hons )
Research expertise
- Burma (Myanmar)
Biography
Professor Andrew Selth is an Adjunct Professor at the Griffith Asia Institute. He has been studying international security issues and Asian affairs for 45 years, as a diplomat, strategic intelligence analyst and research scholar. During this time, he has been an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs at the Australian National University ( ANU ), a Visiting Fellow at the ANU ’s Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, a Chevening Scholar at Saint Antony’s College, Oxford University, an Australian Research Council Fellow at Griffith University and a Harold White Fellow at the National Library of Australia.
Professor Selth has published ten books and more than 50 peer-reviewed works, most of them about Myanmar (Burma) and related subjects. He has also contributed to the public debate on Myanmar through articles in newspapers, magazines and various online fora, notably the Lowy Institute’s Interpreter and the ANU ’s New Mandala blogs.
Dr Erika Yague
Adjunct Research Fellow
PhD
Research interests
- Youth, Peace and Security (YPS)
- Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation
- Inclusive Governance and Participation
- Humanitarian and Emergency Contexts
- Feminist and Decolonial Approaches
- Southeast Asian and Philippine Studies
Biography
Erika Isabel Bulan Yague is a scholar-practitioner specialising in Youth, Peace and Security (YPS), peacebuilding, governance and inclusive participation in conflict-affected and humanitarian contexts. Her research examines how young people and local actors shape peace and political change in the Philippines, Southeast Asia and beyond, drawing on feminist, decolonial and Filipino frameworks. She holds a PhD from Griffith University, a Master’s in Peace and Conflict Studies from The University of Queensland, and a Bachelor of Science in Community Development from the University of the Philippines Diliman.
With more than a decade of experience across policy, practice and research, Erika has worked with the United Nations, ASEAN, government institutions and civil society organisations. She is the lead drafter of the Fourth United Nations Secretary-General’s Report on Youth, Peace and Security and serves on the Advisory Group for the Second Independent Global Progress Study on Youth, Peace and Security.
Erika is also a recognised contributor to regional and international scholarship on peacebuilding and youth engagement. She was the lead author of the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation Regional Study on Youth, Peace and Security (2025) and co-editor of Youth Leading Change: Emerging Sites of Knowledge in Peace and Conflict (Palgrave, 2025). Her work advances locally grounded approaches to peacebuilding and explores how Philippine and Global South perspectives can enrich debates in international relations, peace and conflict studies, emergency responses and inclusive governance.