Visiting Chairs in Australian Studies
Tokyo Chair
The Annual Visiting Professor of Australian Studies, Centre for Pacific and American Studies, University of Tokyo
The University of Tokyo, one of the most prestigious tertiary institutions in Japan, has a long-standing commitment to the study of Australia and has for many years hosted Australian academics. The University created the annual Visiting Professorship in Australian Studies in 1999 with support from the Australia-Japan Foundation (AJF). The position, based in the Centre for Pacific and American Studies at the University's Komaba campus, is offered to one Australian scholar per year.
Past Visiting Professors have included Professor David Carter (University of Queensland), Professor Gay Hawkins (University of Queensland), and Associate Professor Baden Offord (Southern Cross University).
The International Australian Studies Association (InASA), the peak global Australian Studies organisation, manages the selection process for the position on behalf of the University of Tokyo and Australia-Japan Foundation. Since 2004 Professor Kate Darian-Smith has managed this process on behalf of The International Australian Studies Association (InASA) from The Australian Centre. Professor Darian-Smith is the first point of contact for any Australian academics interested in applying for the position.
The position is generally advertised mid-year with interviews occurring in semester two and the position being taken up the following year in October.
Further details about the position can be found at:
- The International Australian Studies Association (InASA) website
- The Australia-Japan Foundation website
For more information please contact:
Professor Kate Darian-Smith
The Australian Centre
School of Historical and Philosophical Studies
E: k.darian-smith@unimelb.edu.au
T: +61 3 8344 7232
Harvard Chair
The Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser Professor in Australian Studies, Harvard University
The Visiting Professorship in Australian Studies at Harvard University was established by a gift from the Australian Government in 1976, in commemoration of America's Bicentennial. The Visiting Professor was designed 'to maintain such teaching, research and publication as will help to promote awareness and understanding of Australia in the United States of America'. The position was re-named in 2010 in recognition of Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser – two important Australian historical figures who, from opposite sides of politics and with a common respect for the United States, negotiated and signed off on this generous gift some thirty three years ago.
From its inception the position has attracted distinguished scholars including Manning Clark, Geoffrey Blainey, Chris Wallace-Crabbe, Graeme Davison and Gough Whitlam. In recent years the position has been held by Mick Dodson, Nicholas Jose, Alison Bashford, Helen Irving, Tim Rowse, Chris McAuliffe and Tim Flannery.
For a full list of Visiting Professors see the Harvard University website.