News from the College of Business, Government & Law
We acknowledge the traditional owners, both past and present, of the various locations Flinders University operates on, and recognise their continued relationship and responsibility to these lands and waters. We recognise that Flinders was established on the lands of the Kaurna nation, with the main Flinders campus located near Warriparinga
Welcome to the April edition of the College newsletter for 2025.
The Government discipline drives our major stories this month, with rich reflections from Jessica Genauer, Pham Thu Thuy, Philip Johnson, and Hongyi Leong. We also have reports on a variety of high-level initiatives across the College, including a major Centre of Excellence bid by Centre for Social Research, a major MoU signing in India led by the Health Care Administration discipline, and the latest on our seven-year journey for AACSB accreditation of our Business degrees.
So much happening across so many domains! It’s great that we can keep track of them through our newsletter.
Michael
Professor Michael Gilding
Vice-President and Executive Dean
Feature Story
Bridging Policy and Practice
Following up from the DataBlitz presentation by Professor Pham Thu Thuy, this blog explores how climate policy can translate into real change. As part of our College’s strategic goal to drive impactful climate research, Professor Pham shares insights from her global experience on the challenges of climate policy and the urgent need for inclusive, well-funded solutions. Discover how our research community can help shape a more sustainable future.
Feature Story
Tales from inside BGL: Government
From launching a major public sector leadership program to strengthening international partnerships in Indonesia, the Government team has achieved significant milestones over the past year. With growing enrolments and new opportunities for students and professionals alike, we’re building a strong foundation for the future.
March Spotlights
Researcher Spotlight:
Philip Johnson
From teaching in Mexico and South Korea to late-night movies at the Capri, this well-travelled Flinders lecturer is just as passionate about global politics as he is about his neighbourhood.
Educator Spotlight:
Hongyi Liang
From a childhood curiosity about politics, starting as early as age 9 with a tough question for her uncle... to a passion for teaching and research,
Dr. Hongyi Liang’s journey spans continents, academia, and even a backyard farm with
two hardworking chickens.
Read More >
Education
AACSB Update: Things You Need to Know About Assurance of Learning
In this video, Professor and Dean of Education, Christopher Kee takes us through the essential aspects of Assurance of Learning (AoL), a key component in maintaining the high standards expected by AACSB accreditation. Tune in to learn more about how our AoL system ensures academic excellence and supports ongoing enhancements to our curriculum.
Research
Top Research Publications
Top 10%/ A*/A/Q1
*Based on notification emailed to CBGL.research@flinders.edu.au from 3 March - 3 April 2025. Current BGL staff in bold.
Hill, D., Gregg, D., Baker, D. (2025). Trading off inclusion, value, and scale within smallholder targeted value chains. WORLD DEVELOPMENT, 191, Article 106973. Scimago: Top 10% (1.5%) in Geography, Planning and Development).
Manwaring, R., Foley, E. R. (2025). The Contradictions of the Albanese Labor Government in Australia: The Promise and Limits of 'Thin' Labourism. POLITICAL QUARTERLY. Advance online publication. (Scimago: Q1 (24.93%) in Sociology and Political Science).
Kostopoulos, I., Stocchi, L., Pourazad, N., Michaelidou, N. (2025). Mobile Applications’ Stickiness: A Review and Future Research Program. Journal of Strategic Marketing. Advance online publication. (Scimago: Q1 (24.16%) in Strategy and Management).
Ubaydullaeva, D. (2024). The Internationalisation of Higher Education in Uzbekistan: Staff Perspectives on a Top-Down Process. Europe - Asia Studies. Advance online publication. (Scimago: Top 10% (3.18%) in History).
New Research Income
Bogomolova, S., Oster, C. & Powell, A. Social prescribing: linking Australian social, health and community sectors, Australian Research Council $647,068
Research Centres
Image: The Flinders CSI team behind the ARC Centre of Excellence for Prisoner Reintegration Application.
Centre for Social Impact
ARC Centre of Excellence for Prisoner Reintegration Application: A collaborative application lead by Flinders University, including researchers from UWA, Monash and UTS, has been submitted to the ARC.
CSI Flinders at the UN Commission on Narcotics Drugs: Learn how Associate Professor Caitlin Hughes is shaping global drug policy and presenting key findings from the Beyond Bars report to an international audience.
New Funding Aiming to Empower Older Australians through Digital Inclusion: Explore the project that supports older adults from culturally diverse communities in building digital skills.
Jeff Bleich Centre
This month at the Jeff Bleich Centre, we’re diving into the most pressing conversations in international affairs, cybersecurity, and digital disinformation. We’re excited to share a preview of our upcoming events, including a bold look at the first 100 Days of Trump and the return of the Australian Space Cyber Forum. Plus, we’re celebrating the publication of JBC’s Melissa-Ellen Dowling’s groundbreaking new book, Digital (Dis)Information Operations, which takes a timely look at the complex realities of online information warfare.
What's been happening in BGL 🎈
University of Hyderabad and Flinders University Cement Strategic Partnership
On March 25, 2025, Dr. Madhan Balasubramanian and Associate Professor Angie Shafei, Dean of Business travelled to the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI) in Hyderabad, strengthening academic ties ahead of a landmark partnership. The following day, the University of Hyderabad (UoH) and Flinders University formalised their collaboration by signing a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Witnessed by the Premier of South Australia, Australian diplomats, and senior academics, the agreement paves the way for joint postgraduate programs, research initiatives, and faculty exchanges in healthcare and business education, reinforcing global academic cooperation and innovation across key sectors.
Welcome new BGL and HASS HDRs
On 1st of April, the Colleges of HASS and BGL came together to host a special welcome event for HDR and Honours students. Held in the Humanities Courtyard, the gathering provided a fantastic opportunity for students and supervisors to connect, share insights, and celebrate the start of an exciting academic journey. Here's to a year of discovery, collaboration, and research excellence!
Multicultural Ambassador Program Training
On 13th March 2025, Leoni Connah, James Scheibner, Edwin Tongoi, and Abdul Khan attended a masterclass on ‘Developing Organisational Cultural Competence,’ delivered by the Multicultural Communities Council of South Australia (MCCSA). This training was part of the Multicultural Ambassador Program of South Australia, and Flinders is the only university that has joined the Multicultural South Australian Ambassador Program.
Launched in 2023, the Multicultural South Australia Ambassador Program aims to embed the South Australian Multicultural Charter into organisations to strengthen the cultural and linguistic diversity of their workforce, policies, and services. The Ambassador Program will assist us in adopting the principles of the Charter across various aspects of BGL operations.
3rd PhD Summer Institute in International Trade & Industrial Organisation
Together with the local organising team (Dr Rong Zhu and Dr Wali Ullah), we organised the 3rd PhD Summer Institute in International Trade & Industrial Organisation here at Flinders University. This workshop series alternates between Flinders University, Adelaide, AU, and the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, NZ, providing a valuable platform for PhD scholars to present their research and receive in-depth feedback. This year, we welcomed presenters from the University of Western Australia, University of South Australia, the University of Auckland, Curtin University, and the University of Adelaide. Each PhD student was paired with a senior academic discussant, ensuring insightful discussions and constructive feedback. We were also delighted to have senior economists from Germany, New Zealand, and Australia join us, contributing to the rich exchange of ideas.
PhD Industry Engagement to inform the SA Police Drug Diversion Initiative
On 25 March 2025 CBGL Flinders Criminology Industry PhD Student Gene Mercer presented findings from his PhD to the South Australian Government Police Drug Diversion Initiative Project Reference Group. The group involved SA Police, SA Health, Preventive Health SA and NGOs and outlined 22 years of trends in the use of this long-standing program and changes pre and post a government change. This marked an important milestone in this PhD Industry Project and the opportunity to contribute to advance state policy decision making. Gene is supervised by Associate Professor Caitlin Hughes (Flinders Criminology & Centre for Social Impact) and Professor Jacquie Bowden (NCETA, College of Medicine and Public Health) and is pictured alongside principal supervisor Caitlin Hughes.
What's on 📢
Get set to find your fearless and build job confidence at this series of three workshops and get set to create the career YOU want.
Crafting Your Personal Brand | Monday 5 May, 10am – 12pm
Learn how to establish a powerful personal brand to help you fearlessly embrace self-promotion to stand out from the crowd.
The Art of Networking | Monday 12 May, 1pm – 3pm
Gain the know-how and understanding to build, keep and nurture business relationships and the confidence to become an inspiring communicator when presenting to individuals and groups.
Get That Job! Masterclass | Thursday 24 July, 10am – 2pm
This final bumper session will give you the skills to apply and interview for the job YOU want! It will give you the know-how to:
- Prepare your resume
- Effectively search for jobs
- Nail an interview
BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL
Government Seminar Series: Ruth Dassonneville on Party Competition
🗓 Date: Wednesday, April 30, 2025
🕛 Time: 12:00 – 1:30 pm
📍 Location: Bedford Park + Online
Ruth will present her research on "The Dimensionality of Party Competition as Seen by Citizens", exploring how voters perceive political competition across multiple policy issues in ten established democracies. This study provides key insights into how citizens distinguish between parties and the factors influencing their views.
Explaining the Modern Gender-Generation Gap in Australian Politics
The next POLIS Seminar, featuring Dr. Intifar Chowdhury, as she explores the evolving gender and generational shifts in Australian political ideology.
📅 Date: Thursday, April 17, 2025
🕜 Time: 1:30 – 2:30 PM ACST
📍 Location: Online
Dr. Chowdhury’s research challenges traditional modernisation theory by examining why younger men in some contexts are becoming more conservative while younger women continue to lean left. Using Australian Election Study (AES) data (1987–2022), she unpacks the role of issue priorities, political socialisation, and socioeconomic factors in shaping gendered political realignments.
Don't miss this engaging discussion on how these trends influence party engagement and future electoral landscapes.
Share Your News!
We know you have stories to share, and we want to hear from you. It could be important milestones coming up, staff achievements, exciting new research, innovative developments, people and culture updates, and more.
The newsletter is complemented by the staff-only blog - College of Business, Government and Law News - which is great for longer form content.
More info including timelines is here.
Important University Dates 📅
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-Our Mission-
College of Business, Government and Law, Flinders University
