Past Events

Book Workshops: Comparing Uneven Pathways in Asia and Africa – 15-25 June 2021

How can we better understand diverse and non-linear processes of democratic development in understudied Asian and African states?

Towards a Workable Legal Regime for Truth in Political Advertising – 18 March 2021

Melbourne School of Government co-hosted a webinar with the Electoral Regulation Research Network and the Stretton Institute on regulating truth in political advertising.

Women and Leadership: In conversation with Julia Gillard AC - 19 Feb 2021

The Hon Julia Gillard AC was joined by Lynne Haultain, Executive Director, Victoria Law Foundation in a conversation on her recent book, Women and Leadership: Real Lives, Real Lessons.

IACL Global Roundtable ‘Democracy 2020: Assessing Constitutional Decay, Breakdown, and Renewal Worldwide’ – 18-26 November 2020

International Association of Constitutional Law (IACL) Global Roundtable ‘Democracy 2020: Assessing Constitutional Decay, Breakdown, and Renewal Worldwide’ was held from 18-26 November 2020. The online roundtable featured 50 speakers from 5 continents.

Challenges of political party regulation in the EU: Corruption, hate crime and corporate liability - 10 Sep 2019

Political parties have become the centres of state power in EU Member States. But what if political parties violate the law or act against the well-being of the people?

Troubling Policy seminar series - Genetic editing - 9 Sept 2019

Dr Jane Brophy and Associate Professor Megan Munsie discuss the social, ethical and legal implications of the new development in global biotechnology.

The Complacent Country: Alternative visions for Australia’s future - 27 Aug 2019

Hosted by the Melbourne School of Government at the Melbourne Law School, this event was presented by the Honourable Kevin Rudd.

'Geoengineering, the Anthropocene and the End of Nature' launch - 23 July 2019

Hosted by the Melbourne School of Government, this event celebrated the launch of a new book by Jeremy Baskin, titled ‘Geoengineering, the Anthropocene and the End of Nature’.

Troubling Policy seminar series - Can Australia strengthen national interests by greater foreign policy independence? - 23 July 2019

The term ‘the national interests’ is often used by foreign policy makers to justify their arguments. The term is less commonly explained.

Inequality, Tax and Welfare - 28 Mar 2019

A lecture by Prof. Miranda Stewart in discussion with Prof. Roger Wilkins and Dr Troy Henderson.

Inequality and Australian Political Discourse - 21 Mar 2019

A lecture by former Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan in discussion with former University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor Glyn Davis.

Uluru Statement and Indigenous Self-determination - 12 Feb 2019

A Melbourne School of Government Doctoral Academy preview event. A panel of experts discuss questions submitted by PhD students involving Indigenous Self-determination.

Changing behaviour in the public and private sectors - 7 Nov 2018

Public seminar presented by Gus O'Donnell, chairman of Frontier Economics.

Troubling Policy seminar series - Biosecurity Governance: Enacting Shared Responsibility in Australia - 22 Oct 2018

Presented by Andrea Rawluk. Amidst an increasingly complex, global environment of trade and travel, with heightened concerns for the accidental or deliberate spread of species and diseases, biosecurity has become a key policy goal in many parts of the world.

Q&A on Employment and the Future of Work - 16 Oct 2018

A Melbourne School of Government Doctoral Academy preview event. PhD students submitted questions that were presented to a panel of prominent academics.

Troubling Policy seminar series - Of Toil and Trouble: Coal Seam Gas, Conflicted Communities and the Promise of Prosperity - 15 Oct 2018

Presented by Fiona Haines. Coal seam gas promised to be a relatively trouble-free rich source of profits both for industry, for governments and local communities. Yet, it has proved divisive, generating significant protest against exploitation of the resource.

Troubling Policy seminar series - What Counts as Expertise in an Age of Online Activism? The Health Experience - 3 Sept 2018

Presented by Alan Peterson. Digital media disrupt established notions of expert and expertise. This is nowhere more evident than in the sphere of internet-based health and patient activism.

Troubling Policy seminar series - Wicked Problems: Revisiting the Idea and it's Role in the Making of Public Policy - 20 Aug 2018

Presented by Avery Poole and John Alford. In this seminar, we reflect critically on the concept of ‘wicked problems’, ask how it is used in academic teaching and research, and whether it still illuminates and has value for public policy practitioners.

Troubling Policy seminar series - Data as Labour: Rethinking the Collection and Ownership of Personal Information in the Era of Artificial Intelligence - 6 Aug 2018

Presented by Tim Dunlop. We collected more data on ourselves in 2016 than we had in the rest of human history. this talk proposes we will need to treat data differently, as labour and not just as capital, and find ways we can all share in the wealth it helps generate.

In Conversation: Gillian Triggs, Erika Feller and David Manne - 11 July 2018

A Melbourne School of Government Doctoral Academy preview event. A lively conversation on migration between three prominent figures, followed by questions and answers from the audience.

Thinking creatively, acting routinely? Innovation, design and experimentation in the policy process - 6 June 2018

Governments around the world are turning to new approaches to designing public policy. A few main trends can be observed: The first is an emphasis on innovation in the public sector, which has seen the rise of innovation units and labs. The second is the growth of design approaches to policy, which rely on empathy and creativity rather than rationality and procedures. The third is a renewed focus on behavioural and experimental approaches to policy, including design experiments and ‘nudges’. This lecture will address the question: Is innovation, design thinking and experimentation fundamentally changing public policy-making?

City of Melbourne Lord Mayoral By-Election Youth Forum - 7 May 2018

The Age and the Melbourne School of Government at The University of Melbourne hosted a Youth Forum for the forthcoming Lord Mayoral By-Election. Candidates for the 2018 election participated in a panel session, followed by questions from the audience.

Troubling Policy seminar series - Curbing antibiotic use: how is collective action to be achieved? – 23 April 2018

Presented by Professor Jon Pierre. Reducing the use of antibiotics is a key step towards curbing the development of multi-resistant bacteria, a major public health issue around the world.

McKinnon Prize in Political Leadership: 2018 Prize Oration – 15 March 2018

The winners of the inaugural McKinnon Prize in Political Leadership were celebrated at an oration on the evening of Thursday, 15 March 2018 at the University of Melbourne. Winners of both prize categories were presented with an award in recognition of their outstanding achievements and exceptional leadership.

Regulatory Crises: The Exploitation or Remediation of Public Troubles? – 14 March 2018

Troubling Policy seminar series - Presented by Prof. Bridget Hutter, Professor of Risk Regulation in the Department of Sociology at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

The Dramatic Transformations in HIV Science and Policy – 14 March 2018

Public Policy Lecture Series - Presented by Professor Sharon Lewin, Director of the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity at the University of Melbourne, this lecture explored the history and current key questions around HIV policy in Australia and globally.

Randomistas: How Radical Researchers Changed our World – 8 March 2018

Book launch - Andrew Leigh MP's book 'Randomistas: How Radical Researchers Changed our World' was launched at the University of Melbourne on Thursday 8 March 2018.

A Crisis of Expertise? Legitimacy and the challenge of policymaking – 15 - 16 February 2018

The 2018 Melbourne School of Government Conference was held from 9.30am, Thursday 15 February to 3.30pm, Friday 16 February 2018.