School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University

“As an international student being asked to deliver a speech at Parliament House, it felt like a dream!”    Bachelor of Global Studies student, Tharidhu Peries, was one of six students from La Trobe's School of Humanities and Social Sciences selected to participate in the Victorian Parliamentary Internship Program. Tharidhu was selected to give the final speech on behalf of all interns, something he says was a “surreal” experience. “I was incredibly honoured and thrilled. It was a moment of immense pride and gratitude!” He joined fellow students George Moore, Miguel Goldy Abordo, Badraa Al-Barkazly, Hilary Macrae and George Katsoulotos for the program, where interns spend a semester working closely with an MP to produce a policy report.     Hilary Macrae and Miguel Abordo (pictured) both agree is it was an invaluable opportunity.    “It allowed me to combine the range of disciplines I study as a Law and Politics, Philosophy and Economics student, and build on my classroom knowledge,” Hilary says. “Additionally, the exposure to the Parliament meant my understanding of the Victorian political process has been improved.”    “The internship has enabled me to apply my multidisciplinary perspective to real-world problems and put theory into practice, enhancing my employability,” says Miguel. Read more: https://bit.ly/3P9iT2v #LaTrobeHumanitiesAndSocialSciences #LaTrobeUniversity

Our 2024 Bernard Bailyn Lecture on North American History is now available to watch on demand.     Professor Walter Johnson's (Harvard University) lecture, ‘On racial capitalism: The logic of the broken plate’, explored how much of North American history has been framed by imperial, capitalist, and racist ideas and practices.    Listen to the lecture: https://bit.ly/3ZyypLe #LaTrobeHumanitiesAndSocialSciences #LaTrobeUniversity #History

La Trobe’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences is recruiting for a Lecturer in Visual Arts. The successful candidate will develop curriculum, coordinate subjects, and teach and support students as they learn. In addition, they will support the administrative functions of the discipline and contribute to a robust interdisciplinary research culture. The Visual Arts program is seeking to strengthen its community engagement and links to industry. Applicants with an enthusiasm for building relationships at local and national level would be particularly welcome. This position is based at the Bendigo campus but there may be opportunities to teach at the Melbourne campus as well. Applications close 7 January 2025. Find out more: https://bit.ly/3Bi4Wft #LaTrobeHumanitiesAndSocialSciences #LaTrobeUniversity

British-trained archaeologist, Jamie Rooney, has chosen to further his knowledge of Indigenous cultural heritage. “Having completed a master's in history and archaeology overseas, I was aware of my knowledge gaps in understanding archaeology at the geological timescale,” he says. “I chose to study a single archaeology subject to help me round out my understanding in the Australian context.” Jamie chose La Trobe University because of its reputation in the field.  "I know many highly successful friends and colleagues who have graduated from La Trobe.” He has enjoyed researching the history of the archaeological discipline in Australia. “While my understanding of the archaeology itself was strong, I knew almost nothing about how it evolved as a discipline here in Australia. It's fascinating to learn about the ways in which the field has grown into a partnership between Indigenous people and archaeologists.” “This subject has given me an appreciation of archaeology in Australia and helped forge some great connections,” he says. Jamie was the recipient of the Academic Achievement Award for Indigenous Archaeology for achieving the highest mark in the subject. He is currently working as a Senior Consultant and Heritage Unit Lead with an environmental and agricultural consultancy. #LaTrobeHumanitiesAndSocialSciences #LaTrobeUniversity #Archaeology 

La Trobe University is recruiting for a Wurruwila Wutja Research Fellow. The Wurruwila Wutja Research Fellow is a research only academic who will be expected to undertake independent and/or team research and participate in activities within their field to develop their research expertise. The Fellow will be located in a discipline relevant School/Research Centre/Research Institute and be closely linked with the Gabra Biik, Wurruwila Wutja Research Centre. This is a multi-year appointment (up to three years) open to Indigenous researchers with a PhD or equivalent research experience who demonstrate a strong research track record and commitment to Indigenous community. Applications close 30 March 2025. Find out more: https://bit.ly/49irhWT #LaTrobeHumanitiesAndSocialSciences #LaTrobeUniversity

Congratulations to researchers from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences who have received funding as part of the 2025 Australian Research Council’s Discovery Projects scheme. Professor Andrew Herries and Dr Angeline Leece will receive $715,617 in funding for a project that aims to investigate the origins of the early human species Homo erectus, our direct ancestor, and other contemporary early human species around two million years ago. Professor Marija Tabain will receive $625,342 in funding for a study investigating speech in the Papuan languages spoken to the immediate north of Australia, which have very simple consonant and vowel systems but which have been consistently reported as showing a very high level of language-internal variability. The Discovery Projects scheme supports individual researchers and research teams in projects that expand Australia’s knowledge base and research capability. Read more: https://bit.ly/414zRpQ #LaTrobeHumanitiesAndSocialSciences #LaTrobeUniversity

Congratulations to Dr Judith Bishop and Dr Carrie Tiffany, who won awards at the prestigious Writers Prize 2024. Dr Carrie Tiffany was awarded the Writer’s Prize 2024 for her essay ‘Seven Snakes’, which will be published in Meanjin’s 2024 summer edition 83.4. Dr Tiffany has over 20 years’ experience as a researcher, writer, editor and teacher of creative writing. She has published numerous prize-winning short stories and non-fiction in journals including New Australian Writing (Beijing), Australian Book Review, Overland and Meanjin. Dr Judith Bishop was awarded the Civic Choice Award 2024, presented to a finalist in the Melbourne Prize for Literature 2024 or The Writers Prize 2024 with the highest number of public votes. Dr Judith Bishop is an award-winning poet, linguist, researcher and ex-AI industry leader with over 17 years’ experience in that field. She is La Trobe’s 2024 Tracey Banivanua Mar Fellow. Run by the Melbourne Prize Trust, the Writers Prize 2024 is awarded for an essay of outstanding originality, literary merit and creative freshness. Find out more: https://bit.ly/3A5GTQl #LaTrobeHumanitiesAndSocialSciences #LaTrobeUniversity #WritersPrize2024

We asked Associate Professor Dirk Tomsa, Head of the Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy, for a quick career insight:    What role has mentoring played in your career, and what advice would you give to students or graduates who are looking for a mentor?    “Mentoring has played a very important role in my career,” he says.    “During my undergraduate studies in Germany, a senior academic encouraged me to submit an extended version of an essay for publication and supported my move to Australia for postgraduate studies. Without that early encouragement, I may never have pursued a career in academia.”    “As a PhD student, I had extremely supportive supervisors who provided academic guidance, encouraged me to take on professional challenges, and offered valuable insights about starting a career in higher education. They helped me to identify opportunities that I may not have seen myself and taught me the importance of listening, adaptability and emotional intelligence – skills that have been vital in my career as an academic.”     “For students and graduates looking for a mentor, my advice would be to make sure your career aspirations align with your mentor’s values and interests, you’re open to critical feedback and you’re not afraid to ask provocative questions.”    Associate Professor Dirk Tomsa is Head of the Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy where he teaches and researches Indonesian and Southeast Asian politics.    #LaTrobeHumanitiesAndSocialSciences #LaTrobeUniversity 

La Trobe’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences is recruiting for a Lecturer in Politics and International Relations.    The successful applicant will contribute to excellence in teaching and learning across our Politics and International Relations program, including teaching core and elective subjects in the Bachelor of Global Studies, Master of International Relations and Bachelor of Arts (Politics major).    They will also contribute to supervision of Honours students and perform administrative tasks associated with their appointment.    Applications close 30 November 2024.    Find out more: https://bit.ly/4hVUScj    #LaTrobeHumanitiesAndSocialSciences #LaTrobeUniversity 

La Trobe University and the University of Melbourne have begun a million-dollar project to compile a four-volume collection of key documents that tell the story of Australian history from an Aboriginal perspective. The Ngura Ninti project, meaning “knowing home”, will be accessible to Aboriginal communities as well as academics and the wider community. It aims to change the way Australians understand the history of their land. This project is the first of its kind in Australia. No previous Aboriginal-focused documentary collection has ever been produced to this scale. La Trobe Pro Vice Chancellor (Indigenous), Associate Professor Michael Donovan, said the project would provide a record of Aboriginal people’s past policies, activism and events. “It will empower Aboriginal communities with historical knowledge that may have been lost through generations, placing the Aboriginal voice and understanding at the forefront, and to educate non-Indigenous Australians about the country’s history before and after colonisation,” he says. The project is co-led by University of Melbourne Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous) Professor Barry Judd, La Trobe University Associate Professor Katherine Ellinghaus and La Trobe Emeritus Professor Richard Broome. Professor Judd said a team of regional editors would consult with Indigenous communities so they could be in control of choosing documents, ensuring Aboriginal leadership and direction of the project. Read more: https://bit.ly/490MPqx #LaTrobeHumanitiesAndSocialSciences #LaTrobeUniversity