Humanities & Social Sciences
Under pressure
Australian government policy is increasingly coming under pressure from well-connected lobbyists. Are we headed for a US-style future? Dr Li Ji (PhD International Communications 2013) is a researcher at the Soft Power, Analysis and Resource Centre (SPARC) at Macquarie, where her research investigates the ethical use of ‘soft power’ in public diplomacy and governance, and how it is used ...
In memory of memory
Music occupies a special place in our hearts and in our memories; so much so that it is being explored as a tool to help people who have lost their map to the past and their ability to remember. Macquarie University researchers Dr Amee Baird and Professor Bill Thompson are looking at how music might be used in individuals with dementia, not only to help reduce stress and anxiety, but also t...
The war on words
Ever wondered how you find yourself agreeing with outrageous political comments, even if deep down you know you feel differently? It all comes down to wordplay, and once you know the tricks, you can use them to your own advantage. When Bob Carr became foreign affairs minister in 2012, he compared Tony Abbott’s use of slogans such as ‘No more boats’ to a “trainee hypnotist trying to ...
Young guns
Chance encounters have helped inspire our graduates and students to help make the world a better place. For Susanna Matters (BA/DipEd 2013), who studied teaching, her ‘moment’ was realising it wasn’t her teaching, but rather monthly periods that made her female students at a Kenyan village miss school. “It’s not a glamorous issue, but it’s also one that isn’t goin...
Innovative technologies
In the final of our series on Macquarie’s five future-shaping research priorities, we are exploring Innovative Technologies, which focuses on advancing our interconnected world with frontier technologies, systems, designs and creative practice. Recently, Professor Nicolle Packer won a 2015 Research Excellence Award for her work understanding the role carbohydrates play in the spread of di...
A new ERA for Macquarie’s researchers
The 2015 Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) ratings have arrived with stellar performances in neurosciences, clinical sciences, oncology and carcinogenesis, physical sciences, environmental sciences, agricultural and veterinary sciences as well as in engineering and the humanities. ERA is a federal government initiative that evaluates the quality of research being conducted by Austr...