anu cap thesis

• Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs
• Crawford School of Public Policy
• School of Culture, History and Language
• School of Regulation and Global Governance
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Australia's leading centre for research on Asia and the Pacific, CAP brings together a unique community of disciplinary, area and public policy based scholars.

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The ANU College of Asia and the Pacific has an international reputation for high quality research and a rich history of leading pioneering research on the region. Our research disciplines are consistently ranked amongst the highest in the world and we are often recognised as the leading institution in Australia where scholars can study these fields.

Application process

Find out more.

ANU College of Asia and the Pacific (CAP) offers two research degrees: the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and the Master of Philosophy (MPhil). The PhD, in which almost 400 students are currently enrolled, is a three to four year research degree requiring the production of an 80-100,000 word thesis. Most students are required to undertake some preparatory course work in their first year. All research students work closely with an academic supervisor and a panel of advisors. The College offers PhD and MPhil research supervision in a wide range of disciplines from the humanities and social sciences.

Areas of research

Anthropology

Access world-class experts who will inspire your research in social and cultural anthropology. Our diverse faculty maintains a program focus on theoretically informed, ethnographic fieldwork in the Asia-Pacific region.

Archaeology and natural history  

Engage with the cultural complexity and environmental diversity of the Asia Pacific region with archaeology and natural history. Your research will develop your understanding of the origins and trajectories of cultural and environmental change through time. 

Asia Pacific Security 

Our research expertise and reputation in Asia-Pacific security spans across the vital strategic relations between the United States, China, India and Japan; the four regional flashpoints including the Korean peninsula, Taiwan, and the East and South China Seas; global strategic challenges including nuclear proliferation and maritime security; transnational security challenges and cooperation; and the nexus between economic and security issues. Our research in these areas informs our understanding of key strategic challenges and defence priorities in the Asia-Pacific region, and Australia’s place in the region. 

Asian studies  

Examine the rich and complex history of Asia, and its growing global importance, through a broad range of disciplines and geographical expertise, giving you the most comprehensive range of research options on Asia in Australia, and arguably, the world.

Democracy and Elections 

Our researchers have expertise on the political and social dynamics of all major states in Asia and the Pacific, including China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Papua New Guinea. Our scholarship includes award-winning contributions in the areas of electoral systems, political party development, clientelism, populism, religious and environmental politics, women’s leadership, political economy, corruption, regime change, and conflict and conflict resolution. 

Deal with the key global trends of our time, with a focus on economic development in China, India, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand and other Asia Pacific economies.

Environment and Resource Management 

Investigate a wide range of environmental and resource management issues that affect the Asia and Pacific region, including climate change adaptation and mitigation, natural hazards and disasters, the social and environmental impacts of development and more. 

Geopolitics and Diplomacy

The geostrategic environment in the Asia-Pacific has grown increasingly more complex. New organisations, with regional and sub-regional groupings are becoming more active and external players such as China and Indonesia are much more visible in regional affairs. Our research on geopolitics and regionalism addresses the drivers of, and trends in, regional politics and diplomacy covering themes such as soft power and public diplomacy, political economy, Pacific diplomacy, and non-state actor diplomacy. Researchers also investigate some of the most pressing development issues in Pacific Island countries including relationships between state structures and capabilities, society and societal transformations, and governance in the Pacific. 

Gender, Cultural and Media Studies

Your research will connect insights on the transformations of gender and sexuality in Asia and the Pacific from a range of disciplines including anthropology, history, language, literature and media studies. 

Examine deep processes of change in Asian and Pacific societies, covering ancient civilisations, the turbulent encounter of these societies with the West and the promises and threats of the recent past. 

Human Security

In recent years, human security problems and issues have gained increasing attention on global and regional security agendas as well as in Australia’s foreign policy. The research profile of our academics cuts across global and regional affairs in the areas of urbanisation, global migration and forced displacement, child rights and protection, gender-based and domestic violence, women’s economic empowerment, health security, and artificial intelligence. 

International Relations

Explore nuclear disarmament, the role of global institutions or world peace. We offer you a keen insight into the realm of global politics with a unique focus on the Asia Pacific region.

Law and Society

Draw on pragmatic and policy-oriented solutions to complex issues. Investigate a wide variety of topics related to justice, security, and more. 

Linguistics

With one of the largest concentrations of linguists anywhere in the world, and over 50 years of experience documenting little-known languages, we have the capacity to support your research on more than 2,000 languages of the Asia and Pacific region.

National Security Policy

Our program aims to develop internationally recognised security specialists with outstanding research skills. Choose from 19 multidisciplinary fields ranging across the security of regions and states, cyberspace, terrorism, potential futures and the challenges faced by policymakers. 

Pacific Studies

Pacific Studies is an interdisciplinary field focusing on the islands of Oceania and the Pacific diaspora. Our scholars explore important historical and contemporary issues, and critically examine the ways in which the region has been framed, constructed and represented. 

Political Science

Engage in cutting edge research on Asia and Pacific politics with world-leading experts and understand the region’s political diversity — from durable one-party regimes such as China, to the sprawling democracies of India and Indonesia, or the tiny microstates of the Pacific. 

Public Policy

Develop your expertise in political science, public administration, economics, geography, anthropology or area studies, and become a leading practitioner who has real impact in today’s complex world of policy challenges. 

Undertake regulatory research by promoting the interests of social justice, fairness, human rights or economically sustainable development, grounded in a number of fields including anthropology, criminology, environmental studies, gender studies, law, psychology and more. 

Strategic Studies

Develop research that provides insight, imagination and judgement on understanding the history of conflict, the complexity of the global strategic environment, Australia’s place in it, and the utility and application of armed force in international affairs.

Application process at a glance

Self Assess

You need to have completed an undergraduate or master degree in a discipline relevant to your area of proposed research. For undergraduate degrees your result should be First Class Honours or Second Class Honours (First Division). If you have a master degree, rather than an honours degree, you will need to show that it had a research component. If you don't have a master or honours degree you may be able to apply on the basis of professional work experience. You will also need to have academic referees to support your application.

Most students who are successful in their application for admission to a research degree are in the top 5-10 per cent of their class in their previous degree.

Fees & scholarships

Domestic There are no tuition fees for students from Australia or New Zealand citizens enrolling in a higher degree by research for the first time. Their research training costs are met by the Australian government. You can apply for a  Australian Postgraduate Award (APA)  to cover your living expenses but there are only a limited number of scholarships available. The closing date for applications if you want to be considered for a scholarship is 31 October to commence by the following March. Occasionally, scholarships are available for mid-year entry by August.

International International students are required to pay  tuition fees . A very small number of scholarships is available to cover fees. There is also a very small number of scholarships to cover  living expenses . Only the most outstanding international applicants will receive these scholarships. We strongly encourage you to investigate other funding options before submitting your application. The closing date for applications if you want to be considered for  ANU scholarship  is 31 August to commence by the following March.

Find a supervisor

One of the most important steps in making an application is to identify a potential supervisor. Your application will only be successful if there is an academic in the College who is willing to supervise your research project.

The best way to identify some potential supervisors is to search the ANU  Researchers Database . You can search for researchers by name, discipline, country or other key word.

You can also find out about potential supervisors, and their research interests, by browsing the websites of the Schools located in the College of Asia and the Pacific.

• School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet)
• School of Culture, History & Language

The  CAP Student Centre  may also be able to help you identify a potential supervisor if you have difficulty finding one.

Make contact

Once you have identified a potential supervisor (or perhaps two or three) you should make contact with them, well in advance of making your application..

Potential supervisors will expect you to send a 2-3 page outline of your proposed research, along with a Curriculum Vitae that includes details of your academic performance.

The academic staff member will let you know if they are interested in discussing your proposal further and developing it into a full application. Normally there are several email exchanges, or telephone discussions, with a potential supervisor before a final application is submitted.

If the person you contact is not interested in your research they may be able to suggest other potential supervisors and will often forward your details to colleagues who may be closer to your area of research.

If you are having trouble making contact with your potential supervisor, please get in touch with the  CAP Student Centre  

Submit application

Applications for research degrees at ANU are made online . To view the list of research degrees available you may navigate to the ANU  Programs and Courses  website and filter programs by 'Research' and 'College of Asia and the Pacific'.

If you need any additional advice on completing your application please contact the  CAP Student Centre  .

Applications can be submitted at any time during the year, but if you want to be considered for a scholarship the closing dates are (31 August for international students or 31 October for domestic students). Scholarship recipients must commence by 31 March of the following year.

Here are a couple of important pieces of information that will help you in filling the application form.

• For Academic Group select “College of Asia and the Pacific”
• For Program Code select the code which relates to the relevant School (see table below)

Crawford School of Public Policy - 9540 PhD - 8540 MPhil - NSC code: 9850 PhD

School of Culture, History & Language (CHL) - 9050 PhD - 8050 MPhil

Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs - 9510 PhD - 8510 MPhil

School of Regulation, Global Governance (RegNet) - 9560 PhD - 8560 MPhil

E  [email protected]

P  1800 620 032 (within Australia)

P  +61 2 6125 7257 (outside Australia)

ANU world-class theses collection available online

Providing open access to our ANU theses collection will expand engagement with our research, provide visibility to the ground-breaking work being done, and support the careers of the ANU academic community

Students and academics at the Australian National University have been producing significant and original research since the university first opened.

Much of this research was put forward in PhD and higher degree research theses – covering a wide range of topics, across many disciplines. These theses have made a huge impact to the economy, society, environment and culture beyond their contribution to academia.

ANU Provost Professor Mike Calford believes that ANU research has had an extraordinary impact around the world.

“One of the roles of a university is to transform society with our research,” said Professor Calford.

“I am very proud of the research generated by The Australian National University. The stock of knowledge produced by our researchers generates new ideas, revolutionises technology and helps to transform society.”

“But above that, I am incredibly proud of our students. ANU has produced not only world-class research, but world-class researchers, practitioners, academics and business people who have made important and transformative contributions to the community.”

The ANU Library has digitised the entire collection of theses developed by ANU PhD and research higher degree students. All those without restrictions have been made available online through the Open Research Repository , to increase their accessibility and research impact.

This is part of the University’s continued commitment to digitisation and providing access to our world-class research.

Professor Calford recognises the importance of the research recorded in the theses collection.

“We can clearly see the huge influence that ANU theses have made to modern research. Just last year we had over 935,000 downloads of ANU theses, and almost 90% of these were downloaded by researchers outside Australia.”

“This project will see research once largely hidden from view being exposed to people from all around the world. By making our unique and original research available in an open access collection, we boost research knowledge.”

University Librarian Roxanne Missingham is excited about the possibilities of greater access to ANU research.

“Providing open access to our ANU theses collection will expand engagement with our research, provide visibility to the ground-breaking work being done, and support the careers of the ANU academic community,” said Roxanne Missingham.

“We are also reducing barriers to access information. This will assist not only researchers, but those who are able to benefit from the outcomes of the research.”

The ANU Library will be showcasing some of the 13,000+ theses that you can now access online through the Open Research repository.

You will be able to see new theses online following the introduction of a new digital system to support higher degree students in the University.

You can search and browse to find a wealth of research in the ANU Library theses collection .

Other stories you might like to read

School of Culture, History & Language

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Graduate research

You are here.

The School of Culture, History and Language (CHL) in College of Asia and the Pacific (CAP) is one of the largest concentrations of specialists on the Asia-Pacific region in the world. An interdisciplinary community of academic staff and PhD candidates carry out research Japan, China, Indonesia, the Pacific Islands, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Timor Leste, Mongolia and Burma (Myanmar), drawing on a range of disciplines that include anthropology, archaeology, linguistics, history, political science, religious studies, cultural studies and literature. Research in CHL emphasises facility in languages of Asia and the Pacific.

Each PhD student works with a supervisory panel matched to the student's interests and needs, drawn from the academic staff of CHL; outside supervisors can be recruited if appropriate. CHL normally provides office space and computer facilities to full time students who are resident in Canberra, and offers the possibility of applying for a research grant of $7500 to assist in fieldwork expenses and professional development (including conference attendance).

In addition, CHL, CAP and ANU present a lively program of seminars and professional training sessions and courses suited to postgraduate students.

Admission to the PhD program is normally limited to those who have demonstrated the ability to conduct a sustained piece of research equivalent to an ANU Honours thesis (15,000-20,000) or larger.

If you are interested in undertaking a PhD in the School of Culture, History and Language, you should begin by contacting a potential supervisor to ascertain his/her interest in your work. Many of our academic staff have heavy supervision loads and not all requests can be accepted. In approaching a potential supervisor, you should normally outline the topic you propose to study and send an electronic sample of your writing. You should also outline your academic qualifications and your language training (if appropriate). You can also seek advice from CHL's PhD administrator, Ms Etsuko Mason [email protected] .

At this stage, you need only obtain the agreement of a single supervisor who is willing to be your panel chair. Once you have such agreement, you can commence the official application process.

Applying for Admission to PhD in CHL It is recommended that all prospective applicants complete the pre-application steps outlined below before proceeding to the ANU online application.

How to apply: The School of Culture, History and Language closely reviews applications of prospective candidates. This process ensures that candidates put forward the best application possible, and arrive ready to begin the rigors of PhD training. It is recommended that all prospective applicants complete the following steps before proceeding to the ANU [online application] ( http://applyonline.anu.edu.au/ ).

Step 1: Confirm your eligibility

Admission to the PhD program in the School of Culture History and Language should ideally have one of the following qualifications:

An Australian Bachelor Degree with at least Second Class Honours - Upper (First Class Honours is often required) or its international equivalent

A research-based Master’s Degree in a relevant field. Potential candidates will also need to demonstrate the necessary language and prerequisite skills:

Students whose first language is not English are required to have an overall IELTS score of no less than 6.5, with no less than 6.0 in any individual band. We will also speak to prospective candidates by telephone or Skype.

Most CHL research programs will require a high degree of competence in at least one Asian or Pacific language. Use your proposal (Step 3) to discuss your competence in these and any other skills (statistical analysis, etc.) that may be necessary to your proposed research.

Beyond simply stating degree credentials, be prepared to demonstrate your understanding of and competence with research skills and methodology.

If you are not sure whether you can meet these criteria, please contact Ms Etsuko Mason [email protected]

Step 2: Locate and contact a potential supervisor(s)

Each PhD candidate will have a committee consisting of at least three scholars, headed by a main supervisor from within CHL. You should initiate contact with a prospective supervisor when you begin to prepare your application, and confirm that this person is willing to be your primary supervisor. It is very important that you confirm this initial consent before you continue your application. There will be opportunities to change the composition of the committee during the program.

Step 3: Write your thesis proposal

Since you will be expected to commence work on your thesis soon after arrival to ANU, it is vital to arrive with a detailed and practical project proposal. There is no minimum word length for the proposal, but it should not exceed 5,000 words. The proposal should include the following:

Title and Abstract Include the key research question or hypothesis, rationale for the research, and research methodology to be employed in the study.

Aims & significance What is the overall purpose and significance of the proposed research? What does your project aim to accomplish, and how do your research questions contribute to the international scholarly literature in your field?

Methodology and preparation Discuss the methodology to be used, as well as your own research background, including the sort of additional training you may need to undertake.

Fit with CHL Indicate why you wish to pursue your research in CHL, and what sort of contact you have had with your proposed supervisor.

Timetable How does your project fit within a 4 year PhD candidature?

Resources Indicate the funding that will be required over the course of the candidature (e.g. for fieldwork) as well as any special materials or training that may be necessary for the successful completion of the project.

Bibliography A list of references cited in the proposal.

A good proposal will be clear and direct. [Click here for other tips on proposal writing] ( http://researchproposalguide.com/ ).

Step 4: Contact the school with your proposal

Send the following application materials to the school HDR administrator in one email marked “CHL application.”

• Curriculum vitae (CV)

• Academic transcripts

• IELTS/TOEFL results (if applicable)

• Thesis proposal (Step 3)

We strongly advise you to complete this step and wait for the CHL response before proceeding to the next step. At this stage do not include information about referees, copies of academic work, or any non-academic materials.

Step 5: Make a formal application to the ANU

You may initiate the ANU online application process at any time. However, CHL strongly recommends that all candidates complete the previous four steps before proceeding to this stage so that we can guide them through the process. The HDR administrator will be able to advise you on the application process. For further information and advice, check the links under resources and future students.

• Find out more
• Research fields

Future students

• Current PhD students and their research topics
• The application process
• Information for current & future PhD students

Current students

• Procedures for final submission of PhD theses
• Supervisors Comments, Thesis submission
• Nomination of examiners - PhD/MPhil
• Guidelines for HDR scholars - health and safety when on fieldwork or researching away from campus
• Darrell Tryon Research Scholarship

Updated:   7 July 2017 / Responsible Officer:   Director, Culture, History & Language / Page Contact:   CHL webmaster

• Contact ANU
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Prof I Wayan Arka

• Professor of Linguistics, FASSA, FAHA, School of Culture, History & Language , School of Culture, History & Language

Research activity per year

Personal profile

My contributions to linguistics have spanned different sub-disciplines: from theoretical, formal and computational grammar, to typology and descriptive and documentary linguistics. All of my projects involve international collaborations with institutions in Australia, Indonesia, the UK, US and NZ, and locally with language communities.

My research aims to generate a deep understanding of how grammar works, and to investigate how it can be explicitly modelled so as to produce a precise, empirically well-motivated description or analysis with theoretical, typological, and practical significance. I have immersed myself in linguistic theory, typology, and descriptive and documentary linguistics, with particular focus on the numerous and diverse languages of Indonesia. I have also cultivated skills in corpus development and  data management. 

My theoretical work is mainly within the Lexical-Functional Grammar  framework. My work in this area includes implementing LFG on Indonesian languages, outlining the challenges this poses and developing an LFG-based computational grammar of Indonesian. Funded by a grant from the Indonesian government, I have examined the core properties of eastern Indonesian languages, including Papuan languages. With a follow-up NSF project (2007-2009), I have demonstrated the theoretical implications of the Austronesian voice system in eastern Indonesia, highlighting its gradual demise (Arka, 2009). With grants from the ARC and ELDP, I recently work on the Papuan languages of Merauke and have published papers on a range of topics; e.g, discussing the unusual complexity of the number system in Marori and the possible far-reaching implications it has in linguistic theory. 

I have done fieldwork in remote parts of eastern Indonesia, organising training in Indonesia as part of my capacity-building efforts in Indonesia.

Career Highlights

• Head of Linguistics Program, CHL, CAP (2014 - Feb 2021, 2024 - ...)
• Convenor of BAS (Bachelor of Asian Studies) (2018 - 2021)
• Postdoc Fellow (2001), Research Fellow (2004), Fellow (2008), Senior Fellow/Asc Professor (2015), Professor (2021), Linguistics, CHL, CAP, ANU
• Humboldt Fellow, Cologne University, Germany (2012-2014)
• Research Fellow, IIAS, Leiden U, the Netherlands (2006)
• Lecturer, Udayana University, Indonesia (1986-...).

Available student projects

I am Chair of the Supervisory Committees of the following PhD students (CAP, ANU):

• Keira Mullan.  PhD thesis: A Grammar of Simalur.
• Emma Keith. PhD thesis: A Grammar of Mentawai.
• George Lindsay. Thesis: The Kimaghama language: its grammar and position among the languages of Southern New Guinea
• Aarin Tirza Sirima . PhD thesis: Middles in Austronesian languages.  
• Li-Chen Yeh. PhD thesis: From obsolescence to revival: Kaxabu-Pazeh and Southern Min in Contact situation.  
• Yustinus Ghanggo Ate . PhD Thesis: A Grammar of Kodi, An Austronesian Language of Sumba Island, eastern Indonesia

I am a member of the Supervisory Committees of these PhD students:

• Kristina Gallego . PhD thesis:Consequences of contact: examining the case of Ibatan Babuyan and Ilokano.
• Jirat Hiranras . PhD thesis:Reciprocals in Thai.

Research interests

Austronesian and Papuan languages of Eastern Indonesia, language typology, syntactic theory, Indonesian linguistics, Applied Linguistics, language documentation, translation, sociolinguistics and anthropological linguistics.

I incorporate my latest research into my teaching. The courses that I teach at the ANU include Syntactic theory/Advanced Morphosyntax, Indonesian (across different levels), Introduction to syntax, Graduate reading course, Morphology, Austronesian languages, and Interdisciplinary Linguistics

Past student projects

I was Chair of the Supervisory Committees of the following former  students in CAP, ANU:

• Antoinette Schapper. Graduated 2010. PhD thesis: Bunaq: A Papuan Language of Central Timor. She's the ALT Panini Award winner, now working at Leiden University.
• Meladel Mistica. Graduated in 2013. PhD thesis: An Investigation into Deviant Morphology: Issues in the Implementation of a Deep grammar for Indonesian. She's now working in Intel Corp, the US.
• Sebastien Lacampre. Graduated in 2014. PhD thesis: Lelepa: topics in the grammar of a Vanuatu Language. He is now a Postdoctoral Fellow at CoEDL, U of Melbourne.
• Matthew Carroll . Graduated in 2017. PhD thesis: Sub-Paradigmatic Autonomy: A study of distributed exponence in Ngkolmpu.
• Yusuf Sawaki. Graduated in 2017. PhD thesis: A grammar of Wooi (an Austronesian language of west Papua, Indonesia).
• Xueqing Zhong. Graduated 2019. PhD thesis: Rescuing a language from extinction: practical steps with the community for revitalisation of the Western Yugur language.
• Tina Gregor. Graduated 2020. PhD thesis: A Documentation and Description of Yelmek (a Papuan language of Southern New Guinea).
• Chris Weedall .  Graduated 2021. PhD thesis: A Grammar of Sajolang.
• Thersia Tamelan.  Graduated 2021. PhD thesis: A grammar of Dela, an Austronesian language of eastern Indonesia.
• Naijing Liu. PhD thesis: Lexical and prosodic phonology: Tsum and Tianjin.

Qualifications

Researcher's projects.

Research grants & fellowship awards (selected in the past 10 years)

• 2023-2026. "Barrier Islands Project: an extension project building on the Enggano Project", CI I Wayan Arka, in collaboration with Bernd Nothofer and Simon Greenhill, AUD $503,363.
• 2023-2024. “Lexical resources for Enggano, a threatened language of Indonesia”, Nov 2022-Oct 2024, (CI with M. Dalrymple Oxford University and Bernd Nothofer Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main), funded by the AHRC for two years (GBP 257,459) or AUD 460,000.
• 2019-2022.  Enggano in the Austronesian family: historical and typological perspectives (CI with M. Dalrymple Oxford University and Bernd Nothofer Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main), funded by the  UK AHRC (Arts and Humanities Research Council), GBP 465,904 (or AUD 850,989).
• 2018-2019. Documentation of Enggano (CI with Mary Dalrymple, Oxford University). Language Legacies Grant Program, Endangered Language Fund.
• March-June 2017. The Papuan and Austronesian languages of eastern Indonesia , part of the project on Constructing a research network for documenting minority languages in and around Indonesia. Co-CI with A/Prof. Asako Shiohara, funded by TUFS, Visiting Professor Fellowship.
• 2016-2017. The Endangered Papuan Languages of Merauke-Indonesia: ethnobiological and linguistic documentation (Primary Investigator, Project Leader), funded by the ELDP Major Documentation Project Grant, London, A$79,949.
• 2012-2014. The Austronesian Languages of Flores: from Language Description to Linguistic Theory , Georg Forster Humboldt Fellowship (CI), based at the Department of Linguistics, the University of Cologne; funded by Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung, $47307
• 2011-2015. Languages of Southern New Guinea (co-CI with Nick Evans (ANU) and Jeff Siegel (University of New England), funded by ARC Discovery Grant, A$405,000.
• 2012.  Plurals in the languages of Indonesia (CI) RSAP Small Grant, A$4920.

Professional  service (selected)

• 2013-2014. Chair (elected), Executive Committee, International Lexical-Functional Grammar Association (https://sites.google.com/site/ilfgalfg/home)
• 2011-2014. Regional Director for Indonesia, the Catalogue of Endangered Languages (ELCat).
• 2008-2011. Managing Editor, Pacific Linguistics
• 2008- now. Member, Editorial Board, (Asia-)Pacific Linguistics
• 2007-2011. Panel member (invited), the Panel of the Endangered Languages Documentation Programme (ELDP), School of Oriental and African Studies, London.
• Reviewer (invited), grant applications: Research Grant Council, Hong Kong (2013), National Geographic, US (2012), the Leverhulme Turst, London (2010, 2012), the Documenting Endangered Languages (DEL) Program and Linguistics Program at the National Science Foundation (NSF), US (January 2010, December 2008, December 2005); Assessor (invited), ARC (Australian Research Council) (every year since May 2007—present); Endangered Language Documentation Programme (ELDP) (November 2004, and every year since 2008—present).

Evidence of impact

I have been invited as a keynote/plenary speaker at 18 international/national linguistics meetings, including the following (selected):

• September 2019, ICAPaW (International Conference on the Austronesian and Papuan Worlds), Udayana University, Bali-Indonesia 6-8 September 2019 (http://www.cirhss.org/2019/05/04/invited-speakers/)
• July 2018, Keynote Speaker, the 14-ICAL (International Conference on Austronesian Linguistics), Antananarivo, Madagascar, 17-20 July 2018.
• November 2015: Keynote Speaker, the International Conference on Language, Society and Culture, Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia (LIPI, or Indonesian Academy of Sciences), Jakarta.
• August 2015: Keynote speaker, the 22 nd International Conference on Head-Driven Phrase Structure Grammar, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 10-14 August 2015, http://compling.hss.ntu.edu.sg/events/2015-hpsg/ . 
• May 2015: Keynote Speaker, the 22 nd International Conference of the Austronesian Formal Linguistics Association, McGill University, Canada, 21-24 May 2015, http://lingconf.com/afla22/ .
• November 2012: Keynote speaker, International PACLIC 26 (26 th Pacific Asia Conference on Language, Information, and Computation) conference, Bali, Indonesia, 8-10 November 2012. http://paclic26.cs.ui.ac.id/speakers.php
• February 2011: Plenary speaker, the 2 nd International Conference on Language Documentation and Conservation, University of Hawaii, US.
• June 2009: Invited speaker, the 4 th Conference on Austronesian Languages and Linguistics (ALL4), organized by the UK Austronesian Research Group (UKARG), London, UK, 17-18 June 2009.
• May 2007: Invited speaker, the International Conference on Endangered Austronesian Languages, Taiwan.
• July 2005: Keynote speaker, the 6 th International ALT (Association for Linguistic Typology) conference, Padang, Indonesia.
• July 2002: Main speaker, the 16 th (international) PELBBA linguistic meeting, Atma Jaya Catholic University, Jakarta, Indonesia.
• May 2000: Invited speaker, the 7 th meeting of the Austronesian Formal Linguistics Association, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Expertise Areas

• Indonesian Languages
• LINGUISTICS
• Language in Culture and Society (Sociolinguistics)
• Language in Time and Space (incl. Historical Linguistics, Dialectology)
• Lexicography
• Linguistic Structures (incl. Grammar, Phonology, Lexicon, Semantics)

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• 1 Similar Profiles
• linguistics Social Sciences 100%
• semantics Social Sciences 99%
• syntax Social Sciences 69%
• grammar Social Sciences 61%
• Indonesia Social Sciences 60%
• documentation Social Sciences 49%
• typology Social Sciences 39%
• New Guinea Social Sciences 33%

Network (past 5 years)

Dive into details.

Select a country/territory to view shared publications and projects

Projects per year

Languages of Barrier Islands, Sumatra: Description, History and Typology

Arka, I. W. , Greenhill, S. & Or, D.

Australian Research Council (ARC) , Australian National University (ANU)

1/09/23 → 31/08/27

Project : Research

Enggano in the Austronesian Family: Historical and Typological Perspectives

Arka, I. W.

Arts & Humanities Research Council

1/08/19 → 30/09/24

The Endangered Papuan Languages of Merauke-Indonesia: ethnobiological and linguistic documentation

Endangered Languages Documentation Programme (ELDP)

1/01/16 → 31/12/17

Equipment and facilities upgrade for Pacific and Regional Archive for Digital Sources in Endangered Cultures

Barwick, L., Barwick, L., Evans, N. , Arka, I. W. , Bird, S., Corn, A., Nordlinger, R., Simpson, J. & Thieberger, N. A.

7/11/11 → 31/12/13

The Languages of Southern New Guinea, an unexplored Linguistic Hotspot

Evans, N. , Arka, I. W. , Siegel, J., Siegel, J. & Siegel, J.

Australian Research Council (ARC)

1/01/11 → 14/06/17

• New Guinea 100%
• linguistics 40%
• Indonesia 14%

Research output

• 1 Entry for encyclopedia/dictionary

Research output per year

Applicative constructions in standard Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)

Research output : Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

The dynamics of grammar and socio-pragmatics of prominence in Balinese

Challenges in enggano orthography development.

Research output : Contribution to journal › Article

LFG and Austronesian languages

Usage-based perspective on argument realisation: a corpus study of indonesian buy verbs in applicative construction with -kan.

• Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs
• Crawford School of Public Policy
• School of Culture, History and Language
• School of Regulation and Global Governance
• Regional Institutes

The School of Culture, History & Language (CHL) is a community of research experts and academics dedicated to investigating and learning with, and about, the people, languages, and lands of Asia & the Pacific.

• Anthropology
• Archaeology and Natural History
• Gender, Media and Cultural Studies
• Pacific and Asian History
• Linguistics
• Pacific and Oceania
• Traditional China
• Modern China
• Chinese Southern Diaspora Studies
• Less Commonly Taught Languages
• Southeast Asia
• Learning and Engagement Spaces
• CHL Community

At CHL, there are plenty of study options to suit your needs. Do a straight degree, or customise your studies to your strengths, passions and goals.

• Undergraduate
• Postgraduate
• Higher Degree Research/PhD
• Fieldwork, Micro-credentials and Mobility Programs
• Literary Chinese
• Chinese (Mandarin)

As an integral component of the University’s research focus, CHL prides itself in its strong and versatile research presence across disciplines.

• CHL Flagship Program
• Collections
• Strategic Projects and Initiatives
• Find a Researcher
• Indigenous Engagement
• News & Events

CHL PhD Program

Thesis guidelines, chl phd stories.

The School of Culture, History and Language represents one of the world's largest concentrations of specialists on the Asia-Pacific region. Our interdisciplinary community of academic staff and PhD candidates conduct research in Japan, China, Indonesia, the Pacific Islands, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Timor Leste, Mongolia and Burma (Myanmar), drawing on a range of disciplines that include anthropology, archaeology, linguistics, history, political science, religious studies, cultural studies and literature. 

Research in CHL emphasises facility in languages of Asia and the Pacific.

The CHL PhD program is designed to facilitate the exchange of multidisciplinary knowledge and innovation. We believe in putting our doctoral study students in touch with the real world, connecting them with researchers across disciplines and creating a supportive community for learning.

Our ethos is centred on enabling our doctoral candidates to develop strong networks across campus and external organisations, and to strengthen their research approach in line with contemporary real-world challenges.

If you’ve had the good fortune to be a part of ANU, you’ll know that our strength lies in our sense of community and collaboration. Real change requires a community of people with indisputable belief that they can achieve something extraordinary together. You can be integral to the stories we rewrite. Help us truly shape our nation as well as our student experience with your endowments to support prizes and grants; stake your place in the future of our world.

Types of Research Degrees

Applying for admission to the chl phd program.

CHL's Pre-application Steps

How to apply

The School of Culture, History & Language closely reviews applications of prospective candidates to ensure that candidates put forward the best application possible, and arrive ready to begin the rigors of PhD training.

It is recommended that all prospective applicants complete the following steps before proceeding to the  ANU Online Application .

Step 1: Confirm your eligibility

Admission to the PhD program at CHL should ideally have one of the following qualifications:

An Australian Bachelor Degree with at least Second Class Honours - Upper (First Class Honours is often required) or its international equivalent

A research-based Master’s Degree in a relevant field. Potential candidates will also need to demonstrate the necessary language and prerequisite skills:

Students whose first language is not English are required to have an overall IELTS score of no less than 6.5, with no less than 6.0 in any individual band. We will also speak to prospective candidates by telephone or Skype.

Most CHL research programs will require a high degree of competence in at least one Asian or Pacific language. Use your proposal (Step 3) to discuss your competence in these and any other skills (statistical analysis, etc.) that may be necessary to your proposed research.

Beyond simply stating degree credentials, be prepared to demonstrate your understanding of and competence with research skills and methodology.

If you are not sure whether you can meet these criteria, please contact Ms Etsuko Mason via  [email protected] .

Step 2: Locate and contact a potential supervisor(s)

Each PhD candidate will have a committee consisting of at least three scholars, headed by a main supervisor from within CHL.

You should initiate contact with a prospective supervisor when you begin to prepare your application, and confirm that this person is willing to be your primary supervisor.

It is very important that you confirm this initial consent before you continue your application. There will be opportunities to change the composition of the committee during the program.

Step 3: Write your thesis proposal

Since you will be expected to commence work on your thesis soon after arrival to ANU, it is vital to arrive with a detailed and practical project proposal. There is no minimum word length for the proposal, but it should not exceed 5,000 words. The proposal should include the following:

Title and Abstract  Include the key research question or hypothesis, rationale for the research, and research methodology to be employed in the study

Aims & significance  What is the overall purpose and significance of the proposed research? What does your project aim to accomplish, and how do your research questions contribute to the international scholarly literature in your field?

Methodology and preparation  Discuss the methodology to be used, as well as your own research background, including the sort of additional training you may need to undertake.

Fit with CHL  Indicate why you wish to pursue your research in CHL, and what sort of contact you have had with your proposed supervisor.

Timetable  How does your project fit within a 4 year PhD candidature?

Resources  Indicate the funding that will be required over the course of the candidature (e.g. for fieldwork) as well as any special materials or training that may be necessary for the successful completion of the project.

Bibliography  A list of references cited in the proposal.

A good proposal will be clear and direct. Click  here  for other tips on proposal writing.

Step 4: Contact the school with your proposal

Send the following application materials to the school HDR administrator in one email marked “CHL application.”

• Curriculum vitae (CV)

• Academic transcripts

• IELTS/TOEFL results (if applicable)

• Thesis proposal (Step 3)

We strongly advise you to complete this step and wait for the CHL response before proceeding to the next step.

At this stage do not include information about referees, copies of academic work, or any non-academic materials.

Step 5: Make a formal application to the ANU

You may initiate the ANU online application process at any time. However, CHL strongly recommends that all candidates complete the previous four steps before proceeding to this stage so that we can guide them through the process.

The HDR administrator will be able to advise you on the application process. For further information and advice, check the links under resources and future students.

The Process of Applying

Each PhD student works with a supervisory panel matched to the student's interests and needs, drawn from the academic staff of CHL; outside supervisors can be recruited if appropriate.

CHL normally provides office space and computer facilities to full time students who are resident in Canberra, and offers the possibility of applying for a research grant of $7500 to assist in fieldwork expenses and professional development (including conference attendance).

In addition, CHL, CAP and ANU present a lively program of seminars and professional training sessions and courses suited to postgraduate students.

Admission to the PhD program is normally limited to those who have demonstrated the ability to conduct a sustained piece of research equivalent to an ANU Honours thesis (15,000-20,000) or larger.

If you are interested in undertaking a PhD at CHL, you should begin by contacting a potential supervisor to ascertain their interest in your work. Many of our academic staff have heavy supervision loads and not all requests can be accepted.

In approaching a potential supervisor, you should normally outline the topic you propose to study and send an electronic sample of your writing. You should also outline your academic qualifications and your language training (if appropriate).

You can also seek advice from CHL's PhD administrator, Ms Etsuko Mason  [email protected] .

At this stage, you need only obtain the agreement of a single supervisor who is willing to be your panel chair. Once you have such agreement, you can commence the official application process.

The PhD Experience at CHL

The duration of a full-time course for the PhD degree is a minimum of two years and a maximum of four. Scholarships, where they are awarded, rarely last beyond three years, and we will work with you from your commencement to finish your course within that three-year period.

Research students at The Australian National University work under the direction of a supervisory panel intended to bring together expertise tailored to the students’ needs. Panels are typically composed of a Chair of a Panel and up to four other members who bring general or specific knowledge.

The progress of PhD students is closely monitored in accordance with University, College and School policy. Your candidature is governed by a series of ‘gates’ that you must pass through at certain times. This system ensures that you finish your thesis in a timely fashion and that any issues or concerns are brought to our attention as soon as possible. These include:

• An initial project proposal (9–12 months after enrollment).
• Annual plans that provide details of your work schedule for the next 12 months.
• Annual reports that detail your actual progress against your previous plan.
• Mid-term reviews that present your evolving project and findings midway through your candidature.
• Thesis reports about your project delivered towards the end of your candidature.
• Public seminar to disseminate your research.
• Research integrity training and ethical clearance for fieldwork.

We view your candidature as a professional appointment, the equivalent of a full-time job. We expect you to work regularly in the Department, to join in the Departmental activities such as workshops and seminars, and to contribute to the general intellectual life of the Department.

Submitting a Thesis

Change working thesis details, procedure: hdr submission and examination of theses, ithenticate for hdr, open access theses, thesis by compilation, thesis by creative works.

Current PhD Candidates

Meet our current PhD students and know more about the overall higher degree research studies experience.

Fielding an Interesting Innings: Meet CHL PhD Candidate Geoffrey Piggott

Meet Rani Dwi Putri: CHL’s M Phil Superstar

Why President JFK kept a coconut husk on his desk: PhD Candidate Annie Kwai's Landmark Book Tells the Story

Chl phd alumni.

Dr Matthew Adeleye's PhD Journey

Dr Alexandra Marley's PhD Journey

Dr Bianca Hennessy's PhD Journey

Shomin-Geki, Globetrotting, Liquorice and More… Meet CHL PhD Graduate Dr Alison J Darby

On the Write Track: Meet CHL PhD Graduate Dr Shvetal Vyas Pare

Tattoos, Taiwan and Indigenous Diplomacy: Suliljaw Lusausatj's Story

Meet Your HDR Coordinator

If you have any questions regarding the higher degree research program at CHL, please get in touch with our HDR Coordinator Etsuko Mason. 

CHL Facebook

Chl twitter, chl youtube, chl instagram, chl linkedin.

• Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs
• Crawford School of Public Policy
• School of Culture, History and Language
• School of Regulation and Global Governance
• Regional Institutes
• News and events

Doctor of Philosophy, Regulation and Governance

A unique doctoral program that applies regulation and governance insights to solve critical problems that enhance the world’s social justice, sustainability and wellbeing. In the RegNet PhD, you are not just a student – you are a colleague.

What sets us apart

Recent graduates.

Program information

Supervisors

How to apply

What sets us apart from other phd programs internationally.

An interdisciplinary outlook

Whether your background is in anthropology, criminology, development studies, history, international relations, law, political science, psychology, public health, sociology or another social science, this degree gives you the critical theory, research and communications skills you need to bridge different fields of knowledge. You will choose the disciplinary mix that works for you and we will support you with the necessary skills and training.

Educational excellence

We offer a demanding curriculum that fulfills your intellectual curiosity. Our formal coursework, hands-on workshops, peer-learning modules, fieldwork and independent study are guided by experienced supervisors. We develop your theoretical and methodological sophistication, expanding your understanding of regulation and governance in a globalised world.

Global networks and world-class supervisors

At RegNet, you will find supportive peers, friendly staff and world-class faculty committed to your success. Together, we work to make every student’s experience a rich and fulfilling one.

Our academics are internationally renowned for their interdisciplinary work in governance and regulation and the quality of their supervision. Our adjunct faculty and visitor programs draw renowned scholars from the world’s leading universities and think tanks. Our global networks open doors for our graduates in Australia and overseas.

Multiple career pathways

You will study with a cohort of Australian and international peers who are seeking to m ake an impact through their work in universities, public service, non-governmental organisations and beyond . We produce highly trained scholars who go on to be leaders in their fields.

Adérito Soares

Thesis topic:  Protecting economic and social rights in post-conflict Timor-Leste: A regulatory approach

Timothy Vines

Thesis topic:  Securitization as a mechanism in Australia's biosecurity lawmaking and disease response

Naing Ko Ko

Thesis topic:  How can Myanmar effectively regulate corruption in its banking and public finance sectors?

Libby Salmon

Thesis topic:  Sharing human milk: challenging regulatory regimes for infant feeding in Australia

Felicity Gray

Thesis topic: A different kind of weapon’? Nonviolent action and the protection of civilians in violent conflict

Kirsty Anantharajah

Thesis topic:  Climate finance for renewable energy development in Fiji: Recognising alternatives amidst troubling solutions

Steve Munns

Thesis topic:  Violence at Work: Reducing Assault and Abuse Experienced by Frontline Staff in Public Service Roles

Derek Futaiasi

Thesis topic:  Networks and Nodes: The Governance of Constituency Development Funds in Gizo/Kolombangara and Baegu/Asifola, Solomon Islands

Raymond Gao

Thesis topic:  Digital Regulation Contested: Regulatory Approaches of the US, the EU, and China to Cross-Border Personal Data Transfers

Thesis topic: China: A Powerhouse and Resistor of Restorative Justice

Nicholas Frank

Thesis topic:  The Evolution of Trade Governance in the 21st Century

Thesis topic: The Role of Actor Values, Practices and Institutional Hardware in Intersectoral Governance For Health Equity Among The Elderly in South Korea

Douglas Allan

Thesis topic: Financial Crime Tradecraft: A Critical Study of the Mechanics of Financial Crime

• Programs and Courses

An undergraduate course offered by the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences .

• Code THES4103
• Unit Value 6 to 24 units
• Offered by ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences
• ANU College ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences
• Course subject Thesis
• Academic career UGRD
• Geoffrey Hinchcliffe
• Mode of delivery In Person
• Offered in First Semester 2020 Second Semester 2020 See Future Offerings

• Introduction

Learning Outcomes

Indicative assessment, inherent requirements, prescribed texts, assumed knowledge, other information, specialisations.

• Offerings and Dates

All ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences undergraduate degree programs have an honours year, and all honours years taught within CASS require the completion of a 24 unit thesis. THES4103 is the honours thesis course for CASS-taught disciplines focussing on studies in Human Society:

Anthropology,

Biological Anthropology,

Contemporary Europe,

Criminology,

Development Studies,

Digital Humanities,

Environmental Studies,

European Studies,

Gender Sexuality and Culture,

International Relations,

Latin American Studies,

Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies,

Policy Studies,

Political Science,

Politics and International Relations,

Public Policy,

Security Studies, and

Students in this course carry out advanced research on a question of their choice. Their topic is agreed with their thesis supervisor and approved by their honours convenor. Students design and implement a project to answer their research question, to place the answer in the context of an intellectual tradition, and to communicate it clearly to others.

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

• pose a significant research question relating to their discipline;
• investigate this question creatively, critically, ethically, and independently, including through sophisticated use of appropriate theory and methodology as appropriate to the discipline, and place these investigations in the context of the relevant intellectual tradition; and
• communicate their research and its findings through an appropriate medium.
• The thesis is the sole piece of assessment for this course; to successfully complete this course, it must demonstrate all learning outcomes for the course. (null) [LO 1,2,3]
• The length of the thesis is a maximum of 20,000 words exclusive of footnotes, tables, figures, maps, bibliography, and appendices. There is a penalty of 10% for exceeding this word limit. (null) [LO null]
• Additional requirements are set out in the annual CASS Masters (Advanced) and Honours Guide. In the case of any inconsistency between programsandcourses.anu.edu.au and the CASS Masters (Advanced) and Honours Guide, programsandcourses.anu.edu.au takes precedence. (null) [LO null]
• Recycling of material (null) [LO null]
• Recycling “is the submission for assessment of work which, wholly or in large part, has been previously presented by the same student for another assessment, either at the Australian National University or elsewhere” (https://services.anu.edu.au/education-support/academic-integrity/determining-a-potential-breach). If each of the following two conditions are met, students may include in this course material that has been submitted for assessment in other 4000-level courses (but NOT 1000-3000 or 5000-9000 level-courses) that are available in the program for which they are enrolled: (null) [LO null]
• the 4000-level course from which material is being recycled states that material submitted in that course may be incorporated into the assessment for THES4103 Thesis; AND (null) [LO null]
• the acknowledgments or introduction of the thesis clearly identifies the title of the assessment/s and name of the course/s from which material is being recycled, and an indication of the extent of the recycling. (null) [LO null]
• Examination (null) [LO null]
• Schools/Centres are responsible for the examination procedure. (null) [LO null]
• The thesis will initially be examined by at least two examiners; neither examiner should be the Supervisor or a staff member who has given extensive advice. At least one examiner must have a high level of expertise in the research methodology used. Schools may decide whether or not any of the examiners should be external. Examiners will use the CASS Marking Guide to assign each thesis to a grade and mark. In addition, each examiner will be requested to write a detailed report as feedback and guidance for the student. (null) [LO null]
• The identity of an examiner will not be disclosed to the student unless the examiner gives written permission for this to happen. (null) [LO null]
• Direct contact between the student and/or supervisor with any examiner of the student’s thesis about the thesis and its examination at any time between the appointment of the examiner and the finalisation of the mark is prohibited. The relevant Honours or Masters Convenor may, at the request of an examiner, provide further information about the thesis or, in the case of joint work, the student's contribution to the thesis. In cases where the Convenor is also the Supervisor, the Head of School or nominee will manage the examination process. (null) [LO null]
• After the two examiners have examined the thesis, they are required to discuss marks (obligatory). However if they are not able to agree on a single mark, they will submit their separate marks. (null) [LO null]
• Once the two examiners’ reports have been received, all Honours and Masters Programs must hold an examiners meeting prior to submission of Thesis results to the Student Office to determine the final Honours or Masters result. (null) [LO null]
• The composition of members of examiners meetings should be at the discretion of each discipline/program in consultation with the relevant Head of School. (null) [LO null]
• If examiners agree on a mark, then this mark would be accepted unless after consideration at the examiners’ meeting it is agreed that a different mark would be justified. A written case for the different mark, based on the same grounds as outlined in the Special Consideration Guideline and the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy, is made to the delegate (Head of School). (null) [LO null]
• A student may, of course, apply for Special Consideration (centrally), and the written case should also account for any student Special Consideration application. (null) [LO null]
• NB: A student Special Consideration application will not be admissible if the student was already granted an extension on the same grounds (no ‘double dipping’). (null) [LO null]
• If examiners don’t agree on a mark, then: (null) [LO null]
• I. if the marks are more than 10 marks apart, the thesis is sent to a third examiner. In determining the final thesis mark all three examiners’ marks and reports must be taken into consideration (as in the Research Awards Rules for PhDs). (null) [LO null]
• II. if the marks are less than 10 marks apart, they are weighed up in discussion between the Honours Convenor and Delegated Authority (usually Head of School), who will then make a written submission to the School’s examiners meeting. The process must be based exclusively on academic judgement and an explanation given, rather than a simple administrative average. (null) [LO null]
• For 8 and 9 it is noted that: (null) [LO null]
• In determining the final result, the examiners’ meeting cannot change coursework results and they cannot change the weightings of coursework and theses. (null) [LO null]

In response to COVID-19: Please note that Semester 2 Class Summary information (available under the classes tab) is as up to date as possible. Changes to Class Summaries not captured by this publication will be available to enrolled students via Wattle. 

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Not applicable

Requisite and Incompatibility

You will need to contact the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences to request a permission code to enrol in this course.

Completion of a cognate major or equivalent.

• Anthropology Honours
• Biological Anthropology Honours
• Digital Humanities Honours
• Gender, Sexuality and Culture Honours
• Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies Honours
• Politics and International Relations Honours

Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.  

If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at  Fees .

If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees .  Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.

Course fees

Offerings, dates and class summary links.

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage .

First Semester

Second semester, summer session.

Responsible Officer: Registrar, Student Administration / Page Contact: Website Administrator / Frequently Asked Questions

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Thesis Boot Camp

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You are here

What is Thesis Boot Camp?

The Australian National University (ANU) runs a Thesis Boot Camp (#ANUTBC) program based on a concept created and developed by Dr Liam Connell and Peta Freestone at The University of Melbourne. 

Research candidates can often encounter difficulties with writing towards the end of their degree. Thesis Boot Camp helps you do a large amount of work on your thesis and develop productive writing habits in a single weekend. The concept of Thesis Boot Camp is disarmingly simple. Put a group of people experiencing similar issues in the same room for a weekend, feed them regularly and provide a reward for each 5,000 words written. An experienced writing teacher is available to help you work through challenges, and regular breaks for physical activity are encouraged. This is a 20,000 word challenge Boot camp funded by the Dean, Higher Degree Research  and is free for ANU candidates to attend.

How can I apply?

The #ANUTBC program is extremely popular and spaces are limited. Places are offered on a needs basis, as with everything that the Researcher Development team offers, our camps are an inclusive and safe space for all students to work. These camps are targeted for students writing towards the end of their degree. Your application will go through an application process assessing your thesis progress, goals for the camp and personal circumstances.

#ANUTBC is advertised in the monthly  HDR Update , which is mailed to all research students at the start of every month. Thesis boot camp is delivered face to face on Kambri, Acton campus and online options are not available.

2024 dates:

23,24 and 25 Feb 

20,21 and 22 Nov

Please submit your Expression of Interest for Feb  here  and  check out our other online offers here.

Eligibility 

We will select based on the following criteria: how close you are to completion (with those who will not have another chance given preference), then we will consider your reported difficulties and any interruptions to candidature. We will attempt to balance this with ensuring a spread across colleges and gender parity. In order to participate in this opportunity, you are required to complete a thesis map.  If you have any questions about this, please email [email protected]. 

We also encourage Veterans' to continue making appointments with Academic Skills for one on one support, and attend relevant workshops.

• Contact ANU
• Freedom of Information

+61 2 6125 5111 The Australian National University, Canberra TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12002 (Australian University) CRICOS Provider : 00120C ABN : 52 234 063 906

• Directories

Referencing

The purpose of referencing is to show where the information you use comes from. Given this purpose, the first principle is to provide enough information in your citations so that your reader can find that same piece of information themselves. The second principle is consistency in format and style.

The following sections provide information on specific referencing styles. Regardless of which style you use, keep in mind the two main principles.

Know your style

There are a number of different referencing systems or styles in use at ANU. Usually, your College, discipline, or school will indicate which they prefer in the course outline or on the College website. You may be required to use more than one style, particularly if you are enrolled in different Colleges. Students doing both Law and Psychology, for example, would have to use AGLC and APA in the respective disciplines.

In other cases, the lecturer may say that it's up to you to choose. To help you decide, below is an outline of the referencing styles that different disciplines commonly use.

How to reference

Be sure to use a good referencing style guide. Referencing style guides are like dictionaries-they give examples and rules. For some styles, such as AGLC, there is only one way to reference sources, so all AGLC style guides should have the same rules. For other styles, such as Harvard, the rules are not so well defined and may differ between guides. What is important is that you are consistent and always apply the same rules from a single guide in one piece of work.

The following pages give guidance on styles and refer you to detailed style guides.

Referencing software

Referencing takes a while to get used to, and it is easy to make small mistakes. There are many software tools that can make it easier. However, you have to be careful, as they do not always give accurate results, and are only as accurate as the information that you put into them.

Even if you choose to use a tool, you need to be familiar with your referencing style in order to spot mistakes. Being able to check a reference list manually is an important skill for all students and academics.

Chicago Manual of Style

Reference documents

• Referencing and academic integrity OWeek (PDF, 2.27 MB)

Use contact details to request an alternative file format.

• ANU Library Academic Skills
• +61 2 6125 2972

Research School of Earth Sciences ANU College of Science

Matthias scheiter.

Content navigation

Since 2019:  PhD Candidate, Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.  Thesis Title: New approaches for construction and analysis of geophysical model ensembles

2017 - 2019:  MSc Geophysics, Freiberg University of Mining and Technology, Freiberg, Germany.  Thesis Title: Ice Flow Simulations of the Mocho-Choshuenco Ice Cap

2018: Thesis Student, Instituto de Ciencias Fisicas y Matematicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.

2013 - 2017:  BSc Geoinformatics and Geophyscis, Freiberg University of Mining and Technology, Freiberg, Germany.  Thesis Title: Mass Balance Modelling on Mocho Glacier

2015: Research Assistant, Instituto de Ciencias Fisicas y Matematicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.

Affiliations

• Geophysics , Member

Research interests

I am addressing the problem of geophysical inversion with machine learning techniques. Supervisors: Malcolm Sambridge and Andrew Valentine

Previously, I worked in the field of glaciology. I studied climate-ice interactions and ice flow dynamics of a small ice cap covering a volcano in southern Chile using a surface mass balance model and the ice sheet model SICOPOLIS. Supervisors: Marius Schaefer and Ralf Greve

• Novel approaches to geophysical inversion , Scholar

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Publications

Peer-reviewed:

Scheiter M. , A. Valentine, M. Sambridge (2022): Upscaling and downscaling Monte Carlo ensembles with generative models. – Geophysical Journal International, doi: 10.1093/gji/ggac100

Scheiter M. , M. Schaefer, E. Flández, D. Bozkurt, R. Greve (2021): The 21st century fate of the Mocho-Choshuenco ice cap in southern Chile. – The Cryosphere, doi: 10.5194/tc-15-3637-2021

Schaefer M., J.L. Rodriguez, M. Scheiter , G. Casassa (2017): Climate and surface mass balance of Mocho Glacier, Chilean Lake District, 40°S. – Journal of Glaciology,. doi: 10.1017/jog.2016.129 .

Conference Abstracts:

Scheiter M. , A. Valentine, M. Sambridge (2019): Using Surrogate Models to solve Geophysical Inverse Problems. – AGU Fall Meeting 2019, San Francisco, USA.

Schaefer M., M. Scheiter , E. Flandez, D. Bozkurt, R. Greve (2019): 21st Century Fate of the Mocho-Choshuenco Ice Cap in Southern Chile. – AGU Fall Meeting 2019, San Francisco, USA.

Scheiter M. , A. Valentine, M. Sambridge (2019): Surrogate Modelling in Geophysical Inverse Problems. – Australasian Leadership Computing Symposium (ALCS), Canberra, Australia.  (BEST POSTER AWARD)

Scheiter M. , M. Schaefer (2017): Implementing a Parametrization for Wind Drift on Mocho Glacier (40°S, Chile). – GABY-VASA Conference, Berlin, Germany. 

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Bridging private equity’s value creation gap

For the past 40 years or so, private equity (PE) buyout managers largely invested capital in an environment of declining interest rates and escalating asset prices. During that period, they were able to rely on financial leverage, enhanced tax and debt structures, and increasing valuations on high-quality assets to generate outsize returns for investors and create value.

Times have changed , however. Since 2020, the cost of debt has increased and liquidity in debt markets is harder to access given current interest rates, asset valuations, and typical bank borrowing standards. Fund performance has suffered as a result: PE buyout entry multiples declined from 11.9 to 11.0 times EBITDA through the first nine months of 2023. 1 2024 Global Private Markets Review , McKinsey, March 2024.

Even as debt markets begin to bounce back, a new macroeconomic reality is setting in—one that requires more than just financial acumen to drive returns. Buyout managers now need to focus on operational value creation strategies for revenue growth, as well as margin expansion to offset compression of multiples and to deliver desired returns to investors.

Based on our years of research and experience working with a range of private-capital firms across the globe, we have identified two key principles to maximize operational value creation.

First, buyout managers should invest with operational value creation at the forefront . This means that in addition to strategic diligence, they should conduct operational diligence for new assets. Their focus should be on developing a rigorous, bespoke, and integrated approach to assessing top-line and operational efficiency. During the underwriting process, managers can also identify actions that could expand and improve EBITDA margins and growth rates during the holding period, identify the costs involved in this transformation, and create rough timelines to track the assets’ performance. And if they acquire the asset, the manager should: 1) clearly establish the value creation objectives before deal signing, 2) emphasize operational and top-line improvements after closing, and 3) pursue continual improvements in ways of working with portfolio companies. Meanwhile, for existing assets, the manager should ensure that the level of oversight and monitoring is closely aligned with the health of each asset.

Second, everyone should understand and have a hand in improving operations . Within the PE firm, the operating group and deal teams should work together to enable and hold portfolio companies accountable for the execution of the value creation plan. This begins with an explicit focus on “linking talent to value”—ensuring leaders with the right combination of skills and experience are in place and empowered to deliver the plan, improve internal processes, and build organizational capabilities.

In our experience, getting these two principles right can significantly improve PE fund performance. Our initial analysis of more than 100 PE funds with vintages after 2020 indicates that general partners that focus on creating value through asset operations achieve a higher internal rate of return—up to two to three percentage points higher, on average—compared with peers.

The case for operational efficiency

The ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty has made it difficult for buyout managers to achieve historical levels of returns in the PE buyout industry using old ways of value creation. 2 Overall, roughly two-thirds of the total return for buyout deals that were entered in 2010 or later, and exited 2021 or before, can be attributed to market multiple expansion and leverage. See 2024 Global Private Markets Review .   And it’s not going to get any easier anytime soon, for two reasons.

Higher-for-longer rates will trigger financing issues

The US Federal Reserve projects that the federal funds rate will remain around 4.5 percent through 2024, then potentially drop to about 3.0 percent by the end of 2026. 3 “Summary of economic projections,” Federal Reserve Board, December 13, 2023.   Yet, even if rates decline by 200 basis points over the next two years, they will still be higher than they were over the past four years when PE buyout deals were underwritten.

This could create issues with recapitalization or floating interest rate resets for a portfolio company’s standing debt. Consider that the average borrower takes a leveraged loan at an interest coverage ratio of about three times EBIDTA (or 3x). 4 The interest coverage ratio is an indicator of a borrower’s ability to service debt, or potential default risk.   With rising interest expenses and additional profitability headwinds, these coverage ratios could quickly fall below 2x and get close to or trip covenant triggers around 1x. In 2023, for example, the average leveraged loan in the healthcare and software industries was already at less than a 2x interest coverage ratio. 5 James Gelfer and Stephanie Rader, “What’s the worst that could happen? Default and recovery rates in private credit,” Goldman Sachs, April 20, 2023.   To avoid a covenant breach, or (if needed) increasing recapitalization capital available without equity paydown, managers will need to rely on operational efficiency to increase EBITDA.

Valuations are mismatched

If interest rates remain high, the most recent vintage of PE assets is likely to face valuation mismatches at exit, or extended hold periods until value can be realized. Moreover, valuation of PE assets has remained high relative to their public-market equivalents, partly a result of the natural lag in how these assets are marked to market. As the CEO of Harvard University’s endowment explained in Harvard’s 2023 annual report, it will likely take more time for private valuations to fully reflect market conditions due to the continued slowdown in exits and financing rounds. 6 Message from the CEO of Harvard Management Company, September 2023.

Adapting PE’s value creation approach

Operational efficiency isn’t a new concept in the PE world. We’ve previously written  about the strategic shift among firms, increasingly notable since 2018, moving from the historical “buy smart and hold” approach to one of “acquire, align on strategy, and improve operating performance.”

However, the role of operations in creating more value is no longer just a source of competitive advantage but a competitive necessity for managers. Let’s take a closer look at the two principles that can create operational efficiency.

Invest with operational value creation at the forefront

PE fund managers can improve the profitability and exit valuations of assets by having operations-related conversations up front.

Assessing new assets. Prior to acquiring an asset, PE managers typically conduct financial and strategic diligence to refine their understanding of a given market and the asset’s position in that market. They should also undertake operational diligence—if they are not already doing so—to develop a holistic view of the asset to inform their value creation agenda.

Operational diligence involves the detailed assessment of an asset’s operations, including identification of opportunities to improve margins or accelerate organic growth. A well-executed operational-diligence process can reveal or confirm which types of initiatives could generate top-line and efficiency-driven value, the estimated cash flow improvements these initiatives could generate, the approximate timing of any cash flow improvements, and the potential costs of such initiatives.

The results of an operational-diligence process can be advantageous in other ways, too. Managers can use the findings to create a compelling value creation plan, or a detailed memo summarizing the near-term improvement opportunities available in the current profit-and-loss statement, as well as potential opportunities for expansion into adjacencies or new markets. After this step is done, they should determine, in collaboration with their operating-group colleagues, whether they have the appropriate leaders in place to successfully implement the value creation plan.

These results can also help managers resolve any potential issues up front, prior to deal signing, which in turn could increase the likelihood of receiving investment committee approval for the acquisition. Managers also can share the diligence findings with co-investors and financiers to help boost their confidence in the investment and the associated value creation thesis.

It is crucial that managers have in-depth familiarity with company operations, since operational diligence is not just an analytical-sizing exercise. If they perform operational diligence well, they can ensure that the full value creation strategy and performance improvement opportunities are embedded in the annual operating plan and the longer-term three- to five-year plan of the portfolio company’s management team.

Assessing existing assets. When it comes to existing assets, a fundamental question for PE managers is how to continue to improve performance throughout the deal life cycle. Particularly in the current macroeconomic and geopolitical environment, where uncertainty reigns, managers should focus more—and more often—on directly monitoring assets and intervening when required. They can complement this monitoring with routine touchpoints with the CEO, CFO, and chief transformation officer (CTO) of individual assets to get updates on critical initiatives driving the value creation plan, along with ensuring their operating group has full access to each portfolio company’s financials. Few PE managers currently provide this level of transparency into their assets’ performance.

To effectively monitor existing assets, managers can use key performance indicators (KPIs) directly linked to the fund’s investment thesis. For instance, if the fund’s investment thesis is centered on the availability of inventory, they may rigorously track forecasts of supply and demand and order volumes. This way, they can identify and address issues with inventory early on. Some managers pull information directly from the enterprise resource planning systems in their portfolio companies to get full visibility into operations. Others have set up specific “transformation management offices” to support performance improvements in key assets and improve transparency on key initiatives.

We’ve seen managers adopt various approaches with assets that are on track to meet return hurdles. They have frequent discussions with the portfolio company’s management team, perform quarterly credit checks on key suppliers and customers to ensure stability of their extended operations, and do a detailed review of the portfolio company’s operations and financial performance two to three years into the hold period. Managers can therefore confirm whether the management team is delivering on their value creation plans and also identify any new opportunities associated with the well-performing assets.

If existing assets are underperforming or distressed, managers’ prompt interventions to improve operations in the near term, and improve revenue over the medium term, can determine whether they should continue to own the asset or reduce their equity position through a bankruptcy proceeding. One manager implemented a cash management program to monitor and improve the cash flow for an underperforming retail asset of a portfolio company. The approach helped the portfolio company overcome a peak cash flow crisis period, avoid tripping liquidity covenants in an asset-backed loan, and get the time needed for the asset’s long-term performance to improve.

Reassess internal operations and governance

In addition to operational improvements, managers should also assess their own operations and consider shifting to an operating model that encourages increased engagement between their team and the portfolio companies. They should cultivate a stable of trusted, experienced executives within the operating group. They should empower these executives to be equal collaborators with the deal team in determining the value available in the asset to be underwritten, developing an appropriate value creation strategy, and overseeing performance of the portfolio company’s management.

Shift to a ‘just right’ operating model for operating partners. The operating model through which buyout managers engage with portfolio companies should be “just right”—that is, aligned with the fund’s overall strategy, how the fund is structured, and who sets the strategic vision for each individual portfolio company.

There are two types of engagement operating models—consultative and directive. When choosing an operating model, firms should align their hiring and internal capabilities to support their operating norms, how they add value to their portfolio companies, and the desired relationship with the management team (exhibit).

Take the example of a traditional buyout manager that acquires good companies with good management teams. In such a case, the portfolio company’s management team is likely to already have a strategic vision for the asset. These managers may therefore choose a more consultative engagement approach (for instance, providing advice and support to the portfolio company for any board-related issues or other challenges).

For value- or operations-focused funds, the manager may have higher ownership in the strategic vision for the asset, so their initial goal should be to develop a management team that can deliver on a specific investment thesis. In this case, the support required by the portfolio company could be less specialized (for example, the manager helps in hiring the right talent for key functional areas), and more integrative, to ensure a successful end-to-end transformation for the asset. As such, a more directive or oversight-focused engagement operating model may be preferred.

Successful execution of these engagement models requires the operating group to have the right talent mix and experience levels. If the manager implements a “generalist” coverage model, for example, where the focus is on monitoring and overseeing portfolio companies, the operating group will need people with the ability (and experience) to support the management in end-to-end transformations. However, a different type of skill set is required if the manager chooses a “specialist” coverage model, where the focus is on providing functional guidance and expertise (leaving transformations to the portfolio company’s management teams). Larger and more mature operating groups frequently use a mix of both talent pools.

Empower the operating group. In the past, many buyout managers did not have operating teams, so they relied on the management teams in the portfolio companies to fully identify and implement the value creation plan while running the asset’s day-to-day operations. Over time, many top PE funds began to establish internal operating groups  to provide strategic direction, coaching, and support to their portfolio companies. The operating groups, however, tended to take a back seat to deal teams, largely because legacy mindsets and governance structures placed responsibility for the performance of an asset on the deal team. In our view, while the deal team needs to remain responsible and accountable for the deal, certain tasks can be delegated to the operating group.

Some managers give their operating group members seats on portfolio company boards, hiring authority for key executives, and even decision-making rights on certain value creation strategies within the portfolio. For optimal performance, these operating groups should have leaders with prior C-suite responsibility or commensurate accountability within the PE fund and experience executing cross-functional mandates and company transformations. Certain funds with a core commitment to portfolio value creation include the leader of the operating group on the investment committee. Less-experienced members of the operating group can have consultative arrangements or peer-to-peer relationships with key portfolio company leaders.

Since the main KPIs for operating teams are financial, it is critical that their leaders understand a buyout asset’s business model, financing, and general market dynamics. The operating group should also be involved in the deal during the diligence phase, and participate in the development of the value creation thesis as well as the underwriting process. Upon deal close, the operating team should be as empowered as the deal team to serve as stewards of the asset and resolve issues concerning company operations.

Some funds also are hiring CTOs  for their portfolio companies to steer them through large transformations. Similar to the CTO in any organization , they help the organization align on a common vision, translate strategy into concrete initiatives for better performance, and create a system of continuous improvement and growth for the employees. However, when deployed by the PE fund, the CTO also often serves as a bridge between the PE fund and the portfolio company and can serve as a plug-and-play executive to fill short-term gaps in the portfolio company management team. In many instances, the CTO is given signatory, and occasionally broader, functional responsibilities. In addition, their personal incentives can be aligned with the fund’s desired outcomes. For example, funds may tie an element of the CTO’s overall compensation to EBITDA improvement or the success of the transformation.

Bring best-of-breed capabilities to portfolio companies. Buyout managers can bring a range of compelling capabilities to their portfolio companies, especially to smaller and midmarket companies and their internal operating teams. Our conversations with industry stakeholders revealed that buyout managers’ skills can be particularly useful in the following three areas:

• Procurement. Portfolio companies can draw on a buyout manager’s long-established procurement processes, team, and negotiating support. For instance, managers often have prenegotiated rates with suppliers or group purchasing arrangements that portfolio companies can leverage to minimize their own procurement costs and reduce third-party spending.
• Executive talent. They can also capitalize on the diverse and robust network of top talent that buyout managers have likely cultivated over time, including homegrown leaders and ones found through executive search firms (both within and outside the PE industry).
• Partners. Similarly, they can work with the buyout manager’s roster of external experts, business partners, suppliers, and advisers to find the best solutions to their emerging business challenges (for instance, gaining access to offshore resources during a carve-out transaction).

Ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty is creating unprecedented times in the PE buyout industry. Managers should use this as an opportunity to redouble their efforts on creating operational improvements in their existing portfolio, as well as new assets. It won’t be easy to adapt and evolve value creation processes and practices, but managers that succeed have an opportunity to close the gap between the current state of value creation and historical returns and outperform their peers.

Jose Luis Blanco is a senior partner in McKinsey’s New York office, where Matthew Maloney is a partner; William Bundy is a partner in the Washington, DC, office; and Jason Phillips is a senior partner in the London office.

The authors wish to thank Louis Dufau and Bill Leigh for their contributions to this article.

This article was edited by Arshiya Khullar, an editor in McKinsey’s Gurugram office.

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