Message from the Director

2015 was the fourteenth year of the Regulatory Institutions Network (RegNet). During the year we had the opportunity to reflect on the focus and type of research we do, and how we engage across the academy, with the public sector and the wider community. I am pleased to present the RegNet Annual Report, which provides a snapshot of our research and activities throughout the year.

RegNet has always been renowned for our interdisciplinary and innovative scholarship in regulation and governance. Our work, built on principles of social justice, environmental sustainability and human well-being, is concerned with understanding how the course of events is influenced—investigating different instruments that may be used to shape events and studying the different actors and institutions who are involved in making things happen. We have now reorganised our research into five broad research clusters: climate, energy & the environment; human rights; law & justice; society, safety & health; and trade, investment & intellectual property.
Investigating these issues often demands an interdisciplinary approach, something that RegNet has always taken seriously. Over the course of 2015 our diverse mix of disciplines extended to include criminology, human geography, international relations, law, philosophy, psychology, public administration, public health, and sociology.

RegNet operates very much as a network of networks, involving partnerships between social scientists and those in the natural sciences and humanities. Our PhD students and visitors are an integral part of RegNet’s community, contributing to the intellectual and collegial environment that is a vital ingredient in RegNet’s success. Our refreshed coursework for PhD students has provided an exciting education environment that has been soaked up by the existing cohort of students, and provides core theoretical and methodological skills that help make the PhD journey a little bit easier.

We also seek to work in collaboration with policy makers, practitioners and community groups internationally and within Australia to tackle complex social and environmental problems. In 2015, we established a number of new collaborations with other universities, the public service, and communities across Australia, the Asia-Pacific region and other countries internationally.
As is clear from this report, our scholars have also made significant contributions to the public debate and narrative around key policy and regulatory issues throughout the year. With our monthly working paper series, the RegNet Research Papers, available free and online, we remain committed to facilitating easy access to our research in real time. 2015 has in many ways been a year of preparation for an expansion of our activities as we move into a new five year strategic plan phase. We anticipate many more opportunities for engagement through an active calendar of events, wide-ranging collaborations, exciting educational activities and an engaged research program.

Thank you for your interest in the work of RegNet.

Sharon Friel
Director
Regulatory Institutions Network

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2015 RegNet Annual Report	4.69 MB