What topics and expertise areas does RegNet research?

Updated

RegNet — the School of Regulation and Global Governance at ANU — is an academic centre focused on regulation and governance, and its research community brings together scholars and practitioners to work on major societal problems. Its stated areas of concern are climate change, conflict and injustice, disruptive technologies, economic and health inequality, and geopolitical contestation. If your interest sits at the intersection of governance, regulation, and one of those problem areas, RegNet is likely relevant to you.

The organising frame: regulation and global governance

RegNet's work is not defined by a single discipline or policy field. The school describes its approach as "profoundly interdisciplinary," with a commitment to pursuing a more just and equitable world. That means research questions tend to be framed around how rules, institutions, and governance arrangements shape outcomes — whether the setting is environmental harm, emerging technology, or international conflict.

Named research themes

The school lists five broad areas of societal concern that its community addresses:

Theme What it covers
Climate change Regulation and governance responses to climate politics and action
Conflict and injustice Justice, accountability, and peace-related questions
Disruptive technologies Governance of emerging technologies, including AI
Economic and health inequality How regulation shapes distributional outcomes
Geopolitical contestation Global governance under geopolitical tension

How the research shows up in practice

Recent activity on the site gives a sense of the range within those themes:

  • Climate politics — a workshop on explaining climate politics in Australia and the forces shaping climate action, hosted at RegNet and led by Christian Downie and Bill Kakenmaster.
  • Environmental justice — work on restorative justice for crimes against nature, including a webinar with Professor Miranda Forsyth on accountability, repair, and Traditional Owners' participation.
  • Technology and AI regulation — commentary from Kate Henne on how Australia can lead in AI regulation, bridging social sciences, engineering, and policy.
  • Peacebuilding and violence prevention — research projects on community rule-making, supported through project roles at the school.
  • Comparative justice — visiting researchers examining restorative justice across legal systems, including the Australian experience.

Where to look next on the site

If you want to judge fit more precisely, the site's own navigation points to the most useful entry points:

  • Expertise areas — the school's grouping of its research strengths.
  • Centres — the research centres that sit within RegNet.
  • Research — the broader research programme and community.
  • Study with us — postgraduate study, doctoral study, and professional education, if your interest is in joining rather than reading.

The site also carries news and stories, media commentary, and upcoming events, which are a practical way to see current work rather than only the standing description.