MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
Professor Kate Henne Over the last twenty years, RegNet has committed to understanding and anticipating the major societal challenges of our time, offering robust research and nuanced analysis to help make sense of them. The events of the last two years highlight the critical importance of RegNet’s mission to produce innovative work that supports effective regulation and equitable governance. 2021 was an exciting year for RegNet. In addition to important scholarly publications, our experts provided timely evidence-informed commentaries in media outlets and public forums. Members of the Menzies Centre for Health Governance delivered a valuable assessment of Australian COVID policy responses and their impact on health equity. Our Justice and Technoscience Lab (JusTech) reported findings on how people have adapted to changing regulatory conditions over the course of the pandemic. RegNet continued its external engagement with Dr Virginia Marshall’s participation at the United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference (UNCCC COP26) in Glasgow as a delegate for the Pacific and Knowledge Holder, nominated by the Indigenous Peoples’ Organisation–Australia. Closer to home, the Centre for Restorative Justice, in partnership with the ANU Centre for Social Research & Methods, convened a public symposium on sexual assault survivor-initiated restorative justice.
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ANU COLLEGE OF ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
We also celebrated many significant achievements this year. Professor Sharon Friel won a prestigious Australian Laureate Fellowship to support pioneering research on governing for planetary health equity. Distinguished Professor Hilary Charlesworth became the first Australian woman elected to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and Distinguished Professor John Braithwaite received the 2021 Peter Baume Award, the highest accolade for ANU staff. We were delighted to see the RegNet community grow in 2021. Associate Professor Lia Kent rejoined the School, winning a highly competitive Australian Research Council Future Fellowship for her project, Local responses to missing persons and post-conflict peacebuilding. We also welcomed Dr Benjamin Herscovitch, Dr Emma Nyhan and Dr Depi Susilawati on board. Despite periods of lockdown, colleagues collaborated to advance a diverse portfolio of work. The uncertainty prompted us to reflect on the meaning of connection and disconnection. Although the global pandemic disconnected us in ways we could not imagine, we found new ways to connect. These reflections formed the basis of our annual conversation series event, which we held as three webinars in October.
