School of Social Sciences International Activities: January - March 2025

The School of Social Sciences has been involved in many international activities since the beginning of the year – here’s a quick snapshot! 

Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences’ Annual Meeting

In March at the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences’ Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado (USA), Dr Jared Dmello received the Critical Criminal Justice Scholar award and Bachelor of Criminology / Bachelor of Laws undergraduate student Ashley Marcinkowski received the Esther Madriz Student Travel Award.

Ms Marcinkowski presented her research on global practices and policies to the death penalty. Dr Dmello presented his research on 1) re-indigenising criminological pedagogy and 2) the challenges and barriers that HDR students face within criminology, in addition to co-organising the ACJS Doctoral Student Summit – a globally recognised professional development forum for HDR students which has received past funding from the US National Institute of Justice. 

International Guest Lectures

In January Associate Professor Shoko Yoneyama was invited to present a lecture, “It’s not just kids’ stuff: Reimagining sustainable futures through Japanese anime”, Blair Centre Speaker Series, University of Waterloo, Canada.

Also in January, Dr Tin Kei Wong was invited to deliver a guest lecture titled “Language and Well-being: Translating and Interpreting for Domestic Violence Cases in Australia” at the Education University of Hong Kong. The event welcomed around 50 students, many of whom were aspiring educators from a variety of international and linguistic backgrounds.

Tin Kei’s presentation offered a thought-provoking exploration of the role of language in promoting well-being, particularly in the context of domestic and gender-based violence. Drawing on the Australian context, she examined the cultural and legal complexities involved in translating and interpreting for domestic violence cases. The talk addressed the challenges of rendering sensitive terminology across languages and highlighted how legal definitions of domestic violence vary significantly between Australia, mainland China, and Hong Kong.

In addition to these linguistic and legal dimensions, Tin Kei discussed the ethical dilemmas faced by interpreters who must balance professional neutrality with concern for survivor safety and well-being. Her reflections invited the audience to consider how language functions not only as a medium of communication, but also as a tool for advocacy and support for vulnerable individuals.

The lecture was met with enthusiasm and thoughtful engagement from the students, who reflected on its relevance to their future roles as educators. Many expressed that the insights challenged them to think critically about how values such as gender respect and equity can be integrated into teaching practices, starting from an early age. These discussions underscored the importance of cultivating inclusive, supportive learning environments, particularly within multicultural and multilingual settings.

Tin Kei’s talk offered meaningful perspectives on the intersection of language, cultures, ethics, and social responsibility in education and beyond.

Expert Panel

Okinawa Prefectural Government in Japan has appointed Emeritus Professor Purnendra Jain as a Committee Member for the Expert Panel on the Sub-National Diplomacy (Asia-Pacific Peace Cooperation Promotion Project). In January he visited Okinawa and talked with Governor Denny Tamaki on sub-national diplomacy and other issues, such as US forces stationed in Okinawa and implications for the security of Japan and the Indo-Pacific region. He also served as a panellist at a public forum in Naha (the capital of Okinawa) in February, which was opened by the governor and attended by officials, practitioners and prefectural residents. 
 

Collaborative Research Project

Emeritus Professor Purnendra Jain is a member of a collaborative research project led by the Institute of Developing Economies (IDE) in Chiba (Japan) and funded by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to study connectivity projects in India’s Northeast, Bangladesh and South East Asia. IDE organised a symposium in January 2025, where Professor Jain presented a paper on the politics of infrastructure projects in India and Bangladesh. He has published three policy briefs on the topic.