Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences Research

Our research creates new knowledge for the benefit of the arts, environment, society and culture. With local, national and international collaborators and partners, we share and translate high quality research with impact. We use digital technologies and novel approaches to deliver practical and effective solutions to current problems and challenges facing the world.

Our research falls into three board thematic areas. It enables sustainability and resilience by growing our understanding of our place in the world as individuals, communities and a nation. It gives meaning to our present-day humanity through knowing the past. It supports and practices creative lives to enhance research enquiry and to sustain rich engagement with communities, partners and research end-users.

Our higher degree research programs allow people to pursue their interests in specialist topics though advanced training in current knowledge and skills under the guidance of subject experts and as part of a supportive community of practice.


Research centres

Aerial image of a pastureA world-first hub of collaborative international research, based at UNE. We seek to understand all aspects of rural crime in order to help build safe and resilient communities.

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Research networks

Research Groups

Heritage Futures

Digital model of a glazed Etruscan pottery jug in the shape of a boar Through research in history, ancient history, archaeology, cultural heritage, the classics, and the digital humanities, we aim to advance knowledge and understanding of heritage for regional and rural communities, and to lead in research and community engagement in the heritage sector. Heritage is fundamental to building a resilient, inclusive, multicultural and environmentally-sustainable society.

Fields of research: Archaeology, heritage, archive and museum studies; historical studies; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, language and history

Contact: Associate Professor David Roberts

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Medieval and Early Modern Europe (MEME)

Medieval painting of young man with a stringed instrumentUNE has a long tradition of research excellence on medieval and early modern topics in the disciplines of history, music, and literature. The Medieval and Early Modern Europe Research Group was established to bring together colleagues working on adjacent and related research projects and to foster multidisciplinary research across the School of HASS, and potentially beyond. The group seeks to enhance multidisciplinarity within early modern and medieval studies at UNE by encouraging scholarly collaboration, team-based research, digital methodologies, and research-based initiatives at major scholarly venues, category one research grant applications, and research partnerships and mentoring. It provides a well-established positive environment conducive for research and training.

Contact: Associate Professor Jason Stoessel

Fields of research: Music, historical studies, literary studies, applied computing


Taragara Research

Modern conceptual Aboriginal artwork as part of the Taragara Research logoTaragara is the Black Cormorant in Wangkumara.

The Taragara Research group was established to support our research, creative, educational and artistic activities. The central goal of the Taragara Research is to partner with Aboriginal communities and peoples to support the return of cultural knowledge to the custodianship of community and Country.

Fields of research: Aboriginal culture, language and history, historical studies, creative arts and writing, heritage, archive and museum studies

Contact: Dr Lorina Barker

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Literary Worlds Research Group

A hand holds a globe with books on a shelf in the backgroundThe Literary Worlds Research Group brings together Australia-based and international researchers in literary studies broadly conceived. The aims of this group are to develop and grow joint research projects on world literatures across the linguistic areas of expertise of its affiliated members including some of the lesser-spoken languages of the world, to support HDRs and ECRs through a community of practice, and to engage with diverse communities through outreach activities.

Our researchers explore the intersection between literatures, visual and material culture, global and regional cultures, translation, theoretical perspectives on literary studies, including gender and environmental studies.

Fields of research: Literary studies

Contact: Associate Professor Valentina Gosetti and Dr Giulia Torello-Hill

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Gender and Rural Studies

Through teaching, research, community-facing projects and connections to rural and regional gender, environmental, human rights research and policy networks in Africa, Asia and the Pacific and North America, we bring together human and ecological concerns with a focus on researching just and sustainable solutions to combined social and environmental problems.

Fields of research: Literary studies, sociology, historical studies, gender studies, philosophy, human geography, psychology, development studies

Contact: Dr Christina Kenny, Dr Nicolette Larder and Dr Jennifer Hamilton

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Southern Communities (SC)

Our researchers work with Southern communities, to learn in shared experiences of marginalisation, exploitation, and disadvantage. We aim to forge new collaborations and strengthen partnerships with community leaders, women, youth, refugees, and migrants by centring their stories to support and build socially cohesive and resilient communities.

Fields of research: Linguistics, society and community, Pacific peoples culture, language and history, sociology, other Indigenous data, methodologies and global Indigenous studies

Contact: Associate Professor Finex Ndhlovu


A farmer collects a clod of earth and grassResilience of Social and Ecological Systems

New approaches to achieve sustainable developmental outcomes are required for the future resilience of society and the environment. We are concerned with questions of climate change, population growth and settlement change, economic development, social inequality, biodiversity conservation and accelerating land and water degradation.

Fields of research: Ecology; urban and regional planning, physical geography and environmental geoscience, human geography

Contact: Professor Neil Argent


Current projects not associated with Research Networks/Groups

Message sticks: Long-distance communication in Indigenous Australia (DE220100795) Researcher: Dr Piers Kelly

Proxies of power: ceramics and the Anatolian Iron Age (DP190102089) Researcher: Adjunct Professor Peter Grave


HASS research seminars

Steel-coloured statue of old-fashioned man on a buildingThis regular seminar series highlights new research from academics and higher research degree students from across the School of HASS. The series is free and open to the public on campus and/or via zoom video sessions. Upcoming sessions are advertised on the UNE Events Calendar. You can also view previous sessions here.


EVENTS