Aims and objectives

The Network aims to implement a formal framework for supporting and enhancing current Australian research into the culture and history of Europe between the fifth and early nineteenth centuries. It also aims to foster new research and new connections between researchers, and to develop and nurture the next generation of researchers in the field.

The Network will build on and develop existing strong collaborative relationships in Australia in this field of research, not just within the higher education sector but also in the wider community - including cultural heritage institutions and cultural organizations.

The Network will greatly enhance and develop the place of Australian research in the international arena. Australian research is already highly regarded internationally, and Australian researchers already work closely with colleagues in Great Britain, Europe, New Zealand and North America, but the Network will substantially increase the significance of this international contribution.

The fundamental social, political and legal structures underlying Australian society have their origins in early modern Europe. The Network will further advance collaborative, cross-institutional and interdisciplinary lines of enquiry into aspects of early Europe which still have a strong resonance in Australia today. These will be focused around five main themes which are already receiving ARC support:

Cultural memory;
Social fabric;
Science, medicine and environment;
Early European/Australasian connections; and,
Religion and spirituality.

The Network will bring together leading researchers from throughout Australia for conferences and symposia on these themes, and will particularly aim to involve researchers based in regional areas who are in need of additional support. Special initiatives will also be implemented to meet the needs of early career researchers and postgraduate students.

The Network will work in partnership with the peak Australasian organizations with an interest in the field, as well as with cultural heritage institutions which hold materials relevant to Network research and with cultural organizations and associations. These activities will be underpinned by an innovative use of digital infrastructure to manage communication and to disseminate the results of Network research.

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Last updated 20 Apr 2006 17:10
Location: http://www.neer.arts.uwa.edu.au/page/1704
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