The Australian National University

The ANU in Canberra advances Australia's intellectual and creative capacities through the excellence of its research-led education in the humanities, social sciences and the creative arts. The ANU is linked with leading research-intensive universities in Asia, Europe and the USA as part of the newly-formed International Alliance of Research Universities. In the 2006 Times Higher Education Supplement ranking, the Humanities at the ANU were ranked sixth in the world.

 

Research School of Humanities

The Research School of Humanities (RSH) builds upon, and integrates, the activities of existing research centres which are recognised internationally as premier sites for scholarship in the humanities. In particular The Humanities Research Centre and the Centre for Cross-Cultural Research provide the core of the new Research School. On 1 January 2007 these Centres will combine with other academic units — such as the Australian National Dictionary Centre and the National Europe Centre — to further expand the ambit of the RSH. Scholars in these units, along with those located elsewhere in the Schools of Humanities, of the Faculty of Arts — as well as across the broader University — will contribute to the full realisation of the Research School.

 

Objectives

The Research School of Humanities aims to achieve the highest level of excellence in Humanities research and graduate training at both the national and international level. The RSH integrates Humanities research across the ANU and explores avenues of cooperation with other areas, including the social and environmental sciences and digital technologies. A particular strength of the School is its collaboration with Canberra-based national cultural institutions in such fields as biographical research, Museums and Visual Culture research. A key aim will be to articulate new, trans-disciplinary and international projects.

 

External Cooperation

The Research School of Humanities has established close working relationships with local, national and international institutions. These include the major collecting and research institutes in the National Capital, especially the National Museum of Australia, the National Gallery of Australia, the National Library of Australia, the National Archives of Australia, AIATSIS, the National Portrait Gallery, the Australian War Memorial and the National Film and Sound Archive. Significant international partnerships include collaborative arrangements with the European Union through the Forum for European-Australian Science and Technology Cooperation (FEAST). The School also has a strong engagement with the diplomatic community, and the Australian Chapter of the international Consortium of Humanities Centres and Institutes (CHCI) based at the Australian National University.