Welcome

The Centre for Asia Pacific Social Transformation Studies (CAPSTRANS) is an Australian Research Council Key Centre for Teaching and Research and a joint venture with the University of Wollongong.  By contributing to a better understanding of social change in the countries that make up the Asia-Pacific region, CAPSTRANS research activities support one of Australia’s national research priorities: 'Understanding our region and the world'. Through a combination of in-depth country specific studies and comparative and regional work, CAPSTRANS research efforts enhance Australia’s capacity to interpret and engage with its regional and global environment.

The central principle underpinning our research is the concept of ‘social transformation’. This term is used to describe the roles of state and non-state agents in the changing Asia Pacific, with a particular emphasis on the study of transnational forces as they relate to issues of inequality and exclusion. The Asia Pacific region offers important insights into social transformation processes triggered by national and international development policies and their effects at local, regional, and transnational level. Our researchers and graduate students examine social transformation processes through innovative research that combines methods from a variety of disciplines, including political science, economics, education, management studies, sociology, anthropology, media studies, social history, and language and literature studies.

Contacts

Associate Professor Tim Scrase [Director - Wollongong] - (02) 4221 3744
tims@uow.edu.au

Associate Professor John Germov [Director - Newcastle] - (02) 4921 5175
John.Germov@newcastle.edu.au

Joint UoW/UoN Website: http://www.capstrans.edu.au