Dr Yasothara Nadarajah

Position

Senior Research Fellow

School / Work Unit

Global Studies, Social Science &Planning

Contact Details

+(61 3) 9925 3542

yaso.nadarajah@rmit.edu.au

Location

Building: 37
Level: 5
Room: 28

City Campus

Portfolio

Design & Social Context

Qualifications

  • BSc, University of Madras
  • MA, University of Madras
  • TESL, RELC, Singapore
  • MA, University of Melbourne
  • PhD, University of Melbourne (2004)

Teaching/Work responsibilities

Research interests

I was born in Malaysia and studied at Madras University, India and then, Melbourne University, Australia. Until 2005, my work was primarily focused on establishing cultural programs at RMIT University that focused on local global partnerships and cross-cultural learning. Now as research fellow within both the Globalism Research Centre (GRC) and the Global Cities Institute (GCI) at RMIT University, my research seeks to better understand the creation of communities as a practice of both the conscious and the unconscious imagination related to the dynamic search for wellbeing, identity and belonging.

My research interest is therefore, essentially interdisciplinary in character, drawing on abroad range of disciplines and interdisciplinary fields. This interdisciplinary approach has also offered me the ability to work effectively as part of a highly interdisciplinary research team; and the flexibility of a range of research methodologies both in fieldwork and textual research. The Local-Global Community Sustainability Project, being conducted on local-global issues in the Hamilton region of Victoria (Australia), Chennai region (South India), Kuala Lumpur surrounds (Malaysia), Madang and Morobe Provinces (Papua New Guinea) and Thirukovil and Ampara District (Sri Lanka), for example, draws on methods ranging from advanced social theory to anthropological participant observation, structured interviews, demographic data and sociological survey instruments. This study is also providing an insight into how radical change has also brought new ways of doing things, and community re-exerts itself as a powerful idea.

I am also the series editor of Local-Global: Identity, Security, Community, Globalism Research Centre, and Guest Editor of International Journal of Asia Pacific Studies, Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaya, Malaysia; on the Board of Governors, Centurion School of Rural Enterprise Management, Parlakhemundi, Orissa, India; Chief Executive Officer, Helen & Geoff Handbury Community Fellowships Trust; and a member of the Committee for Melbourne Future Focus Group Alumnus. Since 2007, I am also on the Pariet Amman Tribal Council of Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea.

Current research

  • Community engaged research & qualitative research methodologies in cross-cultural environments
  • Local global relations and questions of community sustainability and conflict
  • Community practices, solidarity, mobilisation as spaces of creative transformation
  • Community development strategies

Publications/Other

Current book projects

  • Globalization and Community: Alternate Paths to Development in the Global South
  • In Search Of The Lucky Country: Drawing From History To Enhance Local Adaptive Capacity (a Case Study Of The Hamilton Region) - with Martin Mulligan
  • Sustainable Communities, Sustainable Livelihoods, Papua New Guinea - with Paul James, Karen Haive, Victoria Stead and Kate Cregan

Book chapters

  • 'Community, Scenarios and Narratives of Action: Reflections on a case study in the Hamilton region of Victoria', in Martin, J, ed., Climate Change Responses across Regional Australia, Australian Social Science Academy, Canberra (with M Mulligan, J. Smith and Y. Zalchendler), forthcoming 2009.
  • 'Developing a new process for engaging a rural Australian community in climate change adaptation work, in J. Ford and L. Ford, eds, Climate Change Adaptation in Developed Nations, Springer, Netherlands (with J. Smith and M. Mulligan), forthcoming 2009.
  • 'Communities in Transition-Propagating a Yield of Violence', in Alejandro Cervantes-Carson and Gerald Cromer, eds, De-Naturalising Violence: Trans-Disciplinary Explorations, Inter-Disciplinary Press; Oxford, UK, 2008.

Journal articles

  • ‘Towards a rationale and a methodology for 'community-engaged research’, Local Environment International Journal of Justice and Sustainability, Routledge; vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 81-94 (with Martin Mulligan), 2008.
  • ‘Communities in Transition Meaning and Violence: Readings across Disciplines’, Inter Disciplinary Press, Oxford, UK, 2007.
  • ‘Fieldwork in Malaysia - The Outsider within', International Journal of Asia Pacific Studies, Malaysia, Penerbit Universiti Sain, Malaysia, Penang: Malaysia, pp. 109-132, 2007.
  • ‘Globalization and South and South East Asia’, International Journal of Asia Pacific Studies, Malaysia, Penerbit Universiti Sain, Malaysia, pp. v-viii (with Manfred Steger), 2007.
  • ‘Life under the Freeway in Malaysia: Community Resilience amidst Modernization in Contemporary Malaysia’, Local-Global International Journal of Community Studies, vol. 4, Globalism Institute, 2007.
  • ‘Community and Spaces for Engagement’, Local Global Journal: Studies in Community Sustainability, vol. 1, pp. 64-78, 2005.
  • ‘Origins of the Local-Global Project in the Hamilton Region’, Local Global Journal: Studies in Community Sustainability, vol. 1, pp. 9-15, 2005

Conference papers

  • ‘The Scholarship of Community Engagement and Culture – Learning from the Margins’, AUCEA Australian Universities Community Engagement Alliance. NSW, 2004.
  • ‘Engaging the Community: The important relationship between international students and the local community’,. IDP Education International conference, Melbourne, 2004.
  • ‘Learning and Community Engagement’, University of Western Sydney, National Forum, 2003.
  • ‘Regionality and International Community Development’, INRUDA International network on the Role of Universities in Developing Areas. Sydney, NSW, 2002.
  • ‘Regionality & the Curriculum’, Inside Out National Conference on Regionality, Ipswich, Queensland University, (with Judy Rogers), 2002.
  • ‘Intercultural Interaction, Difference and Learning Technology’, Communities Online National Conference, Manchester, UK, (with Leone Wheeler), 2000.
  • ‘Culture, Identity and Diversity in International Education’, IDP Education International Conference, Melbourne, 2000.
  • ‘Building Partnerships for Better Development – RICE A Strategic Partnership’, International Outlook Conference on Community Development in Asia Pacific, Nonthaburi, Thailand (with S. Pattanayak), 1999.
  • ‘Foundations of Intercultural Studies’, IDP Education International Conference, Canada, 1998.

Refereed conference papers, presentations, keynote and plenary

  • ‘Creating Spaces for University/Community Regional Engagement: Is it about Buildings or Partnerships?’, refereed paper presented at The Australian Universities Community Engagement Alliance (AUCEA) 4th Annual Conference (with Leone Wheeler), July 2007.
  • ‘Face to face with theory - The in-betweenness of research engagement’, Seventh Annual SIETAR (Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research), New Mexico, USA, 2006.
  • ‘The Impact of Globalization On Communities' at the first seminar, Asia-Europe Institute, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Organised by National Economic Action Council and Prime Minister's Department (Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur (with Kim Humphrey and Paul James), 29 August 2006.
  • ‘Developing the Local- Global Project, Malaysia’, 3rd International Global Studies Network Conference, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 21 August 2006
  • ‘Engaging the Community: The important relationship between international students and the local community’, plenary address presented at IDP Education International conference, Melbourne, 2004.
  • ‘The Scholarship of Community Engagement and Culture - Learning from the Margins’, AUCEA Australian Universities Community Engagement Alliance Refereed Conference Proceedings, NSW, 2004.
  • ‘Engaging the Community: The important relationship between international students and the local community’, video presentation/keynote panel discussion, . IDP Education International Conference, Melbourne, 2004.
  • ‘Learning & Community Engagement’, University of Western Sydney, National Forum, Invited presentation, 2003
  • ‘Foundations of Intercultural Exchange and Globalization’, Southern Grampians region series of workshops, 2002
  • ‘Regionality and International Community Development, INRUDA International Network on the Role of Universities in Developing Areas, Sydney, NSW, 2002.
  • ‘Regionality and the Curriculum’, Inside Out National Conference on Regionality, Ipswich, Queensland University (with Judy Rogers), 2001.
  • ‘Intercultural Exchange, Community Engagement and Regionality’, series of presentations in Southern Grampians, Mallee and Mallacooota regions, Victoria 2001.
  • ‘Intercultural Interaction, Difference and Learning Technology', Communities Online National Conference 2000, Manchester, UK (with Leone Wheeler), 2000.
  • ‘Culture, Identity and Diversity in International Education’, workshop for staff across Australia involved in developing and managing international programs and activities, IDP Education International Conference, Melbourne, 1999.
  • ‘Building Partnerships for Better Development - RICE A Strategic Partnership’ International Outlook Conference on Community Development in Asia Pacific, Thailand (with Supriya Pattanayak), 1998.
  • ‘CIS 101 - Foundations of Intercultural Studies, workshop with University of British Columbia (Canada), IDP Education International Conference, 1998.
  • ‘Victoria Building Global Networks’, workshop/paper, International Student Advisors National Association ISANA Conference, Melbourne, 1998.
  • ‘Internationalization - what it Means at RMIT’, workshop and paper, National Association of Foreign Student Advisors (NAFSA). New Orleans, USA, 1998.
  • ‘Building Community Partnerships', workshop and paper, National Association of Foreign Student Advisors (NAFSA), New Orleans, USA, 1997
  • ‘Advising International Students: Identity Creation on Shifting Grounds’, workshop for International Student Advisors of Victoria International Student Advisors National Association ISANA, Melbourne, 1997.
  • ‘Foundations of Intercultural Studies - Training for International Education Professionals’, workshop and paper, 11th Australian International Education Conference, Sydney, 1997.
  • ‘Meeting the Intercultural Challenge’, SIETAR (Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research) Congress, Munich, Germany, 1996.
  • ‘Internationalizing the Curriculum’, SIETAR (Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research) Congress, Munich, Germany (with Ian Frazer), 1996.
  • ‘Exemplar Best Practices- Intervarsity Returning Home Program’, workshop and paper, Australian International Education Conference (IDP), Canberra, 1996.
  • ‘Exemplar Best Practices’, National Association of Foreign Student Advisors (NAFSA), Phoenix, Arizona, USA, 1996.
  • ‘International Students and Leadership in Australia’, keynote address and one-day workshop at 8th National Congress of the Indonesian Students Association of Australia, 1996.

Non-commercial monograph, anthologies and reports

  • Sustainable Communities, Sustainable Livelihoods: Alternative Pathways to Development in Papua New Guinea (with Paul James, Karen Haive and Kate Cregan), government report (Papua New Guinea), 2007.
  • ‘Community Engaged Research’, lead essay in Globalism Institute Annual Report 2005-2006 (with Martin Mulligan), RMIT, Melbourne, 2006.
  • Community Sustainability in an Era of Globalization- Community Settlements in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia (with Paul James and Kim Humphrey), Government Report (Malaysia), Globalism Institute, Melbourne, 2006.

Awards, grants and scholarships

  • Federal Department of Education, Science and Training under its Collaboration and Structural Reform Fund (CASR) - $250,000 towards the Handbury Fellowship Program (2006-09)
  • MELA Food & Thought Conference, Southern Grampians Shire Council - $1,000, (2008)
  • ARC Linkage Grant with Martin Mulligan, Judith Shaw and Dave Mercer. Principal Research Associate, Rebuilding Community after Tsunami - a Comparative Study of Sri Lanka and India - $249,000 (2007)
  • RMIT Research Award - Local Global project (International) - $3,000 (2005)
  • RMIT VRRI application with Globalism Research Centre, Negotiating Local/Global Tensions: Building Sustainable Communities - $573,768 (2004)
  • RMIT Research Award - Offshore Regional (Vietnam) $3,000 (2004)
  • University of Melbourne Postgraduate Scholarship (2003)
  • RMIT Association of International Students Research project - $20,000 (2003)
  • Land and Water Australia Community Fellowship Grant ($7,000) with local farmer and environmentalist to document his work on CD ROM and as community narrative (2003)
  • Handbury Fellowship Program - $300,000 (Philanthropy) (2002)
  • Vietnam - Disability Training Workshop - $40,000 (RMIT Research Award (2002)
  • $2 million (philanthropy) towards development of local Global International research/teaching at Hamilton region (2001)
  • Regional Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) to Victorian State Government - $3.2 million towards development of Local Global International research/teaching at Hamilton region (2000)
  • Community Linkages with AusAID Students Scheme - $20,000 (2000)
  • National Bank Community Link Award - IPRU (Intercultural Projects & Resources Unit) (1999)
  • RMIT Vice -Chancellor's strategic award for innovative project (IPRU) (1998)
  • The MYER Foundation - RMIT International Community Exchange Program $10,000 (1997)
  • Perpetual Trustees, Melbourne, VIC. RMIT International Community Exchange Program - $40,000 (1997)
  • The Sydney Myer Foundation, Victoria, RMIT International Community Exchange Program - $40,000 (1997)