3 October 2006
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| Professor-elect Greg Barton, the inaugural Herb Feith Chair for the Study of Indonesia. |
Monash University has appointed distinguished Australian academic Professor-elect Greg Barton to the inaugural Herb Feith Chair for the Study of Indonesia. The position carries with it an appointment as Research Professor.
Professor-elect Barton, currently a specialist researcher in Indonesian affairs at the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu, Hawaii, is highly regarded internationally for his expertise on religion and politics in Indonesia.
He has written extensively on Islam, Islamic thought, civil society, politics and religious extremism. His books include Abdurrahman Wahid, Muslim Democrat, Indonesian President: a view from the inside (2002), and Indonesia's Struggle: Jemaah Islamiyah and the Soul of Islam (2004).
Professor-elect Barton has a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) and a PhD from Monash University. He held senior academic positions in religious studies and politics at Deakin University (1993-2006) prior to taking up his current appointment in Honolulu.
Professor-elect Barton, who will take up the appointment in January 2007, said he was looking forward to his role at Monash and building on the university's national and international reputation for the study of Indonesia and Southeast Asia.
"The importance of the Herb Feith Chair is that it presents an opportunity to promote an understanding of Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim nation and third largest democracy. The fate of Indonesia is of vital importance to Australia," he said.
The Dean of the Faculty of Arts Professor Homer Le Grand welcomed the appointment, which reflects Monash's decision to reinvigorate research and teaching on Indonesia.
"The Herb Feith Chair for the Study of Indonesia is of particular significance for the faculty, the Centre of Southeast Asian Studies, Monash University and Australian society, given the growing importance of Australian-Indonesian relations," Professor Le Grand said.
The Herb Feith Chair for the Study of Indonesia is supported by the Faculty of Arts and the Monash University Herb Feith Foundation established in 2003 within Monash's Centre of Southeast Asian Studies.
The late Herb Feith (1930-2001) was a teacher, scholar, activist and humanitarian, who taught politics at Monash University from 1962 to 1990. He inspired generations of students to share his passionate concern for Indonesia, international politics, democracy, human rights, peace studies and conflict resolution.
For further information, contact Ms Karen Stichtenoth in the Media Communications office on +61 3 9905 1253 or mobile 0408 812 301. Email: karen.stichtenoth@adm.monash.edu.au
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