Welcome to Australasian Humour Studies Network

The Australasian Humour Studies Network (AHSN) focuses upon emerging research into humour and laughter and promotes links between humour scholars in different academic departments and geographical locations. It has grown from 40 members and 10 discipline areas in 1997 to over 200 scholars and practitioners in more than 25 different disciplines and professions across Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere.

The Network, now hosted by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Sydney, supports isolated scholars researching humour-related topics by offering a program of annual Colloquia and other resources, including links to the International Society for Humor Studies (ISHS). Colloquium proposals are peer-reviewed for quality and to ensure wide participation from different perspectives, including practitioners as well as academic specialists. In researching humour and laughter, it has long been recognized that multi-disciplinary enquiry is the key to achieving significant insights into these complex forms of human behaviour.