Outline

Overview

This unit examines Australia's foreign and security policies since Federation, with a focus on contemporary issues such as defence planning and operations and engagement with the global economy. We explore Canberra's stance on terrorism, nuclear affairs, asylum seekers, and global environmental management.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Government and International Relations
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	GOVT2116 or GOVT2106
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Thomas Wilkins, thomas.wilkins@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	George Boone, george.boone@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Daniel Gomez, daniel.gomez@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Essay 1 Research Essay	38%	Week 06 Due date: 28 Apr 2023 at 09:00	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Essay 2 Research Essay	38%	Week 13 Due date: 26 May 2023 at 23:59	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Online Quizzes Online quiz	24%	Weekly	15-minute quiz
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction	Block teaching (2 hr)
Week 02	Australian foreign and security policy: from 1901 to the present day	Block teaching (2 hr)
Week 02	Tutorial Discussion	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 03	The machinery of Australian foreign and security policy	Block teaching (2 hr)
Week 03	Tutorial Discussion	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	Tools of Statecraft	Block teaching (2 hr)
Week 04	Tutorial Discussion	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	IR theory: Realism, Liberalism, Constructivism; Middle Powers	Block teaching (2 hr)
Week 05	Tutorial Discussion	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 06	Australia and the Indo-Pacific region	Block teaching (2 hr)
Week 06	Tutorial Discussion	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	The Australia-US alliance	Block teaching (2 hr)
Week 07	Tutorial Discussion	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 08	Australia-China Relations	Block teaching (2 hr)
Week 08	Tutorial Discussion	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 09	Australia-Japan relations	Block teaching (2 hr)
Week 09	Tutorial Discussion	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 10	Australia and South East Asia (indonesia)	Block teaching (2 hr)
Week 10	Tutorial Discussion	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 11	Contemporary Security Challenges to Australian Foreign Policy	Block teaching (2 hr)
Week 11	Tutorial Discussion	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 12	Review and future of Australian FSP	Block teaching (2 hr)
Week 12	Tutorial Discussion	Tutorial (1 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: This unit of study is delivered fully online with online tutorials. You are required to attend 90% of online tutorials. If you attend less than 50% of online tutorials you may be referred to the Faculty Board, in accordance with Faculty procedures, to determine whether you should be permitted to pass the unit.
Lecture recording: All will be pre-recorded and will be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Week 1: Introduction

Department of Defence (2020) Defence Strategic Update 2020. Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra: 11-30. Chapter One ‘Australia’s changing strategic environment’ and Chapter Two ‘Defence policy’.
Sheryn Lee (2020) The myth of Australia’s ‘strategic policy’. Australian Journal of International Affairs 74(3): 228-243.

Week 2: Australian Foreign Policy from 1901

Andrew Phillips (2017). Australia and international order-building, 1901-present. In Navigating the new international disorder: Australia in world affairs 2011 - 2015 (pp. 19–38). Oxford University Press.
David Reynolds (2005) Empire, Region, World: the International Context of Australian Foreign Policy since 1939. Australian Journal of Politics and History 51(3): 346-358.

Week 3: The Machinery of Australian Foreign and Security Policy

Allan Gyngell and Michael Wesley (2007) Making Australian Foreign Policy. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 57-83. Chapter Four ‘The Foreign Policy Bureaucracy’.
Andrew Carr (2017) Is Bipartisanship on National Security Beneficial? Australia’s Politics of Defence and Security. Australian Journal of Politics and History 63(2): 254-269.

Week 4: Tools of Statecraft

Allan Gyngell (2018) The Uncertainty Principle: The 2017 Australian Foreign Policy White Paper in Historical Context. Security Challenges 14(1): 6-12.
Wayne McLean (2016) Neoclassical realism and Australian foreign policy: understanding how security elites frame domestic discourses. Global Change, Peace & Security 28(1): 1-15.

Week 5: IR theory, middle powers and regional powers

Wesley Widmaier (2019) Australian foreign policy in political time: middle power creativity, misplaced friendships, and crises of leadership. Australian Journal of International Affairs 73(2): 143-159.
Peter Lee (2019) Middle power strategic choices and horizontal security cooperation: the 2009 Australia-South Korea security cooperation agreement. Australian Journal of International Affairs 73(5): 449-465.

Week 6: Australia and the Indo-Pacific region

Rory Medcalf (2014) In Defence of the Indo-Pacific: Australia’s New Strategic Map. Australian Journal of International Affairs 68(4): 470-483.
Brendan Taylor (2020) Is Australia’s Indo-Pacific strategy an illusion? International Affairs 96(1): 95-109.

Week 7: Australia-China Relations

Simone van Nieuwenhuizen (2019) Australian and People’s Republic of China government conceptions of the international order. Australian Journal of International Affairs 73(2): 181-197.
Rory Metcalf (2019) Australian and China: understanding the reality check. Australian Journal of International Affairs 73(2): 109-118.

Week 8: Australia-India Relations

Monika Barthwal-Datta and Priya Chacko (2020) The politics of strategic narratives of regional order in the Indo-Pacific: Free, open, prosperous, inclusive? Australian Journal of International Affairs 74(3): 244-263.
Ramesh Thakur and Ashok Sharma (2018) India in Australia’s Strategic Framing in the Indo-Pacific. Strategic Analysis 42(2): 69-83.

Week 9: Regional organisations and Economic Affairs

Dewi Fortuna Anwar (2020) Indonesia and the ASEAN outlook on the Indo-Pacific. International Affairs 96(1): 111-129.
Robert Ross (2019) On the fungibility of economic power: China’s economic rise and the East Asian security order. European Journal of International Relations 25(1):302-327

Week 10: Trade, Human Rights and Asylum Seekers

Jadranka Petrovic and Benjamin Grunberg (2017) Intersecting Trade, Politics and Human Rights: The Negotiation Phase of the Australia-China Free Trade Agreement. Journal of World Trade 51(1):
Amy Maguire and Fiona McGaughey (2019) Performance or performativity? Australia’s membership of the United Nations Human Rights Council. Australian Journal of Human Rights 25(2): 317-338.

Week 11: Contemporary Security Challenges to Australian Foreign Policy

Adam Kamradt-Scott (2018) Securing Indo-Pacific health security: Australia’s approach to regional health security. Australian Journal of International Affairs 72(6): 500-519.
Matt McDonald (2020) After the fires? Climate change and security in Australia. Australian Journal of Political Science, DOI: 10.1080/10361146.2020.1776680

Week 12: The future of Australian Foreign and Security Policy in a post-COVID world

Andrew O’Neill (2011) Conceptualising Future Threats to Australia’s Security. Australian Journal of Political Science 46(1): 19-34.
Benjamin Reilly (2020) The return of values in Australian foreign policy. Australian Journal of International Affairs 74(2): 116-123.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. demonstrate general knowledge of Australian foreign policy since federation
LO2. demonstrate a basic understanding of how Australian foreign and security policy is conceived, influenced, and implemented
LO3. use the main theoretical frameworks that are relevant to Australian foreign policy
LO4. demonstrate a basic understanding of the relationship between Australia and the global economy
LO5. demonstrate a good understanding of Australia's regional and global affairs
LO6. understand and discuss contemporary issues in Australian foreign and security policy
LO7. demonstrate a good understanding of Australia's relationship with its allies, trade partners, and neighbouring nations
LO8. understand and discuss Australia's current and future challenges
LO9. engage in undergraduate research of both theoretical and empirical nature
LO10. demonstrate improved essay-writing skills according to the unit's instructions.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Several changes have been made since this unit was last offered to make it available online.

Additional information

In Semester 2, 2020, this unit examines Australia's foreign and security policies since Federation, with a focus on contemporary issues such as defence planning and operations and engagement with the global economy. We explore Canberra's stance on China, India, the Indo-Pacific, health security, asylum seekers, and global environmental change. Further, the unit explores relevant theoretical frameworks that are useful for a comprehensive understanding of Australian foreign policy, with support from practical tutorials that are characterised by group-based activities.

The first part of the unit provides a wide introduction to Australian foreign and security policy since Federation, after which it looks into the country's role in the global economy; regional affairs including the Arc of Instability and maritime migration policies; and global affairs. The unit also investigates contemporary issues in Australian foreign policy, and discusses how they affect the country's relations with its allies, China, India, and other neighbouring nations. At the end of this unit, successful students will have a solid knowledge of Australian foreign and security policy, a greater understanding of the country's role and status in the international system, and a new awareness of its current and future challenges.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

GOVT3671: Australian Foreign and Security Policy

Semester 1, 2023 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect