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Hans Asenbaum, Damith Herath, Janie Busby Grant, Maleen Jayasuriya, Emanuela Savini, Harshith Ghanta, Friedel Marquardt, Isabella Roberts < Back Robots in the Room Project Team: Hans Asenbaum, Damith Herath, Janie Busby Grant, Maleen Jayasuriya, Emanuela Savini, Harshith Ghanta, Friedel Marquardt, Isabella Roberts Robots in the Room explores what happens when embodied artificial intelligence becomes a participant in democratic deliberation. As virtual assistants, chatbots, and social robots increasingly shape how people think, feel, and interact, their influence extends beyond private and workplace settings. Yet little is known about how humans perceive AI in explicitly democratic contexts – especially when AI is physically present in the room. This interdisciplinary project brings together expertise from political science, robotics, and psychology to investigate how human agency, trust, and social dynamics shift when a humanoid robot takes part in democratic forums. The research The exploratory workshops in November 2025 consisted of six small-group deliberations at the University of Canberra, involving 24 participants. In each session, four human participants were joined by a humanoid robot, Pepper, participating as a peer: articulating positions, responding to arguments, and engaging in discussion. The one-hour deliberations were moderated by a professional facilitator and designed to replicate key features of democratic forums. Participants took part in quantitative surveys both pre and post deliberation. In addition, after each session participants took part in qualitative interviews reflecting on their experience and considering what role – if any – robots should play in democratic processes. Public engagement On 15 November, the project hosted a lively public event that examined the promises and challenges of incorporating AI into democratic spaces. Discussion explored a range of topics: from the ethics of robot participation to broader debates around robot personhood in civic and democratic contexts. The project team also shared early findings: humans can form emotional bonds with robots, that the presence of AI can shape group dynamics, and that these developments raise important questions about agency, legitimacy, and representation. The panel included Dr Hans Asenbaum, Dr Damith Herath, Dr Nadine Alnemr, Pepper the robot, supported by Dr Maleen Jayasuriya and was facilitated by Dr Emanuela Savini. Publications Herath, D., Asenbaum, H., Busby Grant, J., Jayasuriya, M., Savini, E., Ghanta, H. (2026). Robots in the Room: A Qualitative Exploration of Democratic Agency and AI-augmented Deliberations. Human-Robot Interaction Conference 2026 More to follow.

John S. Dryzek, Simon Niemeyer, Selen A. Ercan < Back Micropolitics of Deliberation Project Team: John S. Dryzek, Simon Niemeyer, Selen A. Ercan Funded through Discovery Project (DP0558573) ($365,000), the Project Team includes: John Dryzek, Chief Investigator Simon Niemeyer, Chief Investigator Selen A. Ercan, Research Assistant Project Description This project explores the nature of democratic deliberation with a view to improving theories of democracy and prospects for institutionalising the benefits ascribed to deliberative democracy. It aims to systematically address fundamental questions about what it means to deliberate using empirical investigation of actual deliberative process. The methods employed have been trialled with promising results and accepted as being consistent with normative deliberative theory. These involve both formal hypothesis testing and qualitative exploration of results to reveal insights about the process of deliberation. The findings will be used to re-examine theory and formulate recommendations for the instutionalisation of deliberative democracy in both Australian and international contexts.

Simon Niemeyer, John S. Dryzek, Nicole Curato, Andrè Bächtiger and Mark E. Warren < Back A Metastudy of Public Deliberation: Updating Theory and Practice Project Team: Simon Niemeyer, John S. Dryzek, Nicole Curato, Andrè Bächtiger and Mark E. Warren Funded through a Discovery Project (DP180103014) ($526,411), the Project Team includes: · Simon Niemeyer, Chief Investigator · John S. Dryzek, Chief Investigator · Nicole Curato, Chief Investigator · Andrè Bächtiger, Partner Investigator · Marina Lindell, Partner Investigator · Mark E. Warren, Partner Investigator · Hannah Barrowman, Postdoctoral Research Fellow · Francesco Veri, Postdoctoral Research Fellow · Nardine Alnemr, PhD student Project Description The project combines a meta-study and comparative case study to develop a leading edge understanding of political deliberation by analysing and synthesising results from available studies of deliberation. It aims to reconcile conflicting findings and provide the first comprehensive, theoretically-grounded account of defensible claims about political deliberation. The project will compile the source material and findings in a publicly-available database to facilitate standardisation and enhancement of future research in the field. It will seek to settle important questions that remain among deliberative democrats and, more practically, facilitate avenues for democratic reform in an area where the need for renewal is increasingly pressing.

Prof Ricardo F. Mendonça, A/Prof Hans Asenbaum, Prof Selen Ercan < Back The National Institute of Science and Technology in Digital Democracy Project Team: Prof Ricardo F. Mendonça, A/Prof Hans Asenbaum, Prof Selen Ercan The National Institute of Science and Technology in Digital Democracy (INCT.DD) is a Brazil-based research network dedicated to advancing research and practice in digital democracy and governance. The Centre for Deliberative Democracy is an international partner in this six-year initiative, funded from 2025 to 2030. Coordinated by Professor Wilson Gomes and Professor Ricardo F. Mendonça, who is also an Adjunct Professor at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy, the network brings together leading scholars and institutions working on digital democracy. It includes 26 Brazilian research laboratories, 23 international research centres, 20 graduate programs, 51 Brazilian researchers, and 36 international collaborators. Professors Selen Ercan and Hans Asenbaum contribute to this international collaboration through their research on deliberative democracy, democratic innovation, and the role of digital technologies in transforming democracy. INCT.DD undertakes comparative research, maps digital democracy initiatives, and develops evidence to inform the design and implementation of democratic innovations. The network also provides technical and scientific expertise to governments and public institutions, supports the development and evaluation of digital participation tools, and contributes to the design and implementation of digital democracy projects. Its work further includes developing evaluation frameworks aligned with international standards and delivering training for practitioners, public officials, and researchers working in governance and public administration. This collaboration strengthens the Centre's international research partnerships and contributes to comparative scholarship on how digital technologies are reshaping democratic participation and governance. More information about this project can be found here: https://inctdd.org/

Dr Emanuela Savini and Olive Mendoza < Back University Voice Panel for UC’s Social Cohesion Action Plan Project Team: Dr Emanuela Savini and Olive Mendoza The University of Canberra is developing a Social Cohesion Action Plan to strengthen belonging and safety across a community where experiences of identity and connection often differ and sometimes collide. Drawing on their diverse experiences and perspectives, the University Voice Panel will explore this central question: How can the University of Canberra become a place where everyone feels they belong, can express who they are, and connect safely across difference? Through deliberation on this question, panel members will identify actions that address real experiences and practical pathways toward greater connection across our diverse university community. Join the Conversation The Social Cohesion Action Plan is being built from the ground up - starting with you. We are currently at the broad consultation stage, gathering insights from across the entire UC community to inform the University Voice Panel's deliberations. Whether you have five minutes or want to commit to the full panel process, there's a way for you to contribute: Share your experience through our [Survey] – A short questionnaire exploring your experiences of belonging and connection at UC. Respond to the [Discussion Paper] – Engage with key themes and questions in depth through a written submission. Invite us to present at your meeting – We can come to your team, class, or group to facilitate a discussion and gather your collective insights. Email: Emanuela.Savini@canberra.edu.au Host a conversation with your network – Use thi s [Guide] to facilitate your own discussion with colleagues or peers, then share what emerged with us. Your contribution will directly inform the Panel's deliberation. Every perspective strengthens our understanding of what social cohesion means across different parts of university life. Be part of the University Voice Panel and directly influence recommendations! Social cohesion isn't built in isolation - it requires all of us. We're actively seeking students, academic and professional staff, and people who work across campus to join the University Voice Panel. Whether you're a first-year student, a researcher, a facilities team member, or a student services coordinator, you have a role to play in shaping what social cohesion means and looks like at UC. Panel members will meet several times between 18 March and 29 April to deliberate on the recommendations that will directly inform the Social Cohesion Action Plan . Student participants will receive a $200 voucher in recognition of their time and contribution. We need your voice at the table. Apply to join the panel. [Expression of Interest - Join the Panel] Survey and panel registration close 4 March What is the University Voice Panel? The University Voice Panel brings together 35-40 students, academic and professional staff, and partner organisations to develop the actions that will inform the University's Social Cohesion Action Plan. Panel members will meet several times between 18 March and 29 April to deliberate on the conditions that strengthen belonging and connection across our campus community. Following a deliberative engagement process, the University Voice Panel will give the University community space to explore these issues with care and depth. It brings people together to share experiences, weigh up trade-offs and consider the conditions that support cohesion across all parts of university life. The actions developed through the University Voice Panel will help inform a Social Cohesion Action Plan that reflects the needs, priorities and aspirations of the people who live, study and work at the University. You can find out more about this deliberative process in the [University Voice Panel Guide] . Want More Information? Reach out to Dr. Emanuela Savini, Practice Lead, Centre for Deliberative Democracy at Emanuela.Savini@canberra.edu.au if you have any questions or would like to be kept updated about this project. Interested in Deliberative Engagement? Deliberative engagement is a participatory approach that brings people together to thoughtfully explore complex questions, learn from diverse perspectives, and collectively develop solutions. Rather than simply gathering individual opinions, it creates conditions for meaningful dialogue where participants can grapple with nuance, consider trade-offs, and build shared understanding across difference. You can find out more about this form of engagement in our [Guidebook] and explore our [Masterclasses] to deepen your understanding of deliberative practice. Acknowledgement We extend o ur deep gratitude to MosaicLab for supporting this project through their charitable giving. Their partnership has enabled us to design a deliberative process worthy of the complex questions at the heart of social cohesion.

Richard Rowland, Selen Ercan, David Killoren, and Lucy J Parry < Back Moral Disagreements: Philosophical and Practical Implications Project Team: Richard Rowland, Selen Ercan, David Killoren, and Lucy J Parry Funded by the Australian Catholic University, Project Team includes: Richard Rowland Selen Ercan David Killoren Lucy J Parry Project Description Widespread disagreement about moral issues is a salient feature of moral thought and discourse in contemporary pluralistic societies. This project explores the metaphysical, epistemological, and practical implications of moral disagreement and whether deep and fundamental moral disagreements can be overcome. The project involves the world’s first deliberative poll on a fundamental moral issue. In deliberative polls a large number – at least 200 – people with different views on political and policy issues come together to deliberate about a particular policy issue (such as, for instance, whether we should focus on responses to crime other than imprisonment). Participants are given information about the issue in question that has been rigorously vetted to ensure its neutrality. They deliberate with one another in small and larger groups about the issue in question for 1-2 days. Before the deliberation participants are anonymously polled about the issue that they will subsequently deliberate about. They are then anonymously polled again after the deliberation. Over 70 deliberative polls have been conducted on different policy issues in 24 different countries. And significantly more convergence in the relevant views of participants has been found after the two days of deliberation than before the two days of deliberation. Although over 70 deliberative polls have been conducted there has yet to be one on fundamental moral issues; all the polls thus far have concerned issues of policy and the probable consequences of various policies rather than the moral desirability, or rightness or wrongness of particular outcomes. In collaboration with members of Stanford University’s Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Canberra University’s Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance this project will conduct the first deliberative polls on fundamental moral issues. These polls will shed light on whether deliberation can help to overcome deep moral disagreement.

David Schlosberg and Simon Niemeyer < Back Rethinking Climate Justice In An Age Of Adaptation: Capabilities, Local Variation, And Public Deliberation Project Team: David Schlosberg and Simon Niemeyer Funding through Discovery Project (DP120104797) ($250,000), the Project Team includes David Schlosberg (Chief Investigator) and Simon Niemeyer (Chief Investigator) Project Description This project aims to produce recommendations, designed by citizens and stakeholders, for climate adaptation policies in three regions of Australia. These recommendations will be based on a definition of climate justice that incorporates basic needs and resources to be protected, as identified by impacted communities.

< Back Nicole Curato Adjunct Professor About Nicole Curato is a Professor of Democratic Governance at the University of Birmingham's School of Government. Previously, she was a professor at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance, where she founded the Deliberative Democracy Summer School, edited the Journal of Deliberative Democracy, and led the development of the MPP unit on Co-Design and Deliberative Engagement. She also founded the Global Citizens' Assembly Network. A recipient of five Australian Research Council grants (DECRA, Future Fellowship, Linkage Project, Discovery Project, Special Research Initiative), she has led groundbreaking research on deliberative democracy in fragile and conflict-affected settings and developed the theory and practice of deliberative integrity.

< Back Wendy Conway-Lamb Postdoctoral research fellow About Dr Wendy Conway-Lamb is a researcher and practitioner with around twenty years of experience working on climate change, international development, and inclusive decision-making. Her areas of expertise include climate adaptation and resilience; climate and energy justice; deliberative democracy; global climate governance; community engagement; and international development. Wendy recently completed her PhD on Democratic Frontiers in Climate Governance at the Centre for Deliberative Democracy , University of Canberra. In her PhD thesis, she examined the challenges of pursuing democratic approaches to climate change decision-making in three critical and overlapping areas: global climate governance; adaptation to climate impacts in the Global South; and climate cooperation in authoritarian contexts. With empirical case studies ranging from adaptation in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, to the world’s first Global Citizens’ Assembly on climate change, Wendy’s fundamental research interest is in exploring how those most directly affected by climate change – and measures to address it – can be meaningfully included in climate governance at all scales. Dr Wendy Conway-Lamb is currently working as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Canberra, based at the Centre for Environmental Governance and the Centre for Deliberative Democracy, where she is working on the ARC-funded Discovery project, Just Transmission: Advancing Coherence in Australia’s Electricity Policy . This project is examining – from an energy justice perspective – how regional communities in Victoria and New South Wales are being affected by, and engaged in, plans to build new high-voltage transmission lines to deliver electricity from renewable power stations across the country as part of Australia’s energy transition. Beyond academia, Wendy has worked for a variety of organisations, including the Australian Government, NGOs, think tanks, and the United Nations. Her skills encompass research and analysis; policy and technical advice; program design and evaluation; team leadership; public diplomacy; teaching and facilitation. She has experience working across the Indo-Pacific region, with a particular focus on Vietnam and Southeast Asia. Connect on LinkedIn University of Canberra Researcher Profile Connect on Google Scholar Published journal articles Conway-Lamb, Wendy (2025). Influencing Climate Change Adaptation in Authoritarian States: A Deliberative Systems Analysis in Vietnam’. Environmental Politics 0 (0): 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/09644016.2025.2557058 . Conway-Lamb, Wendy, Pierrick Chalaye, Kari De Pryck, Stephen Elstub, Emerson M. Sanchez, and Novieta H. Sari (2025). Analysing the Global Assembly’s Influence: The Challenges of Linking to the Deliberative System of Global Climate Governance. Environmental Science & Policy 171 (104124): 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104124 . De Pryck, Kari, Pierrick Chalaye, Wendy Conway-Lamb, Stephen Elstub, Emerson M. Sanchez, and Novieta H. Sari (2025). The Global Climate Assembly: A New Global Deliberative Space? In Climate Assemblies: New Civic Institutions for a Climate-Changed World , edited by Oliver Escobar and Stephen Elstub. De Gruyter. https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783111328393-015/html . Conway-Lamb, Wendy (2024). Pluralizing Climate Change Adaptation: Mapping Discourses in Vietnam. Climate and Development. 17 (4): 285–96. https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2024.2361797 . Other publications Conway-Lamb, Wendy (2026). Democratic Frontiers in Climate Governance: Adaptation, Authoritarian States, Global and Multi-Level Decision-Making . PhD Thesis. University of Canberra. https://researchprofiles.canberra.edu.au/en/studentTheses/democratic-frontiers-in-climate-governance-adaptation-authoritari/ . Curato, Chalaye, Conway-Lamb, De Pryck, Elstub, Morán, Oppold, Romero, Ross, Sanchez, Sari, Stasiak, Tilikete, Veloso, von Schneidemesser, and Werner (2023). Global Assembly on the Climate and Ecological Crisis: Evaluation Report. University of Canberra. https://researchsystem.canberra.edu.au/ws/portalfiles/portal/82182314/Global_Assembly_Evaluation_Report.pdf Conway-Lamb, Wendy (2021). Climate Change . A non-fiction book for disadvantaged school children in the Asia-Pacific region. Library for All Digital Library for the World, libraryforall.org Conference papers Conway-Lamb, Wendy (2024) ‘What does adaptation justice mean to people affected by climate impacts?’ Human Geographies of Climate Change Adaptation conference , Bergen, May 2024 Conway-Lamb, Wendy & Pickering, Jonathan (2022) ‘The case for democratizing global adaptation governance’, Earth System Governance conference , Toronto, Oct 2022 Conway-Lamb, Wendy (2018), ‘Beyond the vertical hierarchy paradigm: a deliberative systems approach to adaptation governance’, IPSA World Congress of Political Science , Brisbane, July 2018 Conway-Lamb, Wendy (2018), ‘Inclusive multi-level adaptation governance: a deliberative systems approach’, Adaptation Futures , Cape Town, June 2018 Research Projects Just Transmission: Advancing Coherence in Australia’s Electricity Policy , ARC-funded Discovery Project (2025 – 2028), Postdoctoral Research Fellow Global Assembly on the Climate and Ecological Crisis (2021 - 2025), Member of Research and Evaluation Team Australian Citizens’ Jury on Genome Editing (2020-2021), Facilitator of deliberations Deliberative Worlds: Democracy, Justice and a Changing Earth System , Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship Project (2016 - 2020), PhD Scholarship Teaching experience International Climate Change Policy and Economics, Masters level course, Australian National University (co-convenor, tutor, guest lecturer) Domestic Climate Change Policy and Economics, Masters level course, Australian National University (tutor, guest lecturer) Affiliations Research fellow, Earth System Governance Network Research Associate, Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Research Network

Current Staff Mohammad Abdul-Hwas Research Assistant View Profile John S. Dryzek Distinguished Professor Emeritus View Profile Harshith Ghanta Research Assistant View Profile Jordan McSwiney Senior Research Fellow View Profile Jonathan Pickering Associate Professor View Profile Adele Webb Research Fellow View Profile Hans Asenbaum Associate Professor and Centre Director View Profile Madeleine Egan PhD Candidate View Profile Anne Nygaard Jedzini PhD Candidate View Profile Olivia Mendoza PhD Candidate View Profile Ferdinand Sanchez Research Assistant View Profile Dakila Yee PhD Student View Profile Elise Clark PhD student View Profile Selen A. Ercan Professor View Profile Friedel Marquardt Research Assistant View Profile Simon Niemeyer Professor View Profile Emanuela Savini Practice Lead & Lecturer View Profile Wendy Conway-Lamb Postdoctoral research fellow View Profile Emily Foley Postdoctoral Research Fellow View Profile Amy McGregor-Dainton PhD Candidate View Profile Lucy J. Parry Senior Research Associate View Profile Sahana Sehgal PhD Candidate View Profile

Latest News - Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance Latest News New Report Unpacks Risks to the Integrity of Deliberative Mini-Publics Date: 17 Feb 2025 On 11 February 2025, close to 100 academics, practitioners, and policymakers joined the launch of Deliberative Integrity: Risks and Responses in Mini-Public Governance, authored by Dr Lucy J. Parry and Professor Nicole Curato (University of Canberra). The report highlights risks facing deliberative mini-publics (DMPs) and offers strategies to safeguard their integrity. Read More Welcoming our new PhD and honours students to the Centre Date: 5 Feb 2025 We are delighted to welcome four new students to our Centre this year, each bringing fresh perspectives and valuable contributions to our research community. Read More [Event Invitation] Book Launch: Democracy versus Diablo in the USA and Australia Date: 14 June 2024 You are invited to a participatory book launch for André Bächtiger and John S. Dryzek, Deliberative Democracy for Diabolical Times: Confronting Populism, Extremism, Denial, and Authoritarianism. Read More 2024 Deliberative Democracy Summer School Date: 22 Mar 2024 On 7-9 February, the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance (CDDGG) hosted the 2024 Deliberative Democracy Summer School at the Ann Harding Conference Centre, University of Canberra. Read More The CDDGG 10-Year Anniversary Seminar Series Date: 31 Jan 2024 In 2024 the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance, at the University of Canberra, turns 10 years old. In celebration, we are organising a seminar series that is open to all, addressing 10 of the most pressing questions facing deliberate democracy today. Read More Democratic Transformations: A conversation on systemic change Date: 12 Jan 2024 Democratic Transformations: A conversation on systemic change On 6 February 2024 at Juliet Room, Verity Lane Market, Sydney Building, 50 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra ACT Reception: 5:30 pm Panel discussion: 6:00 – 7:15 pm Read More 2023 APSA Lifetime Achievement Award Date: 8 Dec 2023 Distinguished Professor John Dryzek has received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Australian Political Studies Association (APSA) during the award ceremony held at the University of Sydney on 29 November 2023. Read More Call for Workshop Papers: Future-proofing the public sphere, QUT Mar 2024 Date: 3 Oct 2023 Join us for a research workshop at QUT in 21-22 March 2024, exploring the future of the public sphere, in Australia and beyond. Designed for Australian-based ECRs and HDRs, the workshop is co-hosted by the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance (University of Canberra) and the Digital Media Research Centre (QUT) and funded by the Australian Political Studies Association (APSA). Abstract and short CV to be submitted by 27 October. Read More Dr Sonia Bussu’s visit sparks new collaborations Date: 29 Sept 2023 This month, we were excited to host Dr Sonia Bussu from The Institute of Local Government Studies (INLOGOV), University of Birmingham as a visiting scholar between 17 September to 30 September 2023. Dr Bussu works in the areas of participatory democracy and public policy. Her research aims to bridge divides between different literatures concerned with citizen engagement, social justice, and intersectional inclusion. She studies how participatory deliberative democracy, social movements, the commons, coproduction, community activism, participatory research can all enrich one another. Read More Our Senior Research Fellow, Dr Hans Asenbaum, has published his new book 'The Politics of Becoming' Date: 21 Sept 2023 A hearty congratulations to Dr Hans Asenbaum from the Centre for his new (open access) publication with Oxford University Press, The Politics of Becoming – Anonymity and Democracy in the Digital Age. The book focuses on practical solutions to the problems of discrimination and identity confinement in political participation. Throughout the book, Dr Asenbaum hopes to facilitate an interdisciplinary exchange between different academic disciplines and different strands of democratic theory. Read More Olivia Mendoza has received the prestigious Deliberative Democracy PhD Scholarship Date: 1 Sept 2023 This semester we are excited to welcome a new PhD student, Olivia Mendoza, to the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance. Olivia is the recipient of the prestigious Deliberative Democracy PhD Scholarship offered to students aiming to specialise in one of the core research areas of the Centre. Read More Distinguished Professor John Dryzek has been elected to The British Academy Date: 23 July 2023 Congratulations to our own Distinguished Professor John Dryzek, who has been elected to the British Academy, an honour given to scholars who have attained distinction in the social sciences and humanities. John has considerable international standing as a scholar in the areas of political science, democratic theory and practice at all levels from the local to the global, political philosophy, environmental politics and climate governance. Read More Tackling far-right extremism: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Jordan McSwiney, gets among the experts Date: 17 May 2023 Congratulations to our Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Jordan McSwiney. Jordan has been accepted into the Younger Fellow Visiting Program at the Centre for Research on Extremism (C-REX), located at the University of Oslo. Launched in 2016, C-REX is a cross-disciplinary centre for the study of right-wing extremism, hate crime and political violence. Jordan will join leading scholars in this highly topical subject and will present his work on far-right violent extremism and political parties during his fellowship. Read More Digital Media and the Public Sphere Seminars this May Date: 1 May 2023 The world’s most eminent scholars on digital media and deliberative democracy, Professor Axel Bruns and Centenary Professor John Dryzek, will share their reflections on the crisis of communication in our times. Read More Call for Papers: Deliberative Democracy Summer School 2024 Date: 18 Apr 2023 CFP: Deliberative Democracy Summer School 2024 6TH DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRACY SUMMER SCHOOL 7-9 February 2024 Read More UC Postdoctoral Fellow wins 2022 Rising Star Award from leading European political science association Date: 6 Feb 2023 We are thrilled that our Centre's Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Dr Hans Asenbaum, has received the ECPR Rising Star Award for his achievements as an early career researcher. Read More Deliberative Democracy PhD Scholarship Date: 20 Jan 2023 The Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance is offering a PhD scholarship for a domestic student starting in July 2023. Read More Deliberative Democracy and Refugees: Ensuring they have a voice Date: 9 Dec 2022 Our PhD student Mohammad Abdul-Hwas shares his passion to study and research refugee crisis with UC's UnCover. Mohammad's parents’ and grandparents’ lived experiences of the ongoing Palestinian refugee crisis, that has lasted the past 70 years, has created a deep empathy for refugees. Connecting with Syrian refugees in Jordan who have similar lived experience drove Mohammad to research deliberative democracy, with the ambition to improve the experience and agency for people caught in a refugee crisis. Read More Democracy Play Workshop with Mathias Poulsen Date: 21 Oct 2022 While democracy is usually conceived of a serious business, but Mathias Poulsen, showed us that democracy can be fun! On 21 October, the Centre hosted a workshop led by visiting scholar Mathias Poulsen (Design School Kolding in Denmark), where CDDGG staff explored engaging, creative and fun ways of doing democracy through an embodied experience of what a more playful democracy might look and feel like. Mathias draws on the Danish tradition of ”junk playgrounds” (similar to adventure playgrounds), which is framed as a kind of “agora”, a space for bodily, material inquiries into matters of mutual concern. Staff collaborated on an improvised miniature junk playground, where we investigated the nature and future of democracy, as we engaged with an eclectic collection of discarded materials to build arguments and tell stories. Read More Building Democratic Resilience - Report Launch Date: 13 Oct 2022 The report, Building Democratic Resilience, launched 13 October 2022, offers a framework for examining and improving the public sphere responses to violent extremism. It develops the concept of ‘democratic resilience’ drawing on the theory of deliberative democracy, and empirical research on countering violent extremism (CVE) in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. It explains how ‘democratic resilience’ differs from and supplements ‘community resilience’, which is the current resilience framework used by the NSW Government. The report offers key insights for academics, public servants, policy makers and the journalists working to develop strategies for tackling violent extremism. Read More 1 2 1 ... 1 2 ... 2

< Back Refugee politics in the Middle East and the Governance of Syria's mass displacement Tamirace Fakhoury, Lebanese American University Tue 21 August 2018 11:00am - 12:00pm The Dryzek Room, Building 22, University of Canberra Abstract Syria’s neighbourhood currently hosts almost 6 million forcibly displaced from Syria. In this context, supranational actors have provided assistance to both refugee and host communities so as to help Syria’s neighbours cope with the refugee quandary. This seminar will review the overarching policy legacies characterizing refugee governance in the Middle East. It will then explore how state actors namely Lebanon and Jordan and key supranational institutional bodies such as the European Union (EU) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) have collaborated but also clashed on the refugee issue, generating ‘governance dilemmas’. The conclusion will show the implications of these dilemmas for the global refugee regime and for the power dynamics in the transregional Mediterranean system. About the speaker Dr. Tamirace Fakhoury is an associate professor in Political Sciences and International Affairs in the Department of Social Sciences, and the associate director of the Institute of Social Justice and Conflict Resolution (ISJCR) . She has furthermore taught at the summer sessions at the University of California in Berkeley between 2012 and 2016. In Fall 2018, Fakhoury will be a visiting fellow at the Käte Hamburger Kolleg/ Centre for Global Cooperation Research where she will be carrying out a project on the European Union’s role in the multi-governance of displacement. Her core research and publication areas are: power sharing in divided societies, migration dynamics and governance, Arab states’ coping mechanisms with forced migration, and the role of immigrant communities and diasporas in political transitions. She is member of the core coordination team of the Global Migration Policy Associates in Geneva. Previous Next

< Back Systemic representation: The democratic legitimacy of self-appointed representatives Jonathan Kuyper, Stockholm University Tue 15 July 2014 11:00am – 12:00pm Fishbowl, Building 24, University of Canberra Abstract Deliberative democracy has taken a systemic turn. Underlying this research agenda is the core idea that democratic deliberation is, and should be, dispersed throughout an interconnected system. Because no single institution can perfectly uphold deliberative ideals, we should take a holistic view and seek to understand how a variety of sites operate in conjunction with one another. In this article I probe how different types of representatives fit within a deliberative system. The core argument is that representatives can act democratically in very different ways depending upon their role within a wider system. I employ this argument to evaluate the democratic legitimacy of 'self-appointed representatives’. Drawing upon Dryzek's notion of deliberative capacity, I argue that self-appointed representatives should be assessed by whether they have a role in the empowered space within a system or rather act as part of the transmission belt from the public space. About the speaker Jonathan Kuyper is a postdoctoral researcher at Stockholm University working on the Transaccess research project (headed by Professor Jonas Tallberg). He completed his PhD at the Australian National University in 2012, during which time he was a visiting student at the European University Institute and Princeton University. His work has been published or is forthcoming in Global Constitutionalism, Journal of Public Deliberation, European Journal of International Relations, Ethics and Global Politics and other outlets. Previous Next

Postdoctoral Research Fellow < Back Jensen Sass Postdoctoral Research Fellow About Jensen works at the intersection of normative political theory and the empirical study of corporations, technology, and the public sphere. He is also interested in corporate power and democratic politics, in particular the regulation of new technologies that promise to transform previously settled norms and institutions.

Faculty Affiliate < Back Jonathan Pickering Faculty Affiliate About Jonathan Pickering's research focuses on democracy and justice in global environmental governance, with an emphasis on climate change and biodiversity. He is an Assistant Professor in the School of Politics, Economics and Society at the University of Canberra, where he teaches International Relations.

Faculty Affiliate < Back Jean-Paul Gagnon Faculty Affiliate About Jean-Paul Gagnon is a democratic theorist specializing in democracy's linguistic artifacts and the theory of non-human democracy. He edits the Berghahn (Oxford/New York) journal Democratic Theory and the Palgrave Macmillan book series on The Theories, Concepts, and Practices of Democracy. He is director of the nascent Foundation For the Philosophy of Democracy.

< Back Meeting great expectations through democratic innovations? Studying the effect of citizen involvement on democratic legitimacy Sofie Marien, University of Amsterdam / University of Leuven Tue 14 March 2017 11:00am - 12:00pm The Dryzek Room, Building 22, University of Canberra Abstract As a result of rising expectations, democratic political systems are confronted with a citizenry that fiercely questions the democratic legitimacy of their political system. Widespread distrust in political actors and institutions and the increasing popularity of populist and anti-establishment candidates and parties are just a few of the indications of this societal challenge. Interestingly, this discontent is by no means paralleled by eroding support for democratic principles as this support is stronger than ever before. Therefore, this discontent has frequently been interpreted as a demand for democratic innovations. In particular, the involvement of citizens in political decision-making processes through deliberative processes is often proposed as a potential solution to meet citizens’ expectations and to address this democratic legitimacy deficit. In this talk I will focus on a recent study that investigates the potential of citizen involvement in political decision-making processes through a deliberative democratic instrument to foster losers’ consent with unfavourable political decisions. About the speaker Sofie Marien is an Assistant Professor at the University of Amsterdam and the University of Leuven. She has a B.S. in Political Science and a P.h.D. in Social Sciences from the University of Leuven (Belgium). She was a visiting scholar at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania in the Spring of 2016 and 2017. She is president of the Belgian Political Science Association VPW. Her substantive research interests include political trust, political engagement, deliberative democracy and political communication with a regional focus on Europe. To investigate these topics, she draws on cross-national surveys, panel surveys and experimental methods. Her studies appeared in journals such as Political Research Quarterly and European Journal of Political Research. Previous Next

Latest News - Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance < Back Call for Workshop Papers: Future-proofing the public sphere, QUT Mar 2024 3 Oct 2023 Important update: Application deadline extended to 3 November! Join us for a research workshop at QUT in 21-22 March 2024, exploring the future of the public sphere, in Australia and beyond. Designed for Australian-based ECRs and HDRs, the workshop is co-hosted by the Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance (University of Canberra) and the Digital Media Research Centre (QUT) and funded by the Australian Political Studies Association (APSA). Abstract and short CV to be submitted by 27 October. For enquiries, please contact: Adele Webb ( Adele.Webb@canberra.edu.au ) Katharina Esau ( Katharina.Esau@qut.edu.au )

< Back The newDemocracy Foundation: How might institutional collaboration be cultivated? Lyn Carson, newDemocracy Foundation Tue 20 March 2018 11:00am - 12:00pm The Dryzek Room, Building 22, University of Canberra Abstract The newDemocracy Foundation (nDF) has ten years of experience with the practice of mini publics. The energy for change, employing deliberative methods, is clearly increasing. As a research foundation, nDF occasionally commissions external research as well as performing critical analysis and critical reflection in-house. nDF’s latest focus has been on critical thinking and unconscious biases amongst randomly-selected participants—specifically, how to enhance critical capacities of participants and to improve awareness of unexamined biases within both participants and experts. Carson will provide descriptions of current and potential projects (local and global) and discuss gaps in knowledge and potentially-fruitful future research. About the speaker Lyn Carson is a former professor in applied politics at the University of Sydney Business School, currently an honorary professor with the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, adjunct professor with the University of Western Sydney, and associate of the Centre for Deliberative Democracy & Global Governance at the University of Canberra. ‘Carson’ also currently serves as newDemocracy’s research director. She has written handbooks on community engagement and many articles and book chapters on public participation, including a book, with Brian Martin, Random Selection in Politics (1999) and co-edited The Australian Citizens’ Parliament & The Future of Deliberative Democracy (2013). Previous Next

< Back MINI-PUBLICS AND THE LEGITIMACY DILEMMA: BALANCING THE TENSION BETWEEN DELIBERATION AND PARTICIPATION IN DELIBERATIVE THEORY ABSTRACT This paper explores the so-called legitimacy dilemmas as it arises in deliberative theory. The dilemma is that the higher the number of people participating in deliberation, the lower the quality of deliberation is likely to be, but the outcome might be more legitimate. The more restricted deliberation is, the higher its quality, but the outcome might lack legitimacy. Mini-publics have been proposed as one way out of this dilemma, however, there have been recent criticisms that mini-publics are not an adequate solution because they are not suitably representative of ordinary citizens; nor are they accountable to them. Drawing on analogous debates in the procedural justice literature on the difference between descriptive legitimacy and normative legitimacy, and the ways they converge, I offer an alternative way out of the legitimacy dilemma. I suggest that the perception by ordinary voters that mini-publics are legitimate is both a necessary and sufficient condition for normative legitimacy. BIO Sarah Sorial is a Professor of Law at the Macquarie Law School. Her research specialisation is primarily at the intersection of political philosophy and law. She is particularly interested in how philosophical concepts can be utilised to address various and persistent legal dilemmas, including dilemmas about the limits of speech, the importance of democratic deliberation, and the place of rights in liberal democracies. She has published widely on topics to do with free speech, deliberation, responsibility and punishment, in a range of journals including Law and Philosophy, Journal of Applied Philosophy, Criminal Law and Philosophy, Journal of Social Philosophy, Metaphilosophy, Australian Journal of Legal Philosophy, Journal of Medicine and Philosophy. Previous Next