How do Australian universities today communicate to potential and new students what constitutes fundamental knowledge in the study of politics? In this talk I discuss results of research on required or core undergraduate course descriptions in political science; international relations; and, politics, philosophy and economics across five Australian universities. I describe how the program descriptions treat students as rational actors who want knowledge about politics for high-status employment. Few descriptions made reference to interpretive, feminist or critical methodologies; fewer, to indigenous perspectives. Calls to globalise the political sciences and decolonise the production of academic knowledge currently go unacknowledged in them. I conclude by suggesting that universities might instead try to more deliberately address potential and new students as members of political communities, rather than power-seeking individualists.

William Howe is a PhD student in the School of Politics and International Relations at the Australian National University. This talk is based on an article of the same title published in the Australian Journal of Political Science (59.4, 2025). 

Note: This is a hybrid seminar with the the speaker in person at ANU: if you are on campus please join us at Seminar Room 3.72 in the RSSS Building.

To join online: https://anu.zoom.us/j/3364169330?pwd=ZStOdm4vTWpwS1RMbmFYUisxWVB2UT09

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