Good weather, great city, better research
Before undertaking an International Fellowship with the Sydney Social Sciences and Humanities Advanced Research Centre听(厂厂厂贬础搁颁),听 admits his expectations around Sydney as a city were tied to common images of tourism 鈥� the sun, the sand, the surf. Travelling from Scotland, where the winters are long, his expectations were both happily affirmed 鈥� and transcended.
鈥淲hat surprised me a lot was how beautiful the natural surroundings within the urban setting are,鈥� Dr Thaler says. 鈥淥ne of my favourite things to do, after a long day writing, was to take long walks on one of Sydney鈥檚 wonderful beaches.鈥�
Exploring Sydney鈥檚 beaches and buzzy food scene 鈥渇elt like a real treat鈥�, Dr Thaler says. Within days of taking up his fellowship, he was also struck by the open and stimulating academic environment at the University.
I was blown away by the incredible friendliness of colleagues and the great facilities at SSSHARC. Participating in the workshops allowed me to push my research onto a higher level.
Dr Mathias Thaler,聽University of Edinburgh
A politics and international relations scholar, Dr Thaler鈥檚 expertise focuses on political violence and the place of Utopia in realist political theory. He was drawn to work alongside聽 (Sociology), an academic whose work he had long admired, describing her as 鈥渢he ideal academic host鈥�.
鈥淧rofessor Celermajer is not only incredibly generous with her time, she is also a serious and engaging scholar, whose critical feedback is always, almost uncannily, on point,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 feel extremely grateful for everything she has done for me, and look forward to future collaborations, some of which are already on the way.鈥�
By combining 鈥渃oncentrated bouts of reading and writing鈥� with workshops featuring other experts from a range of disciplines, Dr Thaler could test his emerging ideas and debate others.
The greatest value for me has been the ability to get to know new perspectives that would otherwise not as readily have been available to me. SSSHARC鈥檚 fundamental strength, for me, seems to reside in its transdisciplinary approach to global problems.鈥�
Conducting research in the Southern Hemisphere was also a welcome experience for 聽of Villanova University, another SSSHARC Fellow. He escaped Philadelphia鈥檚 searing summer for a temperate Sydney winter.
Associate Professor McCall鈥榮 work explores the transformative role of war upon clothing and material culture in 16th century Italy. Like Dr Thaler, he too was greeted by a distinctly supportive academic culture.
鈥淚t was great to spend two months in Sydney,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 was very much impressed by the University. Everyone was extremely welcoming, at SSSHARC and also at the Sydney Policy Lab where I spent a week or so.鈥�
The art history expert was compelled to apply for the Fellowship after years of working collaboratively with 聽(History). Grappling with the challenges of different time zones and teaching schedules meant progress on an essay was incremental.
The opportunity to work together in the same place at the same time allowed the pair to focus their efforts and work in a sustained manner. Through daily conversations, they discovered other research areas of shared interest.
Encouraged by SSSHARC Director for Semester 2, 2019, 聽(History) to 鈥渢hink bigger鈥�, the scholars began to 鈥渟ee some of the larger stakes and resonances in the project鈥�. What began as an essay is now being developed into a book.
鈥淭he SSSHARC Fellowship provided the ideal opportunity and venue to do a lot of reading and workshopping," Associate Professor McCall says. 鈥淲hile in Sydney, I had hoped to get significant work accomplished on two essays. The project shifted, though, and we spent time conceptualising the book and working through a few stumbling blocks.鈥�
Based in the centre鈥檚 recently refurbished offices, Associate Professor McCall benefited from the immersive scholarly experience in other ways. He presented a lecture on campus and held a masterclass for postgraduate students; formed a number of new academic connections; workshopped ideas with other researchers; and took up engagement opportunities, giving a talk at the prestigious聽.
Associate Professor Timothy McCall, Villanova University
Having completed their fellowships earlier this year, both academics believe their time at SSSHARC was fruitful, advocating for future cross-disciplinary research experiences.
鈥淭ruly engaging with a number of experts that come from different academic disciplines is a rare thing in our hectic world. I am very glad I could be part of the ongoing work in Sydney, and hope to return at some point,鈥� Dr Thaler says.