In the aftermath of Brexit, the UK will seek to strengthen links with old friends and new allies. There is a long and rich history between Australia and the UK. Brexit presents an opportunity for Australia and the UK to pragmatically assess their relationship - a case of two awkward states in their own regions forging a new engagement.

Yet past ties and the Commonwealth are not necessarily sufficient arguments for cooperation.  As a result of Brexit, the UK will need to develop a new relationship with Australia, as two middle powers that remains awkward yet need each other, at a time when each is forging new deals with the EU.

Philomena Murray is Professor in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne. She holds Australia’s only Personal Jean Monnet Chair (ad personam). She received a national Carrick (Australian Learning and Teaching Council) Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning for pioneering the first European Union curriculum in Australia and leadership in national and international curriculum development. She is Visiting Research Fellow at Trinity College Dublin; Visiting Professor in the College of Europe, Bruges and Associate Research Fellow at the United Nations University – Comparative Regional Integration Studies, Bruges. 

She has been awarded multiple EU-funded Jean Monnet and other research grants. Her research interests are in EU-Australia relations; Brexit; comparative regional integration; EU-Asia relations; comparative refugee externalisation policies and EU governance and legitimacy. Publications include Murray, P. & Matera, M. eds. (2018) Australia’s relationship with the European Union: From conflict to cooperation, Special Issue, Australian Journal of International Affairs, 72:3; Longo, M. & Murray, P. (2015) Europe’s Legitimacy Crisis: From Causes to Solutions, Palgrave Pivot; Brennan, L. & Murray, P. (2015) Drivers of Integration and Regionalism in Europe and Asia: Comparative Perspectives, Routledge; Christiansen T, Kirchner E, Murray P eds. (2013, paperback 2015), The Palgrave Handbook of EU-Asia Relations, Basingstoke, Palgrave.

Please email: european.studies@sant.ox.ac.uk in order to register to attend this event.

A light lunch will be provided.