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Ryan Walter is an Associate Professor and Director of Teaching & Learning at the School of Political Science & International Studies, Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at The University of Queensland. His academic career spans multiple institutions with a consistent focus on the historical relationship between politics and economics, particularly examining how economists emerged as a distinctive intellectual class from the 18th century to the present. Walter received his Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor (Honours) of Economics from Murdoch University, followed by a Doctor of Philosophy from the Australian National University. His educational background provided the foundation for his specialized research into the historical development of economic and political thought. Walter's research centers on the relationship between politics and economics, with particular attention to how economists' skill sets and ethics have evolved in relation to empirical evidence and political beliefs. His seminal work focuses on the history of economic thought in Britain, examining how the rise of political economy transformed political discourse. His scholarship on Adam Smith, Thomas Robert Malthus, and David Ricardo has clarified how early economists faced opposition because 'theorizing' was not yet established as a prestigious activity. He argues that the presumption of intellectuals to reform society based on 'theory' was perceived as philosophical enthusiasm linked to the French Revolution. His book Before Method and Models (Oxford, 2021) represents a key statement of this research program. Walter's recent publications reveal a consistent scholarly trajectory examining classical economists and their reception, with particular attention to methodological questions in economics. His work bridges political theory and economic history, frequently exploring how economic ideas have influenced political discourse and policy-making across different historical periods. A notable pattern in his scholarship is the examination of casuistry (moral reasoning about cases) in economic thought and the historical development of economic language. Walter has received significant research funding through competitive grants, including an ARC Discovery Project on Australian Political Rhetoric (2014-2018), an ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award for 'The rise of the national economic interest' (2014-2016), and a UQ Early Career Researcher grant for 'The Persona of the Economist' (2010). As an academic supervisor, Walter has advised numerous PhD students to completion across diverse topics including Keynesian economics, health care policy, central banking approaches to climate change, government debt framing, varieties of capitalism, and the history of political thought. His supervision portfolio demonstrates his interdisciplinary approach and commitment to mentoring emerging scholars in both historical and contemporary political economy.

• Political Economy
• Political Theory
• History of Economic Thought
• +3 more

Dr. Daniel Canaris is an ARC DECRA Research Fellow and Lecturer in Italian Studies at the University of Sydney. He specializes in Sino-Western intellectual exchange, the Italian Enlightenment, and Renaissance philosophy. His research bridges early modern European and Chinese intellectual traditions, focusing on figures like Giambattista Vico and Jesuit missionaries such as Michele Ruggieri. Canaris holds a PhD in Italian Studies from the University of Sydney (2017) and has held fellowships at prestigious institutions including the Warburg Institute and Harvard’s Villa I Tatti (declined due to travel restrictions). His work includes a monograph on Vico and China (2020), co-edited critical editions of Longobardo’s Resposta breve (2021) and Ruggieri’s Tianzhu shilu (2023), and ongoing projects on the reception of Aristotelian thought in Ming-Qing China. Current research explores Francesco Sambiasi and Xu Guangqi’s Lingyan lishao and François Noël’s Philosophia Sinica . Canaris’s recent articles address topics such as cultural translatability in Jesuit missions, the interplay between Neapolitan medical practices and Chinese medicine, and the theological mediation of Christian and Confucian concepts of human excellence. He teaches ITLN3662: Machiavelli and Renaissance Italy and supervises students like Rose in projects examining cross-cultural religious adaptation. Awarded the ARC DECRA Fellowship (2022), Canaris has also been granted fellowships by the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Sun Yat-sen University, and the Ricci Institute. He contributes actively to the Vere Gordon Childe Centre at the University of Sydney and collaborates on projects like Transforming the East , analyzing Jesuit translations of Confucian texts.

• Sino-Western Cultural Exchange
• Italian Enlightenment
• Renaissance Philosophy
• +3 more

Francesco Borghesi is an Associate Professor at the University of Sydney, specializing in Renaissance philosophy, textual scholarship, and digital humanities. He holds a Laurea Fil from the Università di Bologna and a PhD from Brown University. His research focuses on the history of ideas in Europe, particularly the intersection of philosophy, religion, and literature between the 13th and 16th centuries. He has held fellowships at institutions including Harvard University and the Warburg Institute. Education: Laurea Fil (Bologna), PhD (Brown) Membership: Sydney Environment Institute, Virtual Humanities Lab (Brown University), editorial boards of Italian Culture , Francigena , and Biblion His research interests include textual editing methods, digital humanities, and the circulation of ethical and religious ideas in European culture. Current projects involve the diffusion of ethical concord during the Renaissance and Jesuit translations of Confucian texts. He has supervised numerous PhD/MPhil students, including Darius Sepehri and Emma Louise Barlow. His grants include ARC Discovery Projects on Renaissance concord and Jesuit Confucian translations. Notable publications include Giovanni Pico della Mirandola. Lettere (2018) and a Cambridge University Press translation of Pico's Oration on the Dignity of Man (2012). He also edits the Global Perspectives on Medieval and Early Modern Historiography series. Teaching: Courses on Italian literature, Renaissance Italy, and comparative cultural studies Current research students: Rose (project on Jesuits in Japan)

• Renaissance philosophy and humanism
• History of political and religious thought
• Textual scholarship
• +1 more

Mario Baghos is Senior Lecturer in Theology at the School of Philosophy & Theology, University of Notre Dame, Australia, Sydney Campus. He has held teaching positions at St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College (2010–2017; 2020–2022), the University of Sydney, and Charles Sturt University, where he lectured in Studies in Religion and Theology. His academic background includes a BTh(Hons), SCD, PhD studies in Religion from the University of Sydney, and a GradDipEd from the University of New England. Mario Baghos specializes in: Doctrinal Theology (Christology, Trinitarian theology, Eschatology) Patristics and Church History Byzantine Studies, especially sacred topography and symbolism in Christian art and architecture Catholic Social Thought His research explores the interplay between ecclesial memory and secular history, the theological significance of Constantinople as the 'New Rome,' and apocalyptic themes in early and medieval Christianity. His recent publications reflect a strong trend in interdisciplinary scholarship combining theology, history, art, and urban studies. Key themes include: The symbolic and sacred geography of Constantinople Christological representations in Byzantine art The legacy of the Church Fathers (especially Gregory of Nazianzus, Athanasius, Cyril, and Gregory of Nyssa) The impact of Enlightenment thought on patristic reception Ecological theology and the roots of the modern crisis Apocalypticism across historical periods His scientific awards include: The University of Sydney John Cooper Memorial Prize for best doctoral thesis (2014) Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) Scholarship (2010–2014) Multiple teaching commendations from Charles Sturt University and the University of Notre Dame Prizes for academic excellence in theology and graduate studies Mario Baghos mentors students in theology and patristics, though specific advisees are not listed. He has secured research recognition through competitive scholarships and teaching awards. His work is supported by affiliations with the Australian Association for Byzantine Studies, the International Association for Patristic Studies, and the Catholic Scholars Guild. He has presented widely at national and international conferences and contributed to public discourse through media articles on theology, Tolkien, and Advent. He leads research in sacred space, patristic theology, and Byzantine symbolism, often in collaboration with scholars such as Doru Costache and Philip Kariatlis. His forthcoming book, Remnants of New Rome: The Sacred Topography of Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire , promises to be a major contribution to the field.

• Patristics
• Byzantine Studies
• Eschatology
• +12 more

Darius von Güttner Sporzyński is a Professor at the Australian Catholic University within the Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences . As a historian specializing in East Central Europe , his work spans medieval to modern periods, focusing on the transmission of ideas , crusades , gender politics , and cultural identity . Current research examines elite women's roles in early modern land management, particularly Bona Sforza 's reforms in Lithuania. Editorial leadership includes Brepols' East Central Europe series and Christianity and Conversion in Scandinavia and the Baltic Region (Peter Lang). His publications explore crusade ideology in Piast Poland, medieval chronicles (e.g., Vincentius of Cracow), and gendered responses to power . Notable projects include the ARC Discovery Project on Early Modern Natural Resource Management . While no specific scientific awards are listed, his interdisciplinary approach bridges history, global studies, and digital humanities.

• Medieval History
• East Central Europe
• Crusades
• +6 more