Mathew Davies

Mathew Davies is an Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations at the Australian National University (ANU). He holds a BSc/MSc from the London School of Economics (LSE) and a PhD from ANU. His research focuses on the intersection of regional order, human rights, and governance in Southeast Asia, particularly within ASEAN. He investigates how ASEAN socializes norms and institutionalizes human rights standards, analyzing both successful and failed efforts to understand the evolving regional framework.

Teaching responsibilities include courses on human rights, international relations theory, and conceptual skill-building at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He has designed and led professional training programs, including an AusAID-funded course for African diplomats and DFAT graduate training sessions. His work bridges academia and policy, with a focus on ASEAN's role in regional security and norm diffusion.

• Key projects include a study on ASEAN's 'new politics of human rights,' exploring the adoption and implementation of human rights standards.
• Collaborations include networked research on diplomacy, ambiguity, and interest construction in Asia.
• Labs/teams: Involved in ANU's Asia-Pacific College of Arts research clusters.

Recent articles highlight ASEAN's ritualized diplomacy, the impact of the pandemic on international relations, and ASEAN's responses to human rights challenges. His work emphasizes the symbolic and performative aspects of regional governance, offering critical insights into Southeast Asia's evolving political landscape.