Matthew Allen

Dr Matthew Allen is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Australian National University's (ANU) Resources, Environment and Development Department within the Crawford School of Public Policy. He holds a PhD from ANU and has over 25 years of experience in human geography research, teaching, and development work in the Pacific Islands. His expertise spans natural resource governance, political ecology, and conflict studies with a focus on Melanesia.

Education: BA, Grad Dip, MSc, PhD (ANU).

Research Interests: Natural resource governance, extractive industries, rural development, political economy, state-society relations, and conflict resolution in the Pacific region. His work emphasizes Melanesian case studies, including Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.

Grants & Consultancies: Led research projects exceeding AUD $2 million, collaborating with UN agencies, World Bank, and others. His policy engagement includes op-eds, media, and consultancy reports.

• Key Career Highlights:
• Principal Consultant at Sustineo Pty Ltd (2021-current)
• Professor of Development Studies at University of the South Pacific (2018-2020)
• Australian Research Council DECRA Fellow (2014-2017)

Publications: Authored seminal works such as Greed and Grievance: Ex-militants’ Perspectives on the Conflict in Solomon Islands (2013) and Resource Extraction and Contentious States (2018).