Nicole George

Nicole George is an Associate Professor at the School of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Queensland, where she also serves as Director of Engagement and Advancement. Her work focuses on gendered politics of conflict and peacebuilding, particularly in the Pacific Islands region including Fiji, New Caledonia, Bougainville, and Solomon Islands.

George holds a Bachelor of Arts from Monash University and a PhD from the Australian National University. Her research spans feminist institutional theory, regulatory pluralism, and gendered security frameworks in post-conflict contexts. She has conducted extensive fieldwork in the Pacific Islands since the early 2000s, collaborating with women's organizations and policy-makers to advance gender equality in peace processes.

Her scholarly output demonstrates a consistent focus on the intersection of gender, peace, and security in Pacific contexts. Recent work examines spatial dimensions of peacebuilding, women's leadership in crisis response, and the masculinization of peace processes. She analyzes how gendered power structures operate within customary governance systems and how women navigate these to participate in peacebuilding.

George has led significant externally funded projects including 'Gender Violence, Women's Empowerment and Human Rights in Melanesia' (2013-2016) and 'Toward Inclusive Peace: Mapping Gender Provisions in Peace Agreements' (2016-2020). She has secured current funding for 'Supporting Democratic Action in Myanmar' (2024-2026) and previously led research on community resilience and policing gender violence.

As a supervisor, George has guided numerous PhD candidates researching gender politics across diverse contexts including Indonesia, Malaysia, Zimbabwe, and the Pacific Islands. Her students explore topics ranging from Islamist opposition to gender reforms to climate security and human mobility in the Pacific region. She regularly contributes to policy discussions and media commentary on Pacific regional issues.