Reuter Thomas

Prof Thomas Reuter is a Professor at the Asia Institute, University of Melbourne, and affiliated with the University of Bonn’s SE Asia Institute in Germany. He holds a PhD from the Australian National University (1997) and has held prestigious fellowships including Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (2010–present) and Queen Elizabeth II Research Fellowship (2001–2006). His research focuses on anthropology, climate change, religious studies, political elites, and Southeast Asian studies. He has authored over 120 articles and 13 books, including seminal works on Balinese society and Indonesian democracy.

Education:

• PhD, Australian National University (1997)

Research Interests:
His work explores indigenous knowledge systems, environmental policy, religious revitalization, and globalisation impacts. Notable areas include the intersection of climate change with local communities, the role of anthropology in sustainability, and the dynamics of political transitions in Southeast Asia. He employs ethnographic methods to study cultural practices and social movements.

Professional Roles:

• Elected to the board of the World Academy of Arts and Science (2019)
• Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (2018)
• Former Vice-President of the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences (2008–2018)
• Advisor to IPBES and IPCC on environmental assessments

Labs/Teams:
Involved with interdisciplinary networks including Future Earth (Asia), the World Social Science Forum, and the International Union of Anthropologists. His work bridges academia and policy, emphasizing global-local interactions in environmental governance.