New Head of Arts at Monash

27 March 2008

Monash is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor James Chin as Head of the Arts Discipline at its Sunway campus. Professor Chin, who assumed his office on March 1, comes with considerable experience.  He has served as Head of Swinburne University's School of Business (Malaysia Campus), Director of the Institute of East Asian Studies, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and Deputy Dean (Research and Academic Affairs), School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Papua New Guinea.

He has also taught in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.  Professor Chin is an expert on political development and governance in South East Asia and the Pacific Islands.  He was awarded the 25th Independence Anniversary medal by the Papua New Guinea Government for these services to the country. He has published several monographs on Malaysian politics and the Chinese community in South East Asia.  He is currently working an edited volume on Singaporean politics.

Professor Chin sees great opportunities for the Arts Discipline to be a leading centre for Malaysian and regional studies in key areas such as cultural and social studies.  He intends to expand the number of postgraduate students in the School, especially at PhD level, to boost the School's research profile.

Professor Chin hold degrees from the University of Adelaide and the University of Sydney in Australia, and a PhD from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. Prior to an academic career, Professor Chin worked as a journalist in Singapore and Malaysia.