Social Transformation in the Asia Pacific Region

The Asia Pacific region has experienced rapid economic development and social transformation. As a region it consists of the countries of East, South, and Southeast Asia, the islands of the Pacific, and the APEC economies. It includes many of the most populous countries in the world (such as India and China), some of the largest economies as well as some of the poorest countries, the biggest Muslim country in the world (Indonesia) and some of the most remarkable examples of industrial transformation outside of Europe and North America, such as Japan and Korea. It is a region that offers unique insights into social transformation processes triggered by national and international development policies and their effects at local, regional and transnational levels.

What is CAPSTRANS?

The Centre for Asia Pacific Social Transformation Studies (CAPSTRANS) seeks to examine these processes through innovative research by combining methods from a variety of disciplines, including political science, economics, management studies, sociology, anthropology, media studies, social history and language and literature studies. CAPSTRANS is an Australian Research Council Key Centre for Teaching and Research and a joint venture of the University of Wollongong and the University of Newcastle.

CAPSTRANS concentrates on five interlinked research programs to achieve an understanding of social transformation in the Asia Pacific region:

• Mobility and Exclusion
• Globalisation and International Development
• Australia in the Asia-Pacific
• Culture and Representation
• Globalisation and Education

CAPSTRANS is a truly multidisciplinary Centre with research staff and graduate students from various faculties at both universities.

Teaching program

An important feature of the Centre's work is its contribution to postgraduate teaching programs in development and social change. Students enrolled in these coursework and research degrees benefit from their interactions with internationally recognized researchers. In turn, we see these students as a vital part of the Centre's intellectual activities.