Dr Andrew Phillips from the School of Political Science and International Studies was recently awarded with the Janice N. and Milton J. Esman Graduate Prize, the highest honour that can be conferred on a graduating student from Cornell University's Department of Government.
The award acknowledges both the completion of a superior dissertation as well as a record of sustained and outstanding scholarship demonstrated throughout the degree.
Dr Phillips moved to Cornell in 2000 to begin a masters in international relations during which he was also awarded the Kahin Prize, which is bestowed annually to a graduate whose dissertation proposal shows exceptional promise.
Dr Phillips took up his teaching post at UQ earlier this year, and said he was greatly honoured to have been recognised in this way.
"I received great support at Cornell and research for my dissertation was also funded by fellowships from the Mellon Foundation and the Peace Studies Program at Cornell University. Now I am reworking the dissertation for publication," he said.
Titled "Soldiers of God – War, Faith, Empire, and the Transformation of International Orders from Calvin to Al Qaeda", his project explored the combined role that religious radicalism, military innovation, and the breakdown of empires played in transforming international orders in Reformation Europe and nineteenth-century East Asia.
"Lessons from history can be harnessed to improve our capacity to understand and manage the threat presently posed by transnational jihadist terrorism, state failure, and the global spread of Weapons of Mass Destruction," he said.
Dr Phillips said he was attracted to UQ because of the breadth of research expertise available in the School of Political Science and International Studies and its commitment to providing a supportive environment for the development of young scholars.
He is now looking forward to the publication of his research early next year.
Media: Dr Phillips (07 3365 2655, a.phillips2@uq.edu.au) or Naomi Smith (07 3365 1524, naomi.smith@uq.edu.au)
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