Mr Jack Butcher
School of Society and Culture
College of Education, Behavioural and Social Science
Jack Butcher is a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Adelaide. Jack is currently researching the emergence of strategic partnerships in East Asia from 2006-2023 through the case studies of the US, China, Japan, ASEAN, and Australia. His research interests include the international politics of Northeast and Southeast Asia, international relations and security studies theory, Global (non-western) approaches to international relations and security, regionalism, order-building, multilateralism, minilateralism, alliances, strategic partnerships and inter-state diplomacy in East Asia.Jack holds a Master of International Security and a Bachelor of International Studies with minors in Asian and Chinese Studies from the University of Adelaide.
Jack's doctoral thesis focuses on how a complex interplay between power, interest and norms have influenced the emergence and functions of strategic partnerships as a new security practice in East Asia through five case studies of the US, China, ASEAN, Japan and Australia. Adopting a pragmatist ethos that seeks to engage theory and policy practice, Jack's thesis makes use of process tracing methodologies through analysis of critical junctures at the regional and unit-levels (state) to explain how risks, threats, interests and norms have interacted to produce strategic partnerships in each entity's strategic doctrines in the Asia-Pacific.
| Date | Position | Institution name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 - ongoing | Japan-Australia Dialogue & Exchange for the Next Generation (JADE) Fellow | Japan Foundation & the United States Studies Centre, the University of Sydney |
| 2024 - ongoing | Lecturer & Course Co-convenor | The University of Adelaide |
| 2023 - 2024 | Teaching Assistant | The University of Adelaide |
| 2022 - 2023 | Research Assistant | The University of Adelaide |
| 2022 - 2022 | Indo-Pacific Fellow | Young Australians in International Affairs |
| Language | Competency |
|---|---|
| Chinese (Mandarin) | Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review |
| English | Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review |
| Japanese | Can read, write, speak and understand spoken |
| Korean | Can read and write |
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 - 2025 | The University of Adelaide | Australia | Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science |
| 2020 - 2021 | The University of Adelaide | Australia | Master of International Security |
| 2017 - 2018 | Tsinghua University | China | Bachelor of International Studies (Academic Exchange) |
| 2017 - 2017 | Kim Hyong-jik University of Education | Korea, Democratic People's Republic of | Diploma in Korean |
| 2016 - 2018 | The University of Adelaide | Australia | Bachelor of International Studies, Minors in Asian and Chinese Studies |
| Date | Title | Institution name | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | HSK Level 6 汉语水平考试六级 | Hanban/Confucius Institute | China |
| 2018 | Certificate IV in TESOL | Teach International | Australia |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Gao, M., O'Connor, J., Xie, B., & Butcher, J. (Eds.) (2025). The Great Decoupling A New Global Order/Disorder?. Singapore: Springer Nature. DOI |
| 2025 | Gao, M., O'Connor, J., Xie, B., & Butcher, J. (Eds.) (2025). The Great Decoupling A New Global Order/Disorder?. Singapore: Springer Nature. DOI |
| 2023 | Gao, M., O'Connor, J., Xie, B., & Butcher, J. (2023). Different Histories, Shared Futures: Dialogues on Australia-China. DOI Scopus2 |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Butcher, J. (2024). Australia-Vietnam: A partnership made in China?. Lowy Institute. |
| 2022 | Butcher, J. (2022). The World Must Maintain Pacific Island Countries’ Collective Agency in International Affairs. Young Australians in International Affairs (YAIA). |
| 2022 | Butcher, J. (2022). Confluence of the Two Seas: Shinzo Abe's strategic imagination inspired the creation of a new region. Young Australians in International Affairs (YAIA). |
| 2022 | Butcher, J. (2022). Pelosi’s “symbolic” Taiwan visit leads to a precarious new normal for Indo-Pacific security. Young Australians in International Affairs (YAIA). |
| 2022 | Butcher, J. (2022). Vietnam’s cautious approach to Quad reflects delicate strategic balance. Young Australians in International Affairs (YAIA). |
| 2022 | Butcher, J. (2022). North Korea’s New Nuclear Doctrine Renders “Complete Denuclearisation” Improbable. Young Australians in International Affairs (YAIA). |
| 2022 | Butcher, J. (2022). The Kishida Doctrine: Building Japan’s Security for the Future. Young Australians in International Affairs (YAIA). |
| 2020 | Butcher, J. (2020). South Korea—Japan Diplomatic Freeze Problematic for US Alliance Network in East Asia. Young Australians in International Affairs (YAIA). |
| Year | Grant Name | Amount | Awarding Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Adelaide Graduate Research School (AGRS) Travel Grant | $2,600 | The University of Adelaide |
| 2024 | Adelaide Graduate Research School (AGRS) Travel Grant | $2,500 | The University of Adelaide |
| 2023 | China Studies Centre Research Grant | $5,000 | The University of Sydney |
| 2022 | Research Training Program (RTP) Stipend | $32,000 p.a. | Department of Education, Australian Government |
| 2017 | New Colombo Plan Mobility Grant | $3,000 | Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade |
| 2017 | Westpac Bicentennial Asian Exchange Scholarship | $12,000 | Westpac Bank |
Lecturer & Course Co-convenor:
| Course Code | Course Title | Year |
|---|---|---|
| POLIS 7026 | International Security | 2025 |
| POLIS 7026 | International Security | 2024 |
Teaching Assistant:
| Course Code | Course Title | Year |
|---|---|---|
| POLIS 1102 | Global Politics | 2025 |
| POLIS 7026 | International Security | 2023 |
| POLIS 2140 | Australia's Foreign Policy in the Indo-Pacific | 2023 |
| Date | Role | Membership | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 - ongoing | Member | Australia-China Youth Association (ACYA) | Australia |
| Date | Event Name | Event Type | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 - 2025 | JADE Program Tokyo Trip | Conference | Japan Foundation & United States Centre, The University of Sydney | Japan |
| 2023 - 2023 | The Great Decoupling: A New Global (Dis)order? | Symposium | The University of South Australia & The University of Sydney | Australia |
| 2022 - 2022 | 12th Australia-China Youth Dialogue (ACYD) | Symposium | Australia-China Youth Dialogue | Australia |
| 2021 - 2021 | Different Histories Shared Futures: Can Australia and China learn anything from each other? | Symposium | The University of Adelaide | Australia |
| 2021 - ongoing | US-Australia Alliance Next Generation Leaders Symposium | Symposium | University of Western Australia/University of Adelaide | Australia |
| Date | Topic | Presented at | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 - 2025 | Networking to "Constrain" China? Analysing the Growth of the US's Strategic Partnerships in the Indo-Pacific since 2011 | Seoul National University Asia Center (SNUAC) | Seoul National University (SNU) | Korea, Republic of |
| 2025 - 2025 | Networking a latticework to “constrain” China? Analysing the Growth of the US’s Strategic Partnerships in East Asia | IPSA World Congress | University of Adelaide | Korea, Republic of |
| 2025 - 2025 | Envisioning greater bilateral coordination between Japan and Australia in response to escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula | International House of Japan, Tokyo | Japan Foundation & US Studies Centre, University of Sydney | Japan |
| 2024 - 2024 | Unidentified Political Objects? Eclecticism & Strategic Partnerships in East Asia: Reflections from China, Japan & ASEAN | CEEISA-ISA Joint International Conference | University of Rijeka | Croatia |
| 2021 - ongoing | Mainstream depictions of Australia in mainland China: A lens through “we-media” | Different Histories, Shared Futures: Can Australia and China Learn Anything from Each Other? | University of Adelaide | Australia |
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