Adjunct Associate Professor
Overview
Adjunct Associate Professor Ian Kemish AM is a former senior Australian diplomat and company executive with interest and expertise in the history of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, and in Australia’s engagement with those regions. He divides his time between UQ, writing, personal philanthropy, business advisory work and the not-for-profit sector. Ian originally graduated with Honours in modern Southeast Asian history from the University of Queensland. Ian received a UQ Alumni Excellence Award in 2014.
At UQ, in addition to his adjunct role, Ian serves as the Chair of the Vice Chancellor’s ChangeMakers Alumni Engagement Initiative. He also personally supports a number of scholarships at the university. He and his wife Roxanne Martens sponsor an enduring scholarship for a female Australian indigenous student, and Ian is also a co-founder and ongoing supporter of an annual Berlin residency for UQ humanities graduate students to study in the German capital. He chairs the partnership framework between UQ and Newcrest Mining Limited, which is a major partner for UQ’ as it continues to work on COVID-19 booster vaccine development.
Ian’s 25-year Government career included service as High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Ambassador to Germany, Head of the Prime Minister’s International division and DFAT’s Southeast Asia Division. He was awarded membership of the Order of Australia for his role, as Chair of the Government’s International Emergency Task Force, in leading the response to the 2002 Bali bombings. Mr. Kemish moved to the private sector in 2013, supporting companies to improve their sustainability and community development outcomes in the Indo-Pacific.
Mr. Kemish is an independent strategic adviser to a number of private and public sector clients. He is the regional representative for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific for the World Bank’s Global Partnership for Education. He is a Director of the Australia-Indonesia Centre at Monash University, a Visiting Fellow at the Lowy Institute of International Affairs, and an Honorary Fellow at Deakin University. He is Chairman of the not-for-profit Kokoda Track Foundation, a director of 3rd Space, which provides services to the homeless in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, and a Business Champion of the Australian Government’s New Colombo Plan.
Research Interests
- History of Papua New Guinea, including the building of an oral history collection on the PNG Independence era.
- Modern history of South East Asia and the Pacific
- History of the Australian consular service
- German history and politics
Research Impacts
Adjunct Professor Kemish has a focus on the modern history of Southeast Asia and the Pacific and Australia’s engagement with these regions. This includes a focus on Papua New Guinea, including the building of an oral history collection on the PNG Independence era. This primary record is available via an accessible website to stimulate public interest, including in PNG, in the country's recent history.
Ian writes regularly on current development and international security issues in the Indo-Pacific region for a variety of publications, supporting public discussion on themes of direct interest to Australia. He supports UQ International Development as it works to engage with major development and humanitarian issues in the Indo-Pacific.
Ian's book The Consul will be published on 19 July 2022. It focuses on the recent history of Australia's consular service and its adaptation to the imperatives of the early 21st century - growing traveller numbers, increased expectations, terrorism, arbitrary detention and health threats. These are matters of considerable current interest inluding in the context of abritrary detentions, the war in Ukraine and the resumption of international travel.
Publications
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Other Outputs: China's plans for the Pacific do not stop with Solomons
Kemish, Ian (2022, 04 23). China's plans for the Pacific do not stop with Solomons Sydney Morning Herald 26-27.
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Other Outputs: How should the next Australian government handle the Pacific?
Kemish, Ian (2022, 04 14). How should the next Australian government handle the Pacific? The Conversation
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Other Outputs: The half hour that fundamentally split Germany from Russia
Kemish, Ian (2022, 03 03). The half hour that fundamentally split Germany from Russia The Interpreter
Publications
Book Chapter
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Bali bombings: A whole of government response
Roach, Jeff and Kemish, Ian (2005). Bali bombings: A whole of government response. Tourism in Turbulent Times: Towards Safe Experiences for Visitors. (pp. 277-289) London, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780080457321
Journal Article
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A dam has been breached: a COVID crisis on our doorstep shows how little we pay attention to PNG
Kemish, Ian (2021, 03 18). A dam has been breached: a COVID crisis on our doorstep shows how little we pay attention to PNG The Conversation
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Farewell, Grand Chief. Public obituary of Sir Michael Somare
Kemish, Ian (2021, 03 01). Farewell, Grand Chief. Public obituary of Sir Michael Somare Lowy Interpreter
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Kemish, Ian (2020, 08 30). China wants to be a friend to the Pacific, but so far it has failed to match Australia’s COVID-19 response The Conversation
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Kemish, Ian (2020, 07 03). China’s push into PNG has been surprisingly slow and ineffective. Why has Beijing found the going so tough?
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Notes on representing Australia in Papua New Guinea
Kemish, Ian (2020, 05 04). Notes on representing Australia in Papua New Guinea Lowy Interpreter
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Australia-PNG: relationships are what matter
Kemish, Ian (2018, 10 10). Australia-PNG: relationships are what matter Lowy Interpreter
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PNG is changing and we need to keep up
Kemish, Ian (2016, 02 23). PNG is changing and we need to keep up Lowy Interpreter
Other Outputs
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China's plans for the Pacific do not stop with Solomons
Kemish, Ian (2022, 04 23). China's plans for the Pacific do not stop with Solomons Sydney Morning Herald 26-27.
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How should the next Australian government handle the Pacific?
Kemish, Ian (2022, 04 14). How should the next Australian government handle the Pacific? The Conversation
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The half hour that fundamentally split Germany from Russia
Kemish, Ian (2022, 03 03). The half hour that fundamentally split Germany from Russia The Interpreter
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Can the new German Foreign Minister make a difference?
Kemish, Ian (2022, 02 03). Can the new German Foreign Minister make a difference? The Interpreter
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Kemish, Ian (2022, 01 20). Indonesia will take a big step on the global stage this year – are Australians paying enough attention? The Conversation
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Australia’s friends in Asia need to muscle up to help contain China and Russia
Kemish, Ian and Eldon, Stewart (2022, 01 10). Australia’s friends in Asia need to muscle up to help contain China and Russia Sydney Morning Herald 10-10.
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Kemish, Ian (2021, 10 11). PNG and Fiji were both facing COVID catastrophes. Why has one vaccine rollout surged and the other stalled?
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Kemish, Ian (2021, 09 27). Dankeschoen Frau Merkel The Interpreter
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For Aussies, it was the end of Innocence
Kemish, Ian (2021, 09 09). For Aussies, it was the end of Innocence The Australian 12-12.
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Ritchie, Jonathan, Kemish, Ian, Spearritt, Peter, Stell, Marion, Lowe, David and Moutu, Andrew (2015). PNG Speaks. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea: Papua New Guinea National Museum & Art Gallery.
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The breakdown in relations between the Communist Parties of Kampuchea and Vietnam, 1963-1975
Kemish, Ian (1987). The breakdown in relations between the Communist Parties of Kampuchea and Vietnam, 1963-1975. Honours Thesis, School of History, Politics, Religion and Classics, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/uql.2017.741
