Former leader of the Liberal Party, the Hon. Dr Brendan Nelson has been appointed a Distinguished Research Fellow with the Centre for European Studies at ANU. ANU Acting Vice-Chancellor Margaret Harding said this honorary position provides the opportunity for distinguished people outside the University to participate in its education, research and policy engagement. “I am pleased to welcome Dr Brendan Nelson to the University,” she said. “Dr Nelson has had a diverse and successful career that has seen him as serve President of the Australian Medical Association, manage significant Federal Government portfolios during his time as a member of Cabinet, and more recently, strengthen Australia’s links with the European Union and NATO  through his ambassadorial roles. ” “He will bring this wealth of experience and knowledge to ANU, and build on the University’s contribution to the development of public sector policy and debate.” Dr Nelson was Minister for Education, Science, and Training for five years, before becoming Minister for Defence in 2006, when troops were deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, East Timor and the Solomon Islands.  He was leader of the Liberal Party of Australia from 2007 to 2008, and retired from politics in 2009 to take up a position as Australian Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, the European Union and NATO. Dr Nelson recently commenced as Director of the Australian War Memorial in December 2012. The ANU Centre for European Studies Centre (ANUCES) is the leading EU Studies Centre in the country, and aims to promote interdisciplinary dialogue and generate collaborative research projects at home and abroad. ANUCES involves the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences, ANU College of Law, ANU College of Business and Economics, and ANU College of Asia and the Pacific. For further information about the ANU Centre for European Studies visit: http://ces.anu.edu.au For interviews: Jacqueline Lo, Director, Centre for European Studies – 0401 065 505 For media assistance: Erin Schrieber, 02 6125 4144

Regional Trade Agreements and Regionalisation: Motivations and limits of a global phenomenon Gabriele Suder | April, 2013 | Volume 4 Number 1 For more information and to download the briefing paper, please click here. American and European Competing Strategies in Free Trade Agreements in the Asia Pacific Maria Garcia | April, 2013 | Volume 4 Number 2 For more information and to download the briefing paper, please click here.

On 17 March 2012, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ireland, Mr. Eamon Gilmore, T.D., announced the Government’s decision to establish the Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad. The Award provides recognition by the Irish State for persons living abroad, primarily Irish citizens, those entitled to Irish citizenship and those of Irish descent, who have made a sustained and distinguished service to Ireland and/or Irish communities abroad. The Award will not be an honours system and will not confer any legal entitlements or benefits upon the recipients, including a right to Irish citizenship. Nominations for the Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad are now welcome. More information on the Award, inlcuding the eligibility criteria, is available here. For the PDSA nomination form, please click here.

The European Commission would like to draw your attention to the latest Marie Curie fellowship calls under the Seventh Framework Programme for Research.  In particular, we would like to highlight the following two types of fellowships open to non-European nationals: International Outgoing Fellowships (IOF) offer researchers the chance to acquire new knowledge in a high-level organisation outside Europe. As part of the grant agreement, the researchers have to return to Europe and share this knowledge. International Incoming Fellowships (IIF) enable researchers from outside Europe to be trained within a European institution. The application process runs until 14 August 2013. For more details please check the press release by the European Commisson.