Dr Melissa Curley
Deputy Director Graduate Centre
Postgraduate Internship Coordinator
Researcher biography
Senior Lecturer in International Relations. Her research and teaching interests include Southeast Asian politics and international relations, Cambodian politics and post-conflict reconstruction, and non-traditional security in East Asia (including trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling, pandemic disease and child protection issues). Dr. Curley co-facilitated the UQ Working Group on Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling in the T.C Bernie School of Law (http://www.law.uq.edu.au/humantrafficking) from 2012-2016. She has published in internationally peer reviewed journals including: Review of International Studies, The Journal of Law and Society, Australian Journal of Human Rights, and Australian Journal of International Affairs, amongst others. Her most recent book is Migration and Security in Asia (Routledge 2008) with S.L. Wong. Before joining the School in January 2006, Dr. Curley was a researcher in the China-ASEAN project at the Centre of Asian Studies at the University of Hong Kong, where she also coordinated a consultancy project on Southeast Asian affairs for the Hong Kong Government's Central Policy Unit. She holds a Ph.D in International Relations from Nottingham Trent University in the UK, and BA(Hons) in Government from UQ.
In 2015, Dr Curley joined the Executive Advisory Board of Bravehearts, an Australian not-for profit organisation that aims to educate, empower and protect Australian children from sexual assault, and in 2016 was made a Paul Harris Fellow, in recognition of her services to The Rotary Foundation. In 2020 she gained Fellowship status with the Higher Education Academy (UK).
Book
Curley, Melissa and Pettiford, Lloyd (1999). Changing security agendas and the third world. London: Pinter Publishers.
Book Chapters
Curley, Melissa and McCarthy, Stephen (2023). Governing the limits of civil society in Cambodia and Myanmar. Authoritarianism and civil society in Asia. (pp. 197-217) edited by Anthony J. Spires and Akihiro Ogawa. Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003256809-16
Curley, Melissa (2019). Exporting harmful people: analysing Australia’s extraterritorial child sex tourism laws. The state and cosmopolitan responsibilities. (pp. 119-146) edited by Richard Beardsworth, Garrett Wallace Brown and Richard Shapcott. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/oso/9780198800613.003.0007
Curley, Melissa (2016). Migration and the movements of people. An introduction to non-traditional security studies: a transnational approach. (pp. 193-209) edited by Mely Caballero-Anthony. London, United Kingdom: Sage.
Curley, Melissa (2014). Developments in Cambodian democracy: democratic consolidation or authoritarian durability?. Democracy in Eastern Asia: Issues, problems and challenges in a region of diversity. (pp. 138-158) edited by Edmund S. K. Fung and Steven Drakeley. Abingdon, Oxon, U.K.: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780203795088
Curley, Melissa (2014). Discourses and deconstruction: child sex tourism in Cambodia and Burma/Myanmar. The Globalization of World Politics: Case Studies from Australia, New Zealand and the Asia Pacific. (pp. 38-40) edited by Charles Hawksley and Nichole Georgeou. South Melbourne, VIC, Australia: Oxford University Press.
Curley, Melissa (2013). Human security's future in regional co-operation and governance?. Human security. (pp. 1-15) edited by Taylor Owen. Los Angeles, United States: Sage Publicaitons.
Curley, Melissa and Herington, Jonathan (2012). The securitisation of avian influenza: international discourses and domestic politics in Asia. Health, security and governance. (pp. 141-166) edited by Nicholas Thomas. London, United Kingdom: Routledge.
Curley, Melissa G. and Thomas, Nicholas (2012). Advancing East Asian regionalism: An introduction. Advancing East Asian regionalism. (pp. 1-25) edited by Melissa G. Curley and Nicholas Thomas. Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Taylor and Francis. doi: 10.4324/9780203023303-9
Curley, Melissa and Thomas, Nicholas (2012). Human security and public health in Southeast Asia: The SARS outbreak. Health, security and governance. (pp. 17-32) edited by Nicholas Thomas. London, United Kingdom: Routledge.
Curley, Melissa G. (2012). The role of civil society in East Asian region building. Advancing East Asian Regionalism. (pp. 179-202) London, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780203023303-17
Curley, Melissa and Sui-lun, Wong (2008). Introduction: Applying securitisation theory to unregulated migration in Asia. Security and migration Asia : The dynamics of securitisation. (pp. 3-18) edited by Melissa G. Curley and Wong Sui-lun. London: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780203934722
Curley, Melissa G. (2008). Levels of Analysis Issues in the Migration-Security Nexus. Security and migration Asia : The dynamics of securitisation. (pp. 19-34) edited by Melissa Curley and Wong Sui-lun. London: Routledge.
Curley, Melissa G. and Wong, Sui-lun (2008). Conclusion: Undocumented migration and the state/human security nexus in Asia. Security and Migration in Asia: The Dynamics of Securitisation. (pp. 179-184) edited by Melissa Curle and Sui-lun Wong. London & New York: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780203934722
Curley, Melissa G. (2008). New Threats to Security: Unregulated migration, pandemics and disease. Australian Foreign Policy in the Age of Terror. (pp. 133-156) edited by Ungerer, Carl J.. Sydney: University of New South Wales Press.
Curley, Melissa G. and Siu-lun, Wong (2008). Preface. Security and Migration in Asia: The dynamics of securitisation. (pp. xv-xvi) edited by Melissa Curley and Siu-lun Wong. London, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780203934722
Curley, M. (2007). The role of civil society in East Asian region-building. Advancing East Asian regionalism. (pp. 179-201) edited by Melissa G. Curley and Nick Thomas. London, U.K.: Routledge.
Curley, M. and Thomas, N. (2007). An Introduction. Advancing East Asian Regionalism. (pp. 1-25) edited by Melissa G. Curley and Nicholas Thomas. London: Routledge.
Curley, M (2006). An Avian Flu Pandemic in the Asia-Pacific: Lessons on Regional Cooperation from the 2003 SARS Outbreak. An Avian Flu Pandemic: What Would It Mean and What Can We Do?. (pp. 37-44) edited by Michael Birt and Claire Topal. Seattle, USA: The National Bureau of Asian Research.
Curley, Melissa and Wang, Qingxin K. (2004). Poverty and Non-Traditional Security: Experiences of China’s Partnership with Multilateral Donor Institutions on Poverty Alleviation. Broadening Asia's security discourse and agenda : political, social, and environmental perspectives. (pp. 72-96) edited by Ramesh Thakur and Edward Newman. Tokyo: United Nations University Press.
Journal Articles
Irvine-Collins, Emma, Moore, Emma, Cao, Kailun, Curley, Melissa, Ablaza, Christine and Heard, Emma (2022). Promoting compassionate responses to disclosures of sexual violence in university settings: exploring the impact of a social marketing campaign. Violence Against Women, 29 (9), 107780122211348-1852. doi: 10.1177/10778012221134822
Curley, Melissa (2018). Governing Civil Society in Cambodia: Implications of the NGO Law for the “Rule of Law”. Asian Studies Review, 42 (2), 247-267. doi: 10.1080/10357823.2018.1457624
Curley, Melissa, Dressel, Björn and McCarthy, Stephen (2018). Competing Visions of the Rule of Law in Southeast Asia: Power, Rhetoric and Governance. Asian Studies Review, 42 (2), 192-209. doi: 10.1080/10357823.2018.1448753
Curley, Melissa and Stanley, Elizabeth (2016). Extraterritorial jurisdiction, criminal law and transnational crime: insights from the application of Australia's Child Sex Tourism Offences. Bond Law Review, 28 (2), 169-197.
Curley, Melissa and Vandyk, Kahlia (2016). The securitisation of migrant smuggling in Australia and its consequences for the Bali Process. Australian Journal of International Affairs, 71 (1), 1-21. doi: 10.1080/10357718.2016.1181149
Curley, Melissa and Holt, Bethany (2014). Beyond the Criminal Justice Orthodoxy? Australia’s overseas aid program and compliance with the trafficking protocol. Australian Journal of Human Rights, 20 (1), 129-161. doi: 10.1080/1323-238X.2014.11882143
Curley, Melissa (2014). Combating child sex tourism in South-east Asia: law enforcement cooperation and civil society partnerships. Journal of Law and Society, 41 (2), 283-314. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-6478.2014.00667.x
Curley, Melissa and Schloenhardt, Andreas (2014). Undergraduate research and human rights: an Australian case study on human trafficking and migrant smuggling. Council on Undergraduate Research Quarterly, 34 (3), 24-29.
Curley, Melissa (2012). Human security's future in regional cooperation and governance?. Australian Journal of International Affairs, 66 (5), 527-541. doi: 10.1080/10357718.2011.570242
Curley, Melissa and Moores, Dane (2011). Issues in Australian foreign policy: January to June 2011. Australian Journal of Politics and History, 57 (4), 597-613. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8497.2011.01617.x
Curley, Melissa G. and Herrington, Jonathan (2011). The securitization of avian influenza: International discourses and domestic politics in Asia. Review of International Studies, 37 (1), 141-166. doi: 10.1017/S0260210510000537
Curley, Melissa, Davies, Sara, Devetak, Richard and Kaempf, Seb (2009). Twentieth anniversary special issue. International relations: An oceanic perspective. Global Change, Peace and Security, 21 (1), 1-2. doi: 10.1080/14781150802659218
Curley, Melissa and Thomas, Nick (2004). Human Security and Public Health in Southeast Asia: The SARS Outbreak. Australian Journal of International Affairs, 58 (1), 17-32. doi: 10.1080/1035771032000184737
Curley, Melissa (2002). Security and illegal migration in Northeast Asia. Center for East Asian Studies Monterey Institute of International Studies
Curley, Melissa (2002). NGOs in China: The Role of International Organizations and South-South Cooperation. Asian Perspective - Special Addition on China-ASEAN Relations, 26 (4), 171-200.
Curley, M.G. (2000). Exploring complex security realities: NGOs, community and state development partnerships in Laos. Asian Perspectives, 24 (1), 187-216.
Conference Papers
Macarayan, Erlyn, Western, Mark, Curley, Melissa and Gilks, Charles (2016). Cambodia’s health systems performance and the need for systems thinking approach. Prince Mahidol Award Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, 26-31 January 2016. Bangkok, Thailand: Prince Mahidol Award Conference.
Macarayan, E., Western, M. and Curley, M. (2015). Assessing health systems performance in low and middle income countries. 6th Annual CUGH Conference, Boston, MA United States, 26-28 March 2015. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.aogh.2015.02.942
Macarayan, E. R. K., Western, M., Curley, M. and Gilks, C. (2015). Healthcare financing and outcomes in low and middle income countries. 9th European Congress on Tropical Medicine and International Health, Basel, Switzerland, 6-10 September 2015. Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell. doi: 10.1111/tmi.12575
Macarayan, E., Curley, M. and Western, M. (2014). Using principles of political psychology in health systems performance comparative case studies. Australasian Political Psychology Workshop, Monash University Law Chambers, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Macarayan, E., Curley, M. and Western, M. (2014). Typologies of people-centered health systems in low and middle income countries. Third Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, Cape Town, South Africa, 30 September-3 October 2014.
Macarayan, E., Curley, M. and Western, M. (2014). Mapping health systems in low and middle income countries: directions for aid flows. McDonell International Symposium, St Louis, Missouri, United States, 16-19 October 2014.
Macarayan, E., Curley, M. and Western, M. (2014). Ageing and health system reforms: critical assessment of trends and innovations in low and middle income countries. Universitas 21 Graduate Research Conference, University of Auckland, New Zealand, 30 June-4 July 2014.
Macarayan, E, Curley, M and Western, M (2014). Is democracy needed for health systems performance assessments?. APSA 2014: Australian Political Studies Association Annual Conference, Sydney, Australia, 28 September - 04 October 2014.
Macarayan, Erlyn Rachelle, Fernandez, Klein, Curley, Melissa and Western, Mark (2013). Fiscal Decentralization, Health Expenditures, and Public Health Outcomes. Rc28 Conference, Brisbane, Australia, 16 - 20 July 2013. St Lucia, QLD Australia: The University of Queensland Institute for Social Science Research.
Macarayan, Erlyn, Curley, Melissa and Western, Mark (2013). Mainstreaming Health Insurance for the Disadvantaged Children. 8th Health Policy and Services Research Conference, Intercontinental Wellington, New Zealand, 2 - 4 December 2013.
Macarayan, Erlyn Rachelle K., Curley, Melissa and Western, Mark (2013). The Southeast Asian politics of natural resource use: impacts on food and health inequalities. APSA 2013: Australian Political Studies Association Annual Conference 2013, Perth, WA, Australia, 30 September-1 October, 2013. Parkville, VIC Australia: Australian Political Studies Association.
Macarayan, Erlyn, Curley, Melissa and Western, Mark (2013). Applying Progress as a Tool to Measure Well-being. 2013 Perspectives on Progress Conference, The University of Queensland, 26 - 29 November 2013. St Lucia, Brisbane QLD Australia: The University of Queensland.
Curley, M.G. (2004). The Role of the Non-profit sector in Transitional Asian Economies. The Case of Cambodia. 15th Biennial Conference of the ASAA, National Convention Centre, Canberra, 29 June- 2 July, 2004.