Research Bites is your research news digest which aims to capture the diverse research happening in our faculty, collated from various media outlets. In this edition…
Congratulations to Dr Charles Vandepeer | Senior Lecturer in the AGSPS | on his recent book release, Generalship in the Ancient World: Timeless Insights on Command from the Greeks and Romans
Exploring the ancient historical record of generals, armies and battles, this book provides insights into the decision-making of generals from the ancient world, this book presents a practical ‘How to’ guide, drawing widely across Greek and Roman accounts of warfare and providing a series of robust answers with enduring relevance to modern conflict and military command.
Dr Felicity Small, Dr Lucia Wuersch, and Associate Professor Alain Neher, from the School of Business, would like to share the publication of their book chapter as part of the pollinator garden project.
Creating a Community Pollinator Garden: Values and Emotion Work in a Grassroots Initiative. In: Espedal, G., Ruebottom, T., Struminska-Kutra, M., Bento da Silva, J., Creed, D. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Emotions and Values in Organizational Institutionalism is now available.
This qualitative study applies the social-symbolic work framework to explore values and emotion work within a community pollinator garden project at a regional university in Australia. The focus is on how self-work, organisation work, and institutional work are woven into this grassroots initiative, which promotes environmental sustainability and strengthens local community ties.
You can also listen to Felicity, Lucia and Alain talking about the project on the Ergo Cogito podcast.
Dr Geberew Tulu Mekonnen | Senior Lecturer in Criminology | and Dr Leo Lin | Senior Lecturer in Security Studies | are proud to present their latest research, “Australia’s Social Media Age Restriction: A Comparative Analysis of International Approaches and Bioecological Systems Impacts“, has just been published in the journal World.
Key findings from the analysis include:
Contextual evidence: Empirical findings on age-threshold policies remain inconclusive. While unregulated use is linked to psychological vulnerabilities, structured engagement can actually support identity exploration and social connection, particularly for marginalised youth.
Global divergence: Other jurisdictions currently favour alternative models, focusing heavily on strict platform duty-of-care obligations, mandatory parental consent, and integrated screen-time controls.
Sustainable harm reduction: Effective long-term strategies require a balanced ecosystem, combining parental involvement, rigorous platform accountability, and targeted digital literacy education.
Dr Leo Lin recently spoke with Bloomberg and was quoted for their investigation into Chen Zhi’s Prince Holding Group scam networks and transnational organised crime — a story that represents one of the most significant security challenges of our time.
This case involves industrial scam compounds, automated “phone farms” and “pig-butchering” scams targeting victims globally, human trafficking, cryptocurrency laundering, online gambling, and shell companies and business entities spanning more than 30 countries, including major jurisdictions in East and Southeast Asia (Cambodia, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines), Southern Europe (Cyprus), the Middle East (UAE), and the Caribbean (St. Kitts and Nevis). It is an empire that weaponised digital platforms, forced labour, and political protection on an unprecedented, multibillion-dollar scale.
It’s thorough, important journalism. Read the full article here (paywall): https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-03-10/how-cambodia-s-alleged-scam-kingpin-chen-zhi-made-billions-built-global-empire
Dr Tariq Aziz | Lecturer in Engineering is thrilled to share that his latest review paper with engineering colleagues has just been published in the Journal of Construction and Building Materials.
This work takes a deep dive into how surface treatment techniques can unlock the potential of crumb rubber as a viable aggregate in concrete, making construction more circular and sustainable. This research sits at the intersection of waste valorisation, green construction, and materials engineering — and offers a useful resource for researchers, engineers, and industry practitioners working toward more sustainable built environments.
If you’re working at the intersection of sustainable construction, waste valorisation, or circular economy — this one’s for you. You can access the article here: Surface treatments of waste tyres for sustainable concrete production: A performance, environmental and cost-based review.
