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Kate Macdonald

Associate Professor, Political Science, The University of Melbourne
I joined the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne in January 2009. Before coming to Melbourne, I did my DPhil in the Department of International Development at Oxford (jointly supervised in the Department of Politics and International Relations), and I worked as a Fellow of Government (Global Politics) at the London School of Economics and Political Science, a Research Fellow at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics at the Australian National University and a Research Officer at the Department of Politics and International Relations at Oxford University.

My research focuses on transnational governance and accountability systems, especially in relation to transnational business regulation, and accountability in the international development sector. I have conducted research and consultancy work on these topics for a range of Australian and international organisations including the Forest Stewardship Council, Amnesty International, ActionAid Australia, Oxfam Australia and the UK’s Corporate Responsibility Coalition, and I am currently on the advisory board of the Jubilee Australia Research Foundation.

Economy

The UK has a growing food black market – and it’s making the cost of living crisis worse

The UK food sector has faced its fair share of challenges, and issues around supply are not uncommon. In the year to January 2024, overall food prices rose by 7%. To compound this, last year, the UKs Competition and...

Why do we need a Net Zero Economy Authority? And how can it fulfil its promise?

To support its climate agenda, the Albanese government is building new institutions. One of the most important will be the Net Zero Economy Authority. The proposed laws to create this authority are currently before the...

African countries could unlock billions in local and global trade – what’s working and what’s not

Africas share of global trade remains disproportionately small, hovering around 2%-3%. Countries on the continent trade more with the rest of the world than they do among themselves. Africa needs to improve its share of...

Race still divides South Africa – study shows little transformation in new suburbs in country’s economic hub

As South Africa reflects on 30 years of democracy, its important to ask whether its cities have changed for the better when it comes to racial mixing. During apartheid, South Africas residential development was...

Does the US have a planned economy? You might be surprised

During the Cold War, a heated debate arose over the role of economic planning. Did the planned economy of the USSR or the free market economy of the U.S. allocate resources more productively? Arguments against planned...

Politics

TSMC Weighed Leaving Taiwan Amid China Tensions, Deemed Move Infeasible

TSMC disclosed it had considered relocating its chip factories from Taiwan amid escalating China tensions but decided the move was impractical. TSMCs Relocation Discussions Tensions between Taiwan and China have been...

Mexico: Sheinbaum faces uphill task to buck the trend and curtail spiralling violence

Mexico has reached a political milestone. According to a quick count by the countrys electoral commission, Mexican voters have just elected their first female president. In a society that has long treated its women...

Shein Engages with Labour Party Ahead of UK Election, Potential Listing

In anticipation of the upcoming election, the Labour Party met with Shein to discuss the fast-fashion companys potential listing on the London Stock Exchange. Labours Mission for Growth In anticipation of its...

Outside Supreme Court justice’s home, a Revolution-era flag, now a call for Christian nationalism

Homes owned by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito have flown flags linked to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and the general effort of Donald Trump and his supporters to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential...

Election 2024: up to 8 million people are not properly registered to vote

The general election is to take place on July 4 but up to 8 million people may not be correctly registered to vote. The deadline for registering to vote is 11.59pm on Tuesday, June 18 less than a month after the...

Science

Eye exercises to improve sight – is there any science behind them? An ophthalmologist explains why you shouldn’t buy the hype

You may have seen advertisements claiming to eliminate the need for eyeglasses through vision therapy or vision training basically, eye exercises. These exercises include putting pressure on or palming the eye; eye...

The universe’s biggest explosions made some of the elements we are composed of. But there’s another mystery source out there

After its birth in the Big Bang, the universe consisted mainly of hydrogen and a few helium atoms. These are the lightest elements in the periodic table. More-or-less all elements heavier than helium were produced in the...

Engineering cells to broadcast their behavior can help scientists study their inner workings

Waves are ubiquitous in nature and technology. Whether its the rise and fall of ocean tides or the swinging of a clocks pendulum, the predictable rhythms of waves create a signal that is easy to track and distinguish from...

If an asteroid hit Earth and all the humans died, would the dinosaurs come back?

Many, many years ago dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Six-year-old Aga knows that a meteorite wiped them out… but could another meteorite bring them back? You can read a print version of this story...

Ancient DNA from an extinct native duck reveals how far birds flew to make New Zealand home

Ask a bird lover if they have heard of the extinct giant moa or its ancient predator, Haasts eagle, and the answer will likely be yes. The same cant be said of New Zealands extinct, but equally unique, mergansers a group...

Technology

PUBLISH Inc. Set to Launch PUBLISH 2.0, Aiming to Transform Digital News Publishing

PUBLISH Inc. has unveiled its roadmap for PUBLISH 2.0, an advanced blockchain-based ecosystem designed to enhance digital news publishing. The launch marks a significant development in the companys efforts to integrate...

EVs Are Too Expensive: 5 New Affordable Models Coming Soon

As electric vehicle prices soar, several car manufacturers are launching more affordable models. Upcoming releases from Tesla, Ford, Volvo, Kia, Chevy, VW, and Rivian promise to address the affordability issue, with prices...

Mirror-Finish Tesla Cybertrucks: Eye-Catching Trend Legal on U.S. Roads

A new trend sees Tesla Cybertrucks sporting mirror finishes, applied by an American polishing company. Despite concerns about potential glare, experts confirm these vehicles are legal to drive on U.S. roads, though they...

Elon Musk Confirms No Model Y Refresh for 2024, Tesla Launches New Model Y Variant in U.S.

Elon Musk confirmed there will be no Model Y refresh in 2024, despite rumors to the contrary. Meanwhile, Tesla has introduced a new Long-Range Rear-Wheel-Drive Model Y configuration in the U.S., priced at $44,990 with an...

PEPE Jumps 5% After 231B Whale Buyup, Sparking Rally Speculation

PEPE saw a 5% surge after a whale purchased 231 billion tokens, signaling the potential for a rally. The significant buyup, worth $2.9 million, occurred within 24 hours, raising hopes among investors for a price...