History’s lessons for politics
A LEADING historian of Australia’s international relations in the Asia-Pacific is examining the role historians have to play in policymaking in a time of increasing international tension.
David Lowe, Deakin’s Chair of Contemporary History and head of the University’s unique Contemporary Histories Research Group (CHRG), will use upcoming research trips to the UK and Japan to examine a variety of issues, including the use of history by politicians, the growth of international students as a factor in cultural diplomacy and the history of Australia’s foreign and aid policies.
Prof Lowe will take up a position as visiting Professor in Australian Studies at the Centre for Pacific and American Studies, University of Tokyo, in 2019 after completing his Smuts Visiting Research Fellowship in Commonwealth Studies at the University of Cambridge in the UK, which begins in October this year.
During his time at Cambridge, Prof Lowe will research the role of the Commonwealth in planning and implementing aid and development for a de- colonising Asia in the 1950s.
He is also hoping to strengthen ties between the British History and Policy group and the group he cofounded in Australia — the Australian Policy and History network.
“Essentially, the mission of these two groups is to ask which of the great policy issues that governments are wrestling with have historical precedents that historians might be able to bring to the debate,” he said.
“For example, terrorism prevention laws balance protection and the diminishing of personal liberties and raise the question of how far governments can go while maintaining the trust of their people.
“You can imagine that these same issues arose during both world wars and with the creation of security and secret services.”
Prof Lowe said ideally historians could present information to governments about what had happened before and after similar policy developments in the past and help to inform new policy.
“The British History and Policy group have been very good at that; their reach is quite significant and they are called on to brief civil services and the Government,” he said.
“The group holds regular workshops and ‘witness seminars’, which bring together teams involved in previous crisis decision making and current day policymakers.”
Prof Lowe said that with significant support from Deakin’s CHRG, the Australian Policy and History network had been working towards performing a similar role.
“We are excited that, towards the end of this year, Australian members will take part in a two-day conference in London with the British His- tory and Policy network and the US National Centre for History to examine the role of historians in public policy,” he said.
Prof Lowe’s Visiting Professorship in Tokyo will also contribute to discussions about the role of history in currentday policy making.
“I’m keen to connect with scholars at the Centre for Pacific and American Studies who share the interests of Deakin’s CHRG in showing the historical underpinnings and lessons for current policy debates,” he said.
Prof Lowe said it was a dynamic time for the Asia-Pacific region, with potential shifts in the international power balance causing both concern and opportunities.
“A lot of good comes from policy debates being informed by a strong sense of regional history,” he said.
“When politicians justify policy as being necessary because there are no precedents to a particular event, we need historians to point out the precedents that inevitably do exist and use what we’ve learnt from those experiences to shape and inform current policy.”