Jon is the Director of Research and Innovation for the School of International Studies where he also teaches International Relations. His current research focuses on environmental politics and global climate policy, including governance of solar geoengineering, engingeering biology and carbon dioxide removal. His most recent book Ecomodernism: Technology, Politics and Climate Crisis (Polity, 2019) explores the argument for increased state investment in low-carbon innovation. Jon also works on processes of international norm change. His previous book Queer Wars: The New Global Polarization over Gay Rights (co-authored with Prof. Dennis Altman, Polity, 2016) explored the debate between those arguing that 'LGBTQI rights are human rights' and those who believe rights protections should not extend beyond the 'traditional values of mankind'.

Prior to joining Macquarie University (July 2013) Jon was a Lecturer at La Trobe University, Melbourne and before that an Assistant Professor at Lingnan University, Hong Kong. He received his PhD from the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne in December 2007.

Theories of World Politics - POIR2030

Global Environmental Politics - POIR3970

Policy-Making in a Global Era - POIR3060

Current Supervision:

Chris Wright, 'Climate Clubs, Minilateralism and challenges and opportunities for Australia’s Coal Phase-down' - MRes, Primary Supervisor.

Ellen Kirkpatrick, 'The Pandemic and Capitalist systemic Crises' - PhD, Associate supervisor

Zoin Hassan, 'Gendered Impacts of Climate-linked Disasters' - PhD Associate Supervisor.

Completed PhD Supervision:  

Tom Dixon, 'Bioinformation, Cyberbiosecurity, and Technological Surprise: synthetic biology and great power rivalry'. 2024

Bryan Maher, 'Is Carbon Dioxide Removal Politically Feasible? Exploring the global prospects of CDR via an Australian case'.2020

Alan McCormack, 'Australia-Indonesia: The Quest for a Better Relationship. Could FDI have a Role?'. 2018 

Completed MRes Supervisions:

Bryan Maher. 'What are the key political and technical challenges facing Carbon Capture and Storage that will determine whether it can play the meaningful role expected by many IPCC scenarios in limiting warming to 2 degrees Celsius?' (primary supervisor) 2016

Dave Lisle, MRes 'From great moral challenge to coal is good for humanity: Examining climate policy drift in Australia' (primary supervisor) 2015

Alan McCormack: ‘Indonesian decentralisation, corruption and its impact on Foreign Direct Investment.’ (primary supervisor) 2014