Global Irish Studies Home

The Global Irish Studies Centre (previously John Hume Institute for Global Irish Studies) works to enhance and disseminate understanding of Ireland and the Irish around the world, through ground-breaking research, public dissemination and excellence in teaching and learning. The Centre was founded in 2010 under the Directorship of the Australian Ireland Fund Chair in Modern Irish Studies, Professor Rónán McDonald.

The Global Irish Studies Centre (GISC) embraces flexible and nuanced approaches to 'Ireland’ and ‘Irishness’ and seeks appropriate models in which to understand the Irish diaspora. The Irish diaspora’s relationship to Ireland has long been important, but perhaps never more so than in this globalised era of mass communications.

The Centre has permeable borders, adopting avowedly multi- and inter-disciplinary methods, drawing variously on history, politics, literary studies, social science, economics, music and the fine arts. It seeks to collaborate with Irish studies initiatives internationally and to study the Irish experience alongside other peoples and nations.

Through fostering and disseminating scholarship and research of the highest standard, GISC seeks to probe and understand the past, present and future of the Irish in Ireland, in Australia and around the world.