Rate My Professor Dan Halvorson

Dr. Dan Halvorson is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Government and International Relations at Griffith University, part of the Griffith Business School. He serves as a member of the Griffith Asia Institute. Halvorson's academic work centers on the history of Australian foreign and defence policies, Cold War history, decolonisation processes, state failure, and international interventions. His research examines Australia's engagement with Asia from 1944 to 1974, including reinterpretations of Cold War solidarity and transactional relations with East Asia. Additional interests include the historical sociology of religious resurgence in world affairs and pedagogical innovations in international relations education.

Halvorson has authored two significant books: "Commonwealth Responsibility and Cold War Solidarity: Australia in Asia, 1944-74" published by ANU Press in 2019, and "States of Disorder: Understanding State Failure and Intervention in the Periphery" by Ashgate Publishing in 2013. His journal articles appear in prestigious outlets such as the International History Review, Australian Journal of International Affairs, Journal of Cold War Studies, and Journal of Political Science Education. Notable publications include "Internationalist or Realist? Australia's Foreign Policy under the Whitlam Labor Government (1972-75)" (2024), "A retrospective on the Australia-Philippines political and security relationship: on Canberra’s terms?" (2020, co-authored with L. West), "Student Engagement and Deep Learning in the First-Year International Relations Classroom: Simulating a UN Security Council Debate on the Syrian Crisis" (2019, co-authored with L. West), "From Commonwealth Responsibility to the National Interest: Australia and Post-war Decolonisation in South-East Asia" (2018), and "From Cold War Solidarity to Transactional Engagement: Reinterpreting Australia's Relations with East Asia, 1950–1974" (2016). He has also contributed chapters to edited volumes on Australia-Japan relations and political economy.

Through his publications, Halvorson has advanced scholarly discussions on Australia's historical foreign policy decisions and regional engagements in the Asia-Pacific. His pedagogical contributions address challenges in teaching large first-year international relations courses amid neoliberal massification in higher education. At Griffith University, he engages in teaching international relations and supervising research students in the School of Government and International Relations.