Kate Macdonald

Kate Macdonald is an Associate Professor in Public Policy at the University of Melbourne's School of Social and Political Sciences, a position she has held since joining the university in January 2009. She earned her DPhil in International Development from the University of Oxford in 2008, with joint supervision from the Department of Politics and International Relations. Before her appointment at Melbourne, Macdonald was a Fellow of Government focusing on 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 in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Oxford University. Her academic career reflects a strong commitment to understanding complex global governance challenges.

Macdonald's research centers on transnational governance and accountability mechanisms, with a particular emphasis on transnational business regulation and accountability within the international development sector. She has been awarded an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (FT190100736) and a University of Melbourne Faculty Research Grant for 2011-2012. Her influential publications include "Globalising justice within coffee supply chains? Fair Trade, Starbucks and the transformation of supply chain governance" (Third World Quarterly, 2007), "Non-electoral accountability in global politics: strengthening democratic control within the global garment industry" (European Journal of International Law, 2006), "The politics of global supply chains" (2014), and "Private sustainability standards as tools for empowering southern pro-regulatory coalitions? Collaboration, conflict and the pursuit of sustainable palm oil" (Ecological Economics, 2020). With more than 1,668 citations on Google Scholar, her scholarship has made substantial contributions to debates on global economic governance, ethical consumerism, and corporate accountability. Additionally, she has provided research and consultancy services to organizations such as the Forest Stewardship Council, Amnesty International, Oxfam Australia, and ActionAid Australia, and currently serves on the advisory board of the Jubilee Australia Research Foundation.

Professional Email: kmac@unimelb.edu.au