Matt McDonald
@mattuq.bsky.social
Professor of International Relations at the University of Queensland, mostly researching climate & security. https://polsis.uq.edu.au/profile/1174/matt-mcdonald
Political science
55%
Sociology
28%
Why Trump is not a death knell for global climate action
Trump might have pulled the pin on US climate action but the world might move on without him.
theconversation.com
My latest piece in @theconversation.com is an optimistic (or at least hopeful!) take on the possibility for meaningful global climate action even in an era of Trump...
Why Trump is not a death knell for global climate action theconversation.com/why-trump-is...
Why Trump is not a death knell for global climate action theconversation.com/why-trump-is...
Matt McDonald
@mattuq.bsky.social
· Oct 10
Agreed to review an edited book proposal & now can’t decide whether it’s weirder that the publishers asked me to review a proposal listing me as one of the chapter contributors or that the prospective editors never actually asked me whether I’d like to be one of the chapter contributors. New ground…
Matt McDonald
@mattuq.bsky.social
· Sep 29
Trump-style 'climate hoax' playbook spreads to Australia
US researchers have tracked how dark money funds a tangled web of climate denial think tanks with vested interests in slowing climate action. And Australia is not immune.
www.abc.net.au
Oh great. Can’t we develop better border controls measures for this…?
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...
Matt McDonald
@mattuq.bsky.social
· Aug 24
Australian universities to cut about 2,400 jobs and hundreds of courses as sector blames ‘confused’ government policies
Vice-chancellors say they’ve been forced to restructure but critics point finger at ‘unaccountable’ university management
www.theguardian.com
Important not to overstate things, and some places tracking way better than others, but overall but social sciences/ humanities in the Australia. Higher Education sector is a dumpster fire… Myopic Govt policy + corporate Uni leadership= exactly what you’d expect
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Matt McDonald
@mattuq.bsky.social
· Aug 7
Médecins Sans Frontières calls for immediate closure of US and Israelibacked aid group in Gaza – Middle East crisis live
MSF says it has rarely ‘seen such levels of systematic violence against unarmed civilians’ as it has at GHF aid sites
www.theguardian.com
An eviscerating takedown of a farcical pretence of humanitarianism by an organisation that knows what humanitarianism looks like.
www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...
www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...
Reposted by Matt McDonald
Roland Bleiker
@bleiker.bsky.social
· Jul 30
#BISA2025 keynote: Professor Roland Bleiker - Seeing and sensing world politics
YouTube video by MyBISA
www.youtube.com
Here a video of my keynote at the recent 50th Anniversary #BISA2025 conference in Belfast. I am more writer than speaker, so this was a challenge. But I am grateful for the invitation and glad I did it for - and with - Emma Hutchison. www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBWg...
Matt McDonald
@mattuq.bsky.social
· Jul 28
Top Australian writers urge Albanese to abolish Job-Ready Graduates, calling their humanities degrees life changing
Tim Winton, Helen Garner and Peter Garrett are just a few of the high-profile signatories to an open letter against Job-Ready Graduates – and for the humanities.
theconversation.com
Matt McDonald
@mattuq.bsky.social
· Jul 11
A great day- celebrating a fantastic OCIS conference & an article acceptance from @gepjournal.bsky.social (a paper on Indigenous v Settler Colonial approaches to fire with the brilliant Brent Steele- more an that soon) at the Sydney venue of Australia’s best brewery, Mountain Culture. Cheers!
Matt McDonald
@mattuq.bsky.social
· Jun 25
Beer & book series again, and I’m finally getting a chance to wade through this new book by outstanding scholars & friends, @anthonyburke.bsky.social & @flusterbird.bsky.social- The Ecology Politic (MIT 2025) paired with a Stone & Wood pale ale. Looking forward to discussing this at OCIS in Sydney!
Matt McDonald
@mattuq.bsky.social
· Jun 20
Well you did take me to California Wine Country for the workshop, Paul- least I can do!
Matt McDonald
@mattuq.bsky.social
· Jun 11
Goodbye to all that? Rethinking Australia’s alliance with Trump’s America
With the unpredictable Trump regime running the US and looming climate catastrophe, analysts Hugh White and Emma Shortis call for a fresh approach to our security.
theconversation.com
My friend & occasional collaborator Mark Beeson with a typically provocative take on the future of the US alliance & Australian security
theconversation.com/goodbye-to-a...
theconversation.com/goodbye-to-a...
Matt McDonald
@mattuq.bsky.social
· Jun 8
LA protests live: teargas and rubber bullets fired as Trump deployment of national guard branded ‘alarming abuse of power’
Democratic governors rebuke president ordering 2,000 troops to LA county as ‘ineffective and dangerous’ in statement
www.theguardian.com
Sweet Jesus, what a clustercuss.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/live...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/live...
Matt McDonald
@mattuq.bsky.social
· May 28
Most popular essay question in my Global Security course- ‘Is Donald Trump a threat to International Security?’ A few US students on exchange particularly leant in to this one…
Matt McDonald
@mattuq.bsky.social
· May 22
Two Israeli embassy staff shot dead near Washington DC Jewish museum
Police said a suspect was in custody after the shooting near the Capital Jewish Museum
www.theguardian.com
Tragic. Tragic too that this will generate far more outrage than the thousands of people (including kids) dying in Gaza as a result of Israel’s aggression & blockade…
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Matt McDonald
@mattuq.bsky.social
· May 8
agreed!
Matt McDonald
@mattuq.bsky.social
· May 7
India and Pakistan have fought many wars in the past. Are we on the precipice of a new one?
The worry is no other country will step in to mediate, leaving both sides to settle the conflict alone. A war between the two nuclear nations could be devastating.
theconversation.com
Excellent analysis by @drianhall.bsky.social on the India-Pakistan skirmish in today's @theconversation.com theconversation.com/india-and-pa...
Matt McDonald
@mattuq.bsky.social
· May 1
Trump campaign chief claims he visited Australia to advise Liberals at start of election campaign
Exclusive: Chris LaCivita, Trump’s presidential campaign co-manager, tells undercover reporters he advised on ‘structural issues’ related to Peter Dutton; the Coalition denies LaCivita was involved in...
www.theguardian.com
Makes sense, I was wondering why it was going so well…
Trump campaign chief claims he visited Australia to advise Liberals at start of election campaign www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Trump campaign chief claims he visited Australia to advise Liberals at start of election campaign www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Matt McDonald
@mattuq.bsky.social
· Apr 29
I’m not going to complain about the spam from Australia’s would-be Trump equivalent in Clive Palmer, it’s a wild ride… Though quite a relief that this is a decidedly marginal figure in the Australian election, thank f&@k for compulsory preferential voting and the Australian electoral commission.
Matt McDonald
@mattuq.bsky.social
· Apr 1
Average person will be 40% poorer if world warms by 4C, new research shows
Experts say previous economic models underestimated impact of global heating – as well as likely ‘cascading supply chain disruptions’
www.theguardian.com
When ‘poor people will die, ecosystems will be destroyed, future generations will be irrevocably compromised’ apparently isn’t working as a narrative… #climate
Average person will be 40% poorer if world warms by 4C, new research shows www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Average person will be 40% poorer if world warms by 4C, new research shows www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Matt McDonald
@mattuq.bsky.social
· Mar 27
In an otherwise relatively crappy week I’m delighted to announce that I am no longer President of the Yeronga State High School P&C/ PTA Association. Those Open Day BBQs and trivia nights can organize themselves…
Matt McDonald
@mattuq.bsky.social
· Mar 3
Tropical Cyclone Alfred could make landfall near Brisbane. Why is this a big deal and when could it hit?
People prepare for wild weather as BoM forecasts Alfred to hit Queensland later this week with state’s capital in its path
www.theguardian.com
Sorry to be missing #isa2025 in Chicago but keeping myself busy in Brisbane with a heap of teaching, a touch of influenza A & a fucking cyclone www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Matt McDonald
@mattuq.bsky.social
· Feb 20
The feed on Bluesky at the moment- at least with the folks I'm following- is at least 75% post US-election stages of grief... Plenty of shock & anger, bit of denial & depression. Understandable, but I'm having to steel myself to get on this platform...
Matt McDonald
@mattuq.bsky.social
· Feb 19
‘Teaching to an empty hall’: is the changing face of universities eroding standards of learning?
Voluntary attendance. Online classes. Student numbers swelling. Australian campuses look very different today – and many academics don’t like it
www.theguardian.com
With the academic year about to begin here in Australia this is worth a read- very happy my Institution is resisting the trend in the sector away from face to face teaching…
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Matt McDonald
@mattuq.bsky.social
· Feb 18
Big news – I'll be returning to Australia in June to take up a Lectureship in Military Ethics with the University of New South Wales, Canberra. I've loved my time with The Centre for Military Studies CPH and will miss my European academic community, but I'm so excited for this next step in my career
Great news for Australian IR- welcome back, Neil! Who can resist the siren song of Canberra...?
Reposted by Matt McDonald
Neil Renic
@ncrenic.bsky.social
· Feb 17
Big news – I'll be returning to Australia in June to take up a Lectureship in Military Ethics with the University of New South Wales, Canberra. I've loved my time with The Centre for Military Studies CPH and will miss my European academic community, but I'm so excited for this next step in my career
Reposted by Luke Glanville
Matt McDonald
@mattuq.bsky.social
· Feb 16
Book Review: Review of Gerard Toal, Oceans Rise, Empires Fall: Why Geopolitics Hastens Climate Catastrophe - Matt McDonald, 2025
journals.sagepub.com
Out now in @envsecjournal.bsky.social, my review of Gerard Toal's outstanding new book, Oceans Rise, Empires Fall journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Matt McDonald
@mattuq.bsky.social
· Feb 12
In an away day listening to vision statements for portfolios in my School I'm reminded of a brilliant idea for the next Mission Impossible film titled 'Mission Statement Impossible', where Tom Cruise has 48 hours to work out the difference between a mission statement & a vision statement..
Matt McDonald
@mattuq.bsky.social
· Feb 10
If you haven’t seen it do watch the fantastic doco, Theaters of War- examining the Pentagon’s influence on Hollywood (& public opinion).
Lucky enough to enjoy a private screening on the deck with one of the producers and on-screen talent, my friend & colleague Seb Kaempf m.imdb.com/title/tt1184...
Lucky enough to enjoy a private screening on the deck with one of the producers and on-screen talent, my friend & colleague Seb Kaempf m.imdb.com/title/tt1184...