Associate ProfessorAmy Nethery

I am a political sociologist with expertise in public policy. My scholarly work is dedicated to enhancing our democratic institutions, aiming to strengthen their foundations and promote inclusive and participatory governance. I have two main research focus areas.

My work on refugee policy is internationally recognised in the interdisciplinary field of refugee studies. I research the evolution and impact of asylum policies in Australia, Asia, and the Pacific. An important theme of my work is the analysis of asylum policy according to democratic norms of policymaking. I have a particular interest in immigration detention: its history, evolution, diffusion, legal status, consistency with democratic norms, and human impact.

In recent years I have established new expertise on the parliamentary and integrity institutions and political workplaces. My work informs reform of the structures, processes and cultures of these organisations to strengthen democratic outcomes, including representation, safety and diversity. In 2020 I led the world's most substantial study on MP's transition to post-parliamentary life, which has changed parliamentary processes in Australia and internationally. In 2024, with a team of Deakin colleagues, we updated the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association's standards for parliamentary codes of conduct. In 2025, I worked with the Fiji Parliament on a gender-sensitive parliament self-assessment. I am a co-director of the Parliamentary Research Unit, and more information can be found on that website. 

In addition to this research agenda, I am the Course Director for the Master of Politics and Policy. This degree is designed for Australian or international students seeking deepen their policy expertise and impact. 

I am interested in partnering with external organisations and research students to further develop work on parliamentary workplace safety and democratic representation in Australia (at national, state, and local levels of government) and internationally.

I am a member of the following Research Groups
* Parliamentary Research Unit
* POLIS Deakin
* Centre for Contemporary Histories
* Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University