Our research
The Faculty of Arts is a powerhouse of research within the University of Auckland. Anthropology, Sociology, Philosophy and Media and Communication all ranked in the top 10 in the last PBRF Quality Evaluation.
Our research also plays an important part in our QS World University Rankings. We were first in New Zealand in 11 of the 12 Arts subjects ranked by QS in 2017.
We are home to a dedicated School of Māori Studies and Pacific Studies and host Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, New Zealand's Māori Centre of Research Excellence. This gives us a particular strength in indigenous research.
Our work is part of a tradition that is almost a thousand years old, based on the belief that society benefits from the knowledge and expertise that we generate.
A global history of peace
The two Hague peace conferences of 1899 and 1907 were essential to shaping global diplomacy and to consolidating the place of ordinary people in international politics.
Associate Professor Maartje Abbenhuis’ Marsden-funded research suggests that the Hague conferences were essential moments, helping to shape modern diplomacy and legitimising key ideas — disarmament, war limitation and international regulation — that still mobilise and animate individuals and groups today.
Find out more about Associate Professor Maartje Abbenhuis
Young New Zealanders and their risk of sexual harm online
Dr Claire Meehan is researching young people's online behaviours, and particularly the risks they may encounter while online.
Find out more about Dr Claire Meehan
Archaeological investigation on Ahuahu
Professor Simon Holdaway has been in charge of an archaeological investigation on Ahuauha (Great Mercury Island) for the last five years.
Find out more about Professor Simon Holdaway
Disaster recovery in South East Asia
When the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami struck Aceh in Indonesia, the region had been in the midst of an insurgency for almost three decades.
Dr Jesse Hession Grayman was there six months after the tsunami struck, and two months after that a peace agreement was signed. Five years of fieldwork in Aceh laid the foundation for his work on the role of humanitarianism in recovery from conflict and disaster.
Find out more about Dr Jesse Hession Grayman
