Michael Leach is Professor in Comparative Politics in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences. He teaches in Comparative Politics, and the Politics of the Pacific. His research interests include nation-building in the Asia-Pacific, the politics of Timor-Leste, the politics of Pacific nations, and comparative immigration and asylum policy. Michael is also an Australian legal practitioner, and officer of the Supreme Court of Victoria. He has previously taught in politics at Deakin University, at the University of Queensland, and South Thames College in London.

Current Postgraduate Supervision

• Afrika Roach, 'Labour Mobility and the Negotiation of Gender Norms: How Women's Participation in Australia's PALM Scheme Affects Gender Norms in the Pacific', (with Dr Sal Clark)
• Chulanee Attanayake, 'Underwater Maritime Security, Sovereignty and Small States’ Agency' (with Prof Bec Strating)
• Mavis Boamah, 'Access to settlement services among young South Sudanese and Ethiopian refugees from conflict zones' (with Dr Sal Clark & Dr Catherine Hartung)
• Andrew Nguyen, 'From 'Đổi Mới' to 'Middle Power': Vietnam's Strategic Adaptation in a Changing Global Order, 2011 to Present'. (with Prof Lorenzo Veracini)
• Bruce Ricketts, 'Indonesia-Australia Relations in the AUKUS Era: Foreign Affairs and Force Projection' (with Prof Lorenzo Veracini)
• Lucky Setunga,  'Caste and Politics in Post-Colonial India and Sri Lanka (with Dr Julie Kimber)

Completions

• Dr Bilal Al-Titi. 2026. 'The Rise of China in the Gulf Arab Region: Soft Power Transitions in the Twenty-First Century' (with Prof Lorenzo Veracini)
• Dr Dimity Hawkins. 2025 'Nuclear Shadows: Nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific and the Fijian response 1966-1975' (with Dr Julie Kimber and Dr Chris Agius)
• Dr Mica Barreto-Soares, 2021. 'China and Timor-Leste: A Study of Bilateral Relations 2002-2018' (with Dr Chris Agius)
• Dr Chris Mudaliar. 2020. 'Lessons in Nation-building: Reframing a Fractured Nation' (PhD, with Dr Chris Agius)
• Dr Athar Shafaei. 2020. 'The Socio-Economic Impact of Economic Sanctions on Afghan Refugees in the Islamic Republic of Iran' (PhD, with Dr Hadi Sohrabi)
• Dr Todd Farrell. 2020. 'The Australian Greens: Realignment Revisited in Australia' (PhD, with Dr Damon Alexander)
• Dr Ivana Randjelovic. 2019. 'Being and Belonging: Stories of second-generation Serbian migrants in Germany and Australia' (PhD, with Dr Glenda Ballantyne)
• Dr Larry Schwartz. 2017. 'A Knock at the Door: A non-fiction Artefact and Exegesis' (PhD)
• Dr Sara Currie. 2016. 'Destination Brand Building for Emerging Nations: the Case of Timor-Leste (PhD)
• Dr Salma Shafiq. 2016. 'Acculturation Barriers for Bangladeshi Migrants' (PhD, with Dr Julie Kimber).
• Dr Sarah Smith, 2015. 'Gender in United Nations peacebuilding: A case study of Timor-Leste' (PhD, with Dr Chris Agius)
• Dr Sal Clark. 2015. 'Navigating Asylum: Journeys from Indonesia to Australia' (PhD, with Dr Julie Kimber).
• Dr Riccardo Armillei. 2015. 'Romanies in Italy: From "National Emergency" to "National Strategy" in Rome's "Camp Nomadi"' (PhD, with A/Prof Lorenzo Veracini)
• Tim Clark, 2019. 'Understanding Australia’s Strategic Relationship with Papua New Guinea and the Implications of China’s Rise: An Examination of the 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper' (Masters of Research, with Dr Chris Agius)