Having recently returned from leading a New Colombo trip to Vietnam, Dr Leoni Connah is helping shape the educational journey of her students. A self-confessed ‘eternal student’, Leoni shares what she’s learnt over her career, and how her passport is running out of fresh pages.
What is your role and what does your work focus on?
I joined Flinders in September 2023 as a Lecturer in International Relations. My job mostly consists of teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students. I also supervise Honours and PhD students. I am actively involved in the broader university community and some of my leadership responsibilities include being the Student Success Lead for Government, as well as the Course Coordinator for the Masters of International Relations. I also established the Flinders Decolonising Network* earlier this year.
I am a critical International Relations scholar and my ongoing research explores the changing nature of the conflict in Kashmir in recent years and the impact this has had for regional South Asian security, as well as human security. This interest stemmed from fieldwork that I conducted in India in 2016. I have broader research/teaching interests in postcolonial politics, human rights, feminism, and conflict studies.
Can you briefly describe the journey that took you to this point in your career?
Prior to joining Flinders last year, I began my academic career as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at Lancaster University whilst I completed my PhD. I was then fortunate enough to land a job as a Lecturer in Politics at the University of Manchester. Weighing up multiple options in early 2023, an adventure in Australia was too hard to turn down, so here I am.
What is something you love most about your work?
Most recently, I led a New Colombo Plan study tour to Vietnam with 10 of our students and it was incredible. Generally, my favourite aspect of work are the amazing students I get to meet along the way. I love the fact that I have an impact on their educational journey and I hope that I can act as a role model. It’s such a privilege to be an educator as well as to be what friends and family back home call me, an “eternal student” myself.
How would you describe yourself in three words?
A feminist killjoy.
What is something you are most proud of?
Overall, I am proud of being in the position that I am today. Coming from a working-class background in the UK, being first-in-family to remain in higher education and go on to attend University, and then earning my place in academia really has been a dream come true.
How do you like to relax or spend your spare time?
Anything that centres around food is key and I definitely make the most of SA being the festival state. Hiking, swimming in the sea, the usual outdoorsy activities. Any chance I get to interact with animals, I take it, whether that be a zoo keeper for a day, swimming with dolphins in the wild, or befriending dogs on the beach.
What is something interesting people might not know about you?
Fun fact – I reached my bucket-list target of traveling to 50 countries before I turned 30 (I’m currently 28 so still got some time). I hate Vegemite, and I still haven’t been to a AFL game.
*The Flinders Decolonising Network is an interdisciplinary collective of academics and staff focused on exploring the possibilities and opportunities of collaborative engagement within the decolonial space. Established by Dr Leoni Connah earlier this year, the Network focuses on developing a more authentic form of social inclusion by hosting thematic sessions that provide a safe space, engaging first those charged with enacting decolonisation to better address the multifaceted nature of marginalisation within higher education.