Email: dralexgburns@gmail.com
Phone: +61 467 387 241
Qualifications
Graduate Certificate in Higher Education (Learning & Teaching) (2023), Swinburne University (in progress); Doctor of Philosophy, Monash University (2020); Grad Cert of Information Technology, Swinburne University (2008); Grad Cert of Business (Project Management), Swinburne University (2007); MA (Counter-Terrorism Studies), Monash University (2007); MSc (Strategic Foresight), Swinburne University (2005); BA (Cinema Studies, Politics, Philosophy), La Trobe University (2002).
- LinkedIn profile
- Academic CV
- Google Scholar profile and citations
- ORCID record
- Academia.edu profile
- Twitter account
- Substack research newsletter
Profile
I am a Senior Research Officer at The University of Melbourne’s Graduate School of Education and a Political Science researcher. I am also a Teaching Associate with the School of Politics & International Relations (Faculty of Arts ) at Monash University.
Previously, I have held research administration, management, and research positions at The Australian National University, The University of Queensland, Bond University, Victoria University, Swinburne University of Technology, Swinburne Online, and in the Smart Internet Technology Cooperative Research Centre.
I hold a political science PhD from Monash University that developed a new framework to examine strategic culture in terrorist organisations using the qualitative case study of Japan’s Aum Shinrikyo. I tested three causal mechanisms: cultural transmission, social learning, and folklore.
I have contributed scholarly articles to Contemporary Security Policy, Media International Australia, Journal of Futures Studies, and Media/Culture journals.
I have presented research findings to the International Studies Association, the Association of Internet Researchers, the Telecommunications Society of Australia, the East-West Center in Washington DC, Sensis, Telstra, Westpac, and other organisations. I edited and wrote for the former Disinformation website (1998-2008) – where I influenced debates on critical approaches to conspiracy theories and memes – and also contributed articles with original research to 21C, REVelation, Desktop, Marketing, Information Age, Artbyte, Playboy.com’s ‘Digital Culture’ magazines, and La Trobe University’s Rabelais student newspaper (1994-2004).
Professional Memberships
- Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
- Australian International Political Economy Network
- International Studies Association