Video of the First Emma Hutchison Memorial Lecture: Michael Barnett on Mobilising Compassion
A video is now available of the first Annual Emma Hutchison Memorial Lecture, given by Michael Barnett on the topic of Mobilising Compassion. With comments by Bina D’Costa and Fiona Terry. Chaired by Katrina Lee Koo. Introduced by Heather Zwicker and Roland Bleiker. Held on 4 December 2025 and hosted by the School of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Queensland.
The Annual Emma Hutchison Memorial Lecture
This Annual Lecture is held in honour and memory Emma Hutchison, who was Associate Professor of International Relations at the University of Queensland at the time of her passing in November 2024. For more information on Emma see a brief Tribute by UQ as well as a longer one by her husband and research collaborator Roland Bleiker.
The idea of this lecture is to celebrate Emma and her passion for ideas and scholarship as well as her commitment to make the world a better and fairer place. In particular, we honour Emma’s creative and pioneering work on the role of emotions and images in international relations and on broader political and ethical challenges, including those related to conflict resolution and humanitarian responsibilities.
Mobilising Compassion
The first Emma Hutchison Memorial Lecture deals with the challenge of mobilising compassion at the time when humanitarian ideals – and funding for them – are in crisis. The lecture took place in the context of a workshop and collaborative project, which Emma co-initiated and which examines the Politics and Ethics of Visualising Humanitarian Crises.
Prof Michael Barnett, giving the Emma Hutchison Memorial Lecture. 4 Dec 2025. Photo Credit: Michael Aird.
Speakers
Michael Barnett is University Professor of International Affairs and Political Science at the George Washington University. He is one of the leading scholars on humanitarian politics and international relations. Among his many books are Eyewitness to a Genocide: The United Nations and Rwanda; Empire of Humanity: A History of Humanitarianism; Sacred Aid (co-edited with Janice Stein); Humanitarianism in Question (co-edited with Thomas Weiss) and Humanitarianism and Human Rights (co-edited with Jon Pevehouse and Kal Raustiala). Barnett’s new book, co-authored with Unni Karunaka, is called The End of Humanity: Humanitarianism in a Post Liberal Age and will be forthcoming with Cambridge in 2026. An ABC Radio interview with Michael Barnet on the topic of his lecture is available here.
Bina D’Costa is Professor of International Relations at the Australian National University
Fiona Terry is Honorary Professor at UQ and until recently Director of Research at the International Committee of the Red Cross
Katrina Lee Koo is Professor and Head, School of Political Science and International Studies at UQ.
Heather Zwicker is Professor at UQ, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, and Pro-Vice-Chancellor Campus Culture and Leadership.
Roland Bleiker is Professor of International Relations at UQ.
Thanks
I would like to use this occasion to thank everyone how contributed to the event. Our School and Faculty for hosting and supporting the Lecture. Michael Barnett, to whom we are very grateful, but also the other speakers: Fiona Terry and Bina D’Costa as well as Kate Lee Koo and Heather Zwicker. Then Sophie Rutledge from the Faculty as well as Cristina Jack and Dilsha Silva from our School; our workshop organising committee: Anita Schenk, Adarsh Badri, Subodha Dilhari, Haneol Mun and Cormac Opdebeeck-Wilson; and everyone who came along the the event.
