Matt McDonald is a political scientist at the University of Queensland in Australia. He is the director of Research in the School of Political Science and International Studies. His research focuses on the relationship between security and climate change, international climate policy, and critical theoretical approaches to security. He has recently completed a research project on comparative national approaches to the relationship between climate change and security, which was funded by the Australian Research Council. As part of this project, he also established an interdisciplinary research network among universities focused on “Climate Politics and Policy”. In June 2026, he will spend a week working as a visiting professor in the Transnational Politics research department at PRIF.
As an expert in his field, Matt McDonald has advised numerous government institutions, including the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Australian and New Zealand Departments of Defence, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the UN’s Climate and Security Mechanism. In addition, he has published a considerable number of journal articles and books. Through his extensive media work, he also helps ensure that issues related to climate change and Australia’s foreign policy resonate in the broader public debate.
Matt McDonald's global interests have also shaped his academic career: After completing his PhD at the University of Queensland in 2003, he held lectureship posts in International Relations at the University of New South Wales (Australia) and the University of Birmingham (United Kingdom). He also served as an Associate Professor of International Security at the University of Warwick (United Kingdom).