Australia’s humanities scholars contribute to the vitality and wellbeing of the nation in a multitude of ways.

Research in disciplines such as history, philosophy, archaeology, literature, linguistics and the classics seeks to illuminate the human condition as well as to bring imagination and excitement to the intellectual and cultural life of the nation.

Research in the humanities is sometimes categorised as having either applied or intrinsic value; the case studies presented in The Power of the Humanities demonstrate starkly that it can be both, and that ‘blue sky’ or ‘basic’ research can have unexpected applications to a range of current issues and challenges.