Professor Mark Kenny came to the Australian National University after a high-profile journalistic career culminating in 6 years as chief political correspondent and national affairs editor of The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Canberra Times.He has covered bilateral talks inside the White House, 10 Downing Street, Beijing’s Great Hall of the People, the German Chancellery (Bundeskanzleramt), the Japanese Prime Minister’s Residence (The Kantei), The Vatican, and many others. He has also covered crucial summits including annual APEC and G20 meetings, G8, ASEAN and East Asia Summit, NATO, and the infamous Copenhagen climate talks in 2009.His research interests include national politics, comparative studies, democracy, and the rise of populism.