Kathryn Robinson

Kathryn is a scholar, traveller and adventurer who has had the good fortune of an academic career as an Anthropologist specialising in the cultures of Asia and the Pacific. She is Professor Emerita in the College of Asia and the Pacific at the Australian National University; and previously academic researcher in its forerunner,  the Research of Pacific and Asian Studies— where she obtained her PhD.  Kathryn spent decades involved in research, publication and PhD training, particularly in regard to Indonesia, but also  other parts of Southeast Asia and the Pacific. A prolific writer, Kathryn has published around 14 academic books and hundreds of scholarly articles and is also a regular correspondent for public-facing publications like East Asia Review.  She has travelled in much of the Asia Pacific region, as an academic researcher, development consultant and lecturer on small ship cruises. Her passions encompass the culture and everyday lives of communities living in the region. Her success as an anthropologist lies in her curiosity about the lives of others, enjoyment of cultural differences and empathy and understanding of people’s everyday struggles.  Onboard, Kathryn enjoys sharing her deep engagement with this region, offering passengers her understanding of cultural practices and interconnections, prehistoric, historical and contemporary. Her scholarly knowledge blends into her other passions: photography, art, gardening and cooking, and she enjoys bringing understanding of everyday life and culture around these themes.