Ivana Damjanovic is a Lecturer at the Canberra Law School. She is a qualified lawyer both in Australia and her native Croatia and has an extensive professional background in international relations. Her research is at the intersections of law and politics, exploring the influence of globalisation and geopolitics on international law, in particular in the field of trade and investment. She completed her PhD at the ANU, focusing on the reform of international investment law. Her current project explores the interaction between trade and climate change, particularly focusing on the European Union’s agenda to project green ideas into international trade. Prior to joining academia, Ivana worked as a consultant and a career diplomat for Croatia, posted to Ireland and then Australia as a Deputy Head of Mission. She also participated in Croatia’s accession negotiations to the EU. More recently, she was a trade advisor for the Delegation of the EU to Australia and took part in Australia-EU trade negotiations.
The Weekly Wrap caught up with Ivana and here are her answers to our light-hearted questions.
Where do we find you this weekend?
Most likely with my camera in Tidbinbilla or the Botanical Gardens. Very likely that you could also find me at the British Film Festival in the Palace Electric.
What’s the ideal start to a Sunday? Gentle start or a jolt?
Very gentle start – with a coffee or rather two, which does give me a jolt!
What’s the best thing you’ve watched on TV recently?
I’m not really a TV person, my preference are movie theatres. Given the lockdown, I had no choice so I can recommend Le Bureau des Légendes on SBS on Demand – a French spy series about the Direction générale de la sécurité extérieure, DGSE – the French version of the ASIO. But this comes with a warning – there are five seasons (and I still haven’t been able to finish them all)!.
A glass of something you’d recommend?
I would always recommend a glass of pinot grigio in summer, and a glass of pinot noir in winter! Pinot white is my favourite at any time of the year but it is not easy to find.
What’s that you’re singing in the shower?
I mostly think in the shower, which leaves little room for singing. I used to sing a lot – in choirs, not showers.
Soundtrack of your choice?
I am a big fan of classical music. Claude Debussy’s Clair de Lune is my favourite composition.
Best vacation you’ve been to?
A road trip from Canberra to Darwin and back – through the Red Centre and Queensland. It made me fall in love with Australia and its diversity of landscapes! Otherwise, I love going back to Croatia and simply swimming in the Adriatic is as perfect for me as one can get.
Tell us something about yourself that would surprise us.
As I had no idea how to answer this question myself, I asked my friends. (Un)surprisingly, they could not come up with anything that would warrant a mention in the surprise section of the Weekly Wrap. I guess I am pretty much predictable!
The ideal dinner menu?
Definitely fish and seafood. I am a big fan of bouillabaisse, which of course has a Croatian version – brudet. Watch the BGL’s cookbook for more information…
Ideal dinner venue?
Somewhere under the stars, far from light pollution, preferably, in the Australian outback.
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