Mick Dodson, a law professor and director of the Australian National University’s National Centre for Indigenous Studies, has been appointed the next chair of Harvard’s Committee on Australian Studies.

Dodson, who currently lives and works in Canberra, Australia, plans to work with the Kennedy School of Government’s Project on American Indian Economic Development as well, according to David Haig, the current chair of the committee and a professor of organismic and evolutionary biology.

“Dodson has a great deal of experience in indigenous land rights, negotiation in Australia, and in the economic development problems of Australian indigenous populations,” Haig said. “There will be a discussion of the parallel experiences of populations in the United States and Australia, two countries with somewhat similar indigenous histories.”

Dodson, who could not be reached for comment yesterday, will share the rotating committee chair position next year with Chris McAuliffe, Director of the Ian Potter Museum of Art at the University of Melbourne, according to a press release from the Australian National University.

Dodson has been a lifelong proponent of indigenous rights around the world. He was named the 2009 Australian of the Year by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who thanked Dodson for his dedication to the Aboriginal people.

“His efforts truly show that if we work together, we can achieve real progress,” Rudd said upon presenting the award.

Dodson recently helped draft the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which advocates for indigenous human rights and was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2007.

Dodson told the Australian Associated Press that he plans to examine why Native Americans have a longer life expectancy than Australian Aboriginals during his time at Harvard.

“It will also be a good opportunity to find out more about some of the work being done in the US that I can bring back to Australia,” Dodson said in the ANU press release. “Indigenous peoples from around the world have much to gain from sharing knowledge about their individual efforts to win full rights and recognition.”

Dodson will continue to hold his directorship at the Australian National University while he assumes the chair position at Harvard.