in 1997 jaynie anderson was appointed herald chair of fine arts at the university of melbourne, a post she held until 2014. her monograph on giorgione (1996/7) remains the most authoritative study of the artist. she engaged in many research projects, but most notably the convening of the international congress in art history at the university of melbourne in january 2008, crossing cultures. conflict, migration and convergence, a theme of australian significance that has become increasingly one of international importance. the conference was published the following year with contributions from 220 authors. described as the biennale of art history, the participants investigate the state of the discipline across the world. contemporary indigenous australian art proudly took its place as part of the international discourse on art history. hans belting described the conference as having ‘changed the history of art history forever’.