He is in Dunedin teaching an Otago University politics paper on ''Surveillance, Accountability and the Role of New Zealand Intelligence and Security Agencies'', in the Otago annual summer school.
He is also undertaking some research on campus.
All democracies faced difficult challenges in trying to protect themselves against enemies, while striving to maintain democratic values, he said.
Key questions included ''who watches the watchers?'', who was to undertake the watching, and what matters were to be identified as threats.
Since early colonial times, New Zealand had been part of international intelligence and security alliances, and now was part of the ''Five Eyes'' intelligence alliance with Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.
''Security and intelligence agencies can often become independent power centres of their own, deciding their own priorities,'' he said.
New Zealand and other democracies needed modern and effective intelligence and security agencies, but the problem of how to adequately monitor and control their activities was not yet fully solved.
It was ''just incredible'' that little academic research had been undertaken in New Zealand into the history of the country's security and intelligence agencies, unlike the situation in the other ''Five Eyes'' countries.
Dr Burke will contribute to research being undertaken with historian Prof Richard Hill, of Victoria University of Wellington, on ''the history of New Zealand's security surveillance''.
Prof Hill recently gained a $495,000 Marsden Fund grant to undertake the research.
While in Dunedin, Dr Burke is also giving a two-day Otago continuing education short course, titled ''Spies in New Zealand?'', which starts on January 30.
