Donald Trump and the West: A conversation with Dr John Hamre and Dr Michael Fullilove Lowy Institute 2026-09-20 | Donald Trump and the West: A conversation with Dr John Hamre and Dr Michael Fullilove
2023 Lowy Lecture delivered by Australias Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Lowy Institute 2023-12-20 | The Hon Anthony Albanese MP is the 31st Prime Minister of Australia. Since the election of his government in May 2022, Prime Minister Albanese has focused closely on issues of foreign policy, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Australia’s relations with allies and key regional partners. The Lowy Lecture is the Institute’s flagship event and one of the world’s leading lecture series, at which a prominent individual reflects on Australia and the world. Past Lecturers include German Chancellor Angela Merkel; UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson; US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan; Lowy Institute Chairman Sir Frank Lowy; and several Australian prime ministers including Prime Minister John Howard, who delivered the inaugural Lowy Lecture in 2005. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Lowy Institute.
Lowy Institute 20th anniversary highlights Lowy Institute 2023-12-19 | Over the past 20 years, the Lowy Institute has been at the centre of Australia’s foreign policy and national security debates. The Institute is now internationally recognised for its independent research, analyses and publications on global affairs, as well as its convening power.
An address by James Marape, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea Lowy Institute 2023-12-11 | James Marape, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, spoke about strengthening Papua New Guinea's economy, climate change, and PNG’s place in the world.After his remarks, the Prime Minister spoke in conversation with the Lowy Institute's Executive Director, Dr Michael Fullilove AM.James Marape has served as Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea since May 2019 and as a Member of Parliament representing the electorate of Tari-Pori Open in Hela Province since 2007.
In Conversation with Sir Lawrence Freedman Lowy Institute 2023-11-23 | To mark the launch of the latest Lowy Institute Paper, Modern Warfare: Lessons from Ukraine, we talk with the author, Sir Lawrence Freedman, about the Ukraine War. Join Lowy Institute analyst Sam Roggeveen for an in-depth discussion in which Sir Lawrence examines questions such as ‘Who is winning?’, ‘Will the West remain unified behind Ukraine?’, and ‘How does this war end?’. To buy Modern Warfare, visit the Penguin Books Australia website.
A global climate action address by the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Hon Chris Bowen Lowy Institute 2023-11-21 | A policy address given by the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Hon Chris Bowen.Chris Bowen entered Parliament in 2004 and has held a wide range of portfolios including serving as Treasurer, Minister for Human Services, Minister for Immigration and Minister for Financial Services. He served as Interim Leader of the Labor Party and Acting Leader of the Opposition following the 2013 Federal election and served as Shadow Treasurer.This November, the world's attention will be on the 28th United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP28) on climate change held in Dubai. As countries convene to agree on efforts to mitigate the consequences of climate change, questions arise: what are the implications for Australia and what role does Australia play?Minister Bowen will speak on the international dynamics affecting global climate action and how Australia’s ambition to become a Renewable Energy Superpower can help the world in the rapid transformation to reach net zero emissions. After his remarks, the Minister spoke in conversation with the Lowy Institute's Executive Director, Dr Michael Fullilove AM.
Book launch: An Unlikely Prisoner by Lowy Institute Senior Fellow Sean Turnell Lowy Institute 2023-11-16 | For 650 days, Sean Turnell was a prisoner of the military junta that has ruled Myanmar since 2021. Incarcerated in some of Myanmar’s most notorious prisons, isolated, ill-treated, and ultimately convicted in a sham trial of effectively being a spy, the descent from his role as chief economic adviser to Myanmar’s civilian government was a steep one. From helping to design policies to entrench democracy and help make Myanmar the last and best of the Asian ‘tigers’, his task became one of simple and desperate survival. In An Unlikely Prisoner, Sean recounts how he not only survived his lengthy incarceration but left with his sense of humour intact and his spirit unbroken.We were joined in conversation with the author, Dr Sean Turnell, moderated by Lowy Institute Research Director Hervé Lemahieu, with questions from the audience. Dr Sean Turnell is a Senior Fellow in the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute, covering developments in Myanmar, the wider region, and international economic issues. Prior to his appointment as chief economic adviser to Myanmar’s civilian government, he was a Professor of Economics at Macquarie University, and a senior analyst at the Reserve Bank of Australia.
Pacific aid enters a new era: Launch of the 2023 Pacific Aid Map Lowy Institute 2023-10-30 | The sixth annual Lowy Institute Pacific Aid Map reveals a new era of development financing that is characterised by new priorities and new financial instruments to support a Pacific region facing myriad challenges, including climate change. Join us on Tuesday 31 October for a special video event to launch the 2023 update of the Pacific Aid Map. Lead researcher Alexandre Dayant will be joined by Research Fellow Dr Jessica Collins and FDC Pacific Fellow Maholopa Laveil for a discussion facilitated by the Institute's Lead Economist and Director of the Indo-Pacific Development Centre Roland Rajah.2023 PACIFIC AID MAPpacificaidmap.lowyinstitute.orgCovering 82 donors, tens of thousands of projects and activities, 70 million datapoints and more than US$44 billion in spending, the Lowy Institute Pacific Aid Map is the largest and most comprehensive database of Official Development Finance — grants, loans, and other forms of assistance — ever assembled for the Pacific. The 2023 update now includes data on every aid project in the Pacific Islands region from 2008 to 2021.PARTICIPANTSAlexandre Dayant is the Deputy Director of the Indo-Pacific Development Centre and Project Lead for the Lowy Institute Pacific Aid Map and Southeast Asia Aid Map. His work focuses on development economics and geoeconomics in both regions. Dr Jessica Collins is a Research Fellow in the Pacific Islands Program at the Lowy Institute. She has undertaken research projects on the development benefits of Pacific remittances, and trends in financing to advance women’s development. She comments widely on Australia’s policy in the Pacific and publishes on Pacific women’s political representation. Maholopa (Maho) Laveil is the inaugural FDC Pacific Fellow at the Lowy Institute. He works in the Institute’s Pacific Islands Program as part of a one-year secondment from the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG).Roland Rajah is Director of the Indo-Pacific Development Centre, a dedicated policy research centre within the Lowy Institute. A development economist by background, Roland has extensive experience working across both emerging Asia and the small island developing states of the Pacific, notably with the Asian Development Bank, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), and the Reserve Bank of Australia.
In Conversation with Belgiums Foreign Minister on Business and Human Rights Lowy Institute 2023-10-25 | An address by Hadja Lahbib, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, on business and human rights. The event was presided over by Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium, who led the Belgian Economic Mission to Australia.Following her address, the Minister joined the Lowy Institute’s Research Director Hervé Lemahieu for a panel conversation alongside Dr James Cockayne, Anti-Slavery Commissioner for New South Wales, and Professor Justine Nolan, Director of the Australian Human Rights Institute at the University of New South Wales. The discussion was centred on Europe’s expansion of corporate due diligence efforts and the implications for Australian businesses.Tuesday 24 October 2023
An address by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji, Sitiveni L Rabuka Lowy Institute 2023-10-17 | The FDC Pacific Lecture, was given by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji, the Hon Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka. The Hon Sitiveni Rabuka is Fiji’s seventh elected Prime Minister, having previously served in the role from 1992 to 1999. He is also the current Minister for Foreign Affairs, Climate Change, Environment, Civil Service, Information, Public Enterprises and Veteran Affairs. Prime Minister Rabuka has a distinguished military career and served as the Chair of Fiji’s Great Council of Chiefs from 1999 to 2001. Prime Minister Rabuka spoke on Fiji’s economic recovery, future development ambitions and role in the region given intensifying geopolitical engagement. After his remarks, the Prime Minister spoke in conversation with the Lowy Institute's Executive Director, Dr Michael Fullilove AM. The Prime Minister was introduced by the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong.
Owen Harries Lecture: India’s role in Asia’s changing geopolitics Lowy Institute 2023-10-12 | The Rothschild & Co Distinguished International Fellowship brings an internationally recognised intellectual and policy leader to Australia to help deepen our debate on global issues.Shivshankar Menon served as India’s National Security Adviser from 2010 to 2014, and prior to that as foreign secretary and ambassador to Beijing and Islamabad, among other capitals.India, along with Asian geopolitics, has undergone rapid and accelerating change. Will India assume the role of a traditional power in a rebalanced Asian system? How will this affect the prospects for India’s increasingly close relationship with Australia and other major actors in the region? Shivshankar Menon argued that India’s move towards working ever more closely with the West is inevitable, but the devil is in the detail. Since 2013, the annual Owen Harries Lecture has honoured the significant contribution made to the international debate in Australia and the United States by Owen Harries, who was a Nonresident Fellow at the Lowy Institute.
Book launch: The Echidna Strategy: Australia’s Search for Power and Peace Lowy Institute 2023-09-26 | In the wake of a shift in the global power balance, how can Australia best protect itself? The Echidna Strategy overturns the conventional wisdom about Australia’s security. Australia will need to defend itself without American help, but this doesn’t need to cost more. The Echidna Strategy sheds new light on the contest for leadership in Asia and the strategy Australia needs to thrive.A conversation with the author, Sam Roggeveen, moderated by Lowy Institute Research Director Hervé Lemahieu, with questions from the audience.Sam Roggeveen is the Director of the Lowy Institute’s International Security Program. He was the founding editor of The Interpreter and is the editor of the Lowy Institute Papers. Before joining the Lowy Institute, Sam was a senior analyst in Australia’s peak intelligence agency, the Office of National Assessments.
What would Kissinger do? Lessons of US diplomacy in the Middle East and elsewhere Lowy Institute 2023-09-13 | An address by foreign relations expert and former diplomat Dr Martin Indyk on US diplomacy in the Middle East and elsewhere, and lessons from history. Dr Indyk discussed his recent biography, Master of the Game: Henry Kissinger and the Art of Middle East Diplomacy, and the relevance of US diplomat Dr Kissinger for modern foreign policy challenges, including in Ukraine. After his remarks, Dr Indyk spoke in conversation with the Lowy Institute’s Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove.Dr Martin Indyk is a former diplomat who is currently the Lowy Distinguished Fellow in US–Middle East Diplomacy at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. Prior to this, he was the executive vice president of the Brookings Institution. He served twice as US Ambassador to Israel, from 1995 to 1997, and again from 2000 to 2001. Dr Indyk was special assistant to President Bill Clinton, senior director for Near East and South Asian affairs at the US National Security Council, and assistant secretary for Near Eastern affairs at the US State Department. From 2013 to 2014, he served as President Barack Obama’s special envoy for Middle East peace. Ambassador Indyk is a founding member of the Lowy Institute Board.
An address by Annalena Baerbock Foreign Minister of Germany Lowy Institute 2023-08-22 | On 22 August 2023, the Foreign Minister of Germany, Annalena Baerbock, gave an address via video link to the Lowy Institute. After her speech, Ms Baerbock spoke in-conversation with the Lowy Institute's Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove. Ms Baerbock is a member of the Alliance 90/The Greens party and is one of the highest profile and most interesting foreign ministers in Europe. She has been applauded for her values-driven foreign policy, her frankness when dealing with difficult geopolitical issues, and her steadfast approach to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Annalena Baerbock has been Foreign Minister of Germany since 2021, and is the first woman and youngest person to hold the position. She entered the Bundestag for the Alliance 90/The Greens party as Member for Brandenburg in 2013, and from 2018 to 2022 served as co-chair of the party. She was the Greens' candidate for Chancellor in the 2021 federal election, making her the first such candidate for the Greens and, after Angela Merkel, only the second woman to be nominated for Chancellor by a major German political party.
Russia-Ukraine war: Where to next? Lowy Institute 2023-07-20 | Russia’s war in Ukraine is now well into its second year. Ukraine’s much-foreshadowed counter-offensive is developing more slowly than expected. Meanwhile, Russia’s leadership was rocked by the recent failed mutiny by the private Wagner paramilitary group.The Lowy Institute hosted Mick Ryan and Zoya Sheftalovich earlier in 2023 for an update on the Ukraine war. In July 2023, with Ukraine on the offensive and Russia’s internal political instability, we again hosted these two compelling experts to discuss how the war in Europe is evolving. The conversation was hosted by Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove and included questions from the audience. Major General (Ret’d) Mick Ryan is a Nonresident Fellow at the Lowy Institute. His book, War Transformed: The Future of Twenty-First-Century Great Power Competition and Conflict, was published in 2022. Zoya Sheftalovich is a contributing editor for POLITICO, based in Sydney. She is a regular commentator on the Ukraine war for ABC News 24.
Sydney Launch: 2023 Lowy Institute Poll - Australian attitudes to the world Lowy Institute 2023-07-06 | More Australians feel safe than last year, their belief in democracy remains strong, and they are relatively hopeful about Australia’s economic outlook. But what do Australians see as the key threats to the nation? How do they view China in the context of thawing Australia–China relations? What do they think of AUKUS and nuclear-powered submarines? And do they think Australia’s ties with the Pacific are improving?At our event in Sydney we unpacked the findings of the 2023 Lowy Institute Poll with a panel of Lowy Institute experts.Now in its nineteenth year, the Lowy Institute’s flagship 2023 Lowy Institute Poll is the longest-running and broadest survey of Australian public opinion on foreign policy and global events. It is the key resource for anyone seeking to understand how Australians see the world and their place in it.Our panel of experts included: Damien Cave, Australia Bureau Chief, The New York Times; Dr Meg Keen, Director of the Pacific Islands Program, the Lowy Institute; and Hervé Lemahieu, Director of Research, the Lowy Institute. The discussion was chaired by Ryan Neelam, Director of the Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Program and the author of the 2023 Lowy Institute Poll.
Launch of the outcomes of the 2022 Australia-PNG Emerging Leaders Dialogue Lowy Institute 2023-06-29 | The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated global digital connectivity, and the Pacific region is witnessing a surge in digital transformations. With increasing internet access, mobile phone usage, and government-led digital initiatives in health, education, and financial data, Papua New Guinea is experiencing a growing digital footprint.However, there are still challenges to overcome, and Australia can play a pivotal role in supporting PNG’s digital connectivity through investment, capacity building, partnerships, technical assistance, and regional collaboration.The 2022 Aus-PNG Network Emerging Leaders Dialogue explored these issues and more.The evening of Tuesday 13 June marked the launch of our Dialogue Outcomes Report, Building the Australia-PNG Digital Ecosystem.Featured a live panel discussion with Dialogue alumni:Jack Growden, Founder & CEO, LiteHaus International, on digital educationSarah Bornstein, Global Emergency Care Advisor, on digital innovation in healthClare Akauma, Assistant Site Manager, Graincorp, on digital innovation in sport and agricultural development. The event was chaired by Mihai Sora, Aus-PNG Network Project Director.
Sports diplomacy: PNG and the NRL Lowy Institute 2023-06-28 | Rugby league is a shared passion in Australia and Papua New Guinea, and, potentially, a powerful connector between the two countries. Sports diplomacy transcends borders, fosters mutual understanding, and promotes shared values. Half of all Australian National Rugby League players have Pacific heritage. As Australia looks to build closer ties with Papua New Guinea, the prospect of a PNG team joining the NRL has emerged as one way to strengthen people-to-people links. The PNG bid represents an effort to increase the presence of Papua New Guinean players in professional rugby league. If successful, it would make PNG the only country outside Australia and New Zealand to have a team in the NRL. But the bid is not without its challenges. On Tuesday 27 June, the Lowy Institute's Aus-PNG Network hosted this lunchtime event to explore the latest in Australia-PNG sports diplomacy. The Hon Pat Conroy MP, Minister for International Development and the Pacific, delivered an address and then took part in a panel discussion alongside: Amelia Kuk, former PNG Orchids and Brisbane Broncos playerDavid Mead, former PNG Kumuls captain, Gold Coast Titans and Brisbane Broncos player The event was chaired by Mihai Sora, Aus-PNG Network Project Director at the Lowy Institute.Amelia Kuk is an accomplished former rugby league player and a pioneering figure in women’s sport. Recognised for her time with the PNG Orchids and Brisbane Broncos, Amelia has not only made her mark through exceptional athletic performances but also as an advocate for inclusivity and the advancement of women in rugby league.Born in Port Moresby, David Mead moved to Australia when he was 12. David played 172 games in the NRL and 58 games in the English Super League before retiring at the end of 2022 NRL season. An alumnus of the Gold Coast Titans, the Brisbane Broncos and the Catalans Dragons, David also represented PNG on 15 occasions across 3 rugby league world cups. A devoted ambassador for his homeland, David has consistently championed rugby league at the grassroots level in PNG.
Peak China? China’s economic trajectory and implications for its strategic ambitions Lowy Institute 2023-06-22 | China’s remarkable economic rise has long been a key factor in global geopolitical discussions. But how soon and at what height will China’s economy peak? What are the implications for China’s ambitions in the world? For years, predictions suggested that China’s economic power would surpass that of the United States by the end of this decade. However, recent developments, backed by Lowy analysis, have challenged this assumption. In this event we unpacked the findings of original Lowy Institute research and explored the concept of ‘Peak China’ with the Lowy Institute’s Lead Economist Roland Rajah, Senior Fellow for East Asia Richard McGregor and Nonresident Fellow Dr Jenny Gordon. The event was moderated by Director of Research Hervé Lemahieu. Our panellists discussed the implications of this potential turning point and what it means for China's future prospects, as well as the repercussions it may have for the rest of the world. Roland Rajah is Lead Economist at the Lowy Institute and the Director of the Indo-Pacific Development Centre. A development economist by background, Roland has extensive experience working across both emerging Asia and the small island developing states of the Pacific. He has previously worked for the Asian Development Bank, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), and the Reserve Bank of Australia. Roland is the co-author with Alyssa Leng of the influential Lowy Institute Analysis paper Revising down the rise of China. Richard McGregor is Senior Fellow for East Asia at the Lowy Institute. He is a former Beijing and Washington bureau chief for the Financial Times and the author of numerous books on East Asia including Xi Jinping: The Backlash (2019) and Asia’s Reckoning: China, Japan and the Fate of U.S. Power in the Pacific Century (2017). His 2010 book, The Party, on the inner workings of the Chinese Communist Party, was translated into seven languages and chosen by the Asia Society and Mainichi Shimbun in Japan as their book of the year. Jenny Gordon is a Nonresident Fellow at the Lowy Institute and former Chief Economist at the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Dr Gordon is a member of the Australian International Agricultural Research Centre’s Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Advisory Panel, and the Asian Development Bank Institute’s Advisory Committee. She is also an Honorary Professor at ANU's Centre for Social Research and Methods.
Launch event: Southeast Asia Aid Map Lowy Institute 2023-06-21 | Southeast Asia is one of the most dynamic regions in the world, with a growing influence on the global economy. Yet most Southeast Asian countries are still defined as developing economies with significant financing needs in areas such as infrastructure, human development and climate change response. International development cooperation in the region plays a central role. However, geostrategic tensions between China and Western governments mean development finance is increasingly used to compete for influence. Understanding the scale and contours of this finance is critical to governments in the region and their development partners. But publicly available information is sparse, often lacks detail, and is difficult to access. The inaugural Lowy Institute Southeast Asia Aid Map fills this gap.The Map is an interactive analytical tool that tracks more than 100,000 development projects in Southeast Asia across 97 partners from 2015 onwards.On the evening of Monday 5 June we unpacked the findings of the most comprehensive assessment of development flows in Southeast Asia ever undertaken.Our expert panel included the Map's author Alexandre Dayant, Dr Jenny Gordon and Dr Hilman Palaon. The event was chaired by Roland Rajah.Dr Jenny Gordon is a Nonresident Fellow at the Lowy Institute and former Chief Economist at the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Jenny is also a member of the Australian International Agricultural Research Centre’s Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Advisory Panel, and the Asian Development Bank Institute’s Advisory Committee.Dr Hilman Palaon is a Research Fellow at the Lowy Institute in the Indo-Pacific Development Centre. His work focuses on digital economy issues in the Indo-Pacific region. Previously, Hilman worked as Expert Staff at the National Team for the Acceleration of Poverty Reduction (TNP2K), the Office of the Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia.Alexandre Dayant is a senior economist and Deputy Director of the Indo-Pacific Development Centre, a dedicated policy research centre within the Lowy Institute. He is also the author of the Pacific Aid Map. Roland Rajah is Director of the Indo-Pacific Development Centre and Lead Economist at the Lowy Institute. He has extensive experience working across both emerging Asia and the small island developing states of the Pacific.
Sri Lanka’s debt crisis: preconditions, progress and politics Lowy Institute 2023-06-09 | Sri Lanka defaulted on its external debt for the first time in its history in April 2022. Sri Lankans faced acute shortages of food, fuel and other basic supplies as government responses took hold, including stringent capital controls introduced to preserve dwindling foreign reserves.Almost a year later, the International Monetary Fund approved a US$3 billion program to boost Sri Lanka's reserves and assist with debt servicing. The road ahead for Sri Lanka is still uncertain: the country needs to strike a deal with creditors, including its biggest bilateral lender, China — and also ensure that a domestic debt restructure deal is settled beforehand.An event hosted by the Lowy Institute brought together a range of experts to discuss Sri Lanka’s debt crisis. The panel included Indrajit Coomaraswamy, former Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Brad Setser, a sovereign debt restructure expert at the Council of Foreign Relations, and Mariza Cooray, Research Fellow and senior economist at the Lowy Institute’s Indo-Pacific Development Centre. The discussion was hosted by Roland Rajah, the Lowy Institute’s Lead Economist and Director of the Indo-Pacific Development Centre.Dr Indrajit Coomaraswamy was the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka from 2016 to 2019. He has more than 40 years of experience in policymaking and economic advisory services on both macroeconomic and structural issues at national and intergovernmental levels. A year into his term, Dr Coomaraswamy was recognised as the “Central Bank Governor of the Year for South Asia” for 2019 by Euromoney Institutional Investor Group PLC. He served as the Deputy Director of the Secretary-General's office as well as the Director of Economic Affairs during his tenure at the Commonwealth Secretariat between 1989 and 2008. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Sussex and a BA from the University of Cambridge.Dr Brad Setser is a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, DC. He served as a senior adviser to the US Trade Representative from 2021 to 2022, where he worked on the resolution of a number of trade disputes. He also served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for international economic analysis in the US Treasury from 2011 to 2015, where he worked on Europe’s financial crisis, currency policy, financial sanctions, commodity shocks, and Puerto Rico’s debt crisis, and as a director for international economics on the staff of the National Economic Council and the National Security Council. He is the author of Sovereign Wealth and Sovereign Power (CFR, 2008) and the co-author, with Nouriel Roubini, of Bailouts and Bail-ins: Responding to Financial Crises in Emerging Economies (Peterson Institute, 2004). He holds a BA from Harvard University, a masters from Sciences-Po Paris, and an MA and PhD in international relations from Oxford University.Mariza Cooray is a Research Fellow and senior economist in the Lowy Institute’s Indo-Pacific Development Centre. She has a decade of experience living and working in the Pacific and Indonesia for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, USAID and the Asian Development Bank. She has also worked as a Country Economist for the World Bank in Sri Lanka and began her career in international development in Sri Lanka. Her research interests include public finance, debt management and crisis, poverty and inequality, growth and emerging markets. Mariza has postgraduate qualifications in Mathematics from the Australian National University, a Master of Science in Development Economics from the London School of Economics, where she was an LSE PJD Wiles Scholar, and a BA in Economics from Wilson College in Pennsylvania in the United States. She speaks Sinhalese and Spanish and understands Mandarin.
2023 Being Chinese in Australia: Public opinion in Chinese communities Lowy Institute 2023-04-20 | On 19 April, the Lowy Institute hosted the launch of the 2023 Being Chinese in Australia: Public Opinion in Chinese Communities survey report with author and Lowy Institute Research Fellow Dr Jennifer Hsu, along with guests Samuel Yang and Lucy Du. The event was chaired by the Director of the Institute's Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Program, Ryan Neelam.Dr Jennifer Hsu is a Research Fellow and the Project Director of the Multiculturalism, Identity and Influence Project at the Lowy Institute. After completing her PhD in Development Studies at the University of Cambridge, she researched and taught development studies, political science and sociology in universities in North America and the United Kingdom. Jennifer is also a Senior Visiting Fellow at the Social Policy and Research Centre at the University of New South Wales. Her research expertise covers state-society relations, state-NGO relations, the internationalisation of Chinese NGOs, civil society and the Chinese diaspora and she has published widely in these areas. Samuel Yang is a Chinese-Australian bilingual journalist and presenter. He is currently a co-host of China Tonight on ABC TV. He joined the ABC in 2018 and has previously worked as a business reporter and presenter in Sydney, and a bilingual reporter and producer in Melbourne. He has lived across the Asia-Pacific including in China, Singapore and New Zealand. His work has won the NSW Premier’s Multicultural Communications Public Interest Award and he was nominated for Young Journalist of the Year in 2020. Lucy Du is the CEO of the Australia-China Young Professionals Initiative (ACYPI), the single largest young professionals organisation in the Australia-China space. She began her career in Canberra and then went on to work in China for one of Australia’s big four banks and later for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Shanghai. She is currently Head of Community at Belz Family & Associates, a global private assets investment platform for Asian and Australian investors. Lucy is bilingual in English and Chinese and has completed studies at the University of Melbourne, Australian National University and Tsinghua University. Ryan Neelam is Director of the Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Program and is Project Lead on the annual flagship publication, the Lowy Institute Poll. Before joining the Institute, Ryan spent 14 years as an Australian diplomat including as Deputy Consul-General in Hong Kong, and at the Australian Mission to the UN. Ryan has contributed to policy development and international agreements on economic, climate change, human rights and security issues.
An Address by General Angus Campbell, Chief of the Defence Force Lowy Institute 2023-04-11 | With the announcement of Australia’s pathway towards nuclear-powered submarines, and the forthcoming release of the Government’s response to the Defence Strategic Review, this event offered the rare opportunity to hear from Australia’s most senior military officer about the international security environment and how Australia is responding to it. After his remarks, General Angus Campbell AO DSC spoke in conversation with the Lowy Institute's Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove AM.General Campbell joined the Australian Army in 1981, graduating from the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1984. In 2005, he joined the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet as a First Assistant Secretary to head the Office of National Security and was subsequently promoted to Deputy Secretary and appointed to the position of Deputy National Security Adviser. Upon his return to the Australian Defence Force in early 2010, he was appointed to the rank of Major General. In 2015, he was appointed Chief of the Australian Army, and in 2018 appointed to command of the Australian Defence Force.
Paradigm shift? Australia, AUKUS and the Defence Strategic Review Lowy Institute 2023-03-24 | The announcement of Australia’s preferred technology pathway for the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines has been described as the most significant shift in the country’s strategic outlook since the Second World War. Coupled with the forthcoming publication of the Defence Strategic Review, Australia’s national security environment is set for significant change. What is the future of Australian defence policy, Australia’s place in the region, and its relations with the United States and the United Kingdom? For this panel discussion, Sam Roggeveen, Director of the Lowy Institute’s International Security Program, spoke with Dr Charles Edel, Dr Lavina Lee and Justin Burke about the big decisions shaping Australia’s national security policy. Dr Charles Edel is the inaugural Australia Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC. He previously taught at the University of Sydney, where he was also a senior fellow at the United States Studies Centre. Prior to that, he was a professor of strategy and policy at the US Naval War College and served on the US Secretary of State’s Policy Planning Staff from 2015 to 2017. Dr Lavina Lee is a senior lecturer in the Department of Security Studies and Criminology at Macquarie University in Sydney. She is a member of the Council of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and a nonresident fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. Justin Burke is the 2022 Thawley Scholar in International Relations at the Lowy Institute and Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). He is a nonresident fellow with the Institute for Security Policy at the University of Kiel in Germany. Justin is a PhD candidate in naval power at Macquarie University and was previously a journalist with The Australian and Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun.
2023 FDC Pacific Lecture: Hon Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa Lowy Institute 2023-03-22 | The inaugural FDC Pacific Lecture was given by the Prime Minister of Samoa, Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa at Old Parliament House, Canberra on Monday 20 March 2023.The Hon Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa is Samoa’s seventh prime minister and the first woman to be elected to the role. She was also the country’s first female cabinet minister and deputy prime minister. As the leader of the Faʻatuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party, she became prime minister after elections in 2021. Prime Minister Fiamē was first elected to parliament in 1985 and was appointed to her first cabinet ministry in 1991, going on to serve in a range of portfolios including Education, Justice and Environment. From 2006 to 2012, she was the chair and pro-chancellor of the University of the South Pacific. The FDC Pacific Lecture has been established with the support of the Foundation for Development Cooperation, which has also established the FDC Pacific Fellowship in conjunction with the Lowy Institute.The Prime Minister was introduced by the Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Hon Pat Conroy MP. After her remarks, Prime Minister Fiamē spoke in conversation with the Lowy Institute's Executive Director, Dr Michael Fullilove AM.
Book launch and discussion: Helpem Fren by Michael Wesley Lowy Institute 2023-03-17 | On 14 March 2023, Australian foreign policy expert and former Lowy Institute Executive Director Professor Michael Wesley launched his new book Helpem Fren: Australia and the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (MUP 2023). The book is the first comprehensive history of Australia’s RAMSI intervention, which was aimed at preventing the collapse of the Pacific Island state. Helpem Fren draws on still-classified official documents and more than 30 interviews to explore the motivations and dynamics behind the 14-year Pacific-wide mission — a project that cost more than $2 billion and involved thousands of soldiers, police and public servants from Australia and across the Pacific. RAMSI was remarkably successful in an age of disastrous interventions, yet its legacy has largely vanished from Australia’s public consciousness. Professor Wesley joined the Lowy Institute’s Pacific Islands Program Director Meg Keen, to discuss the challenges of interventions and development assistance in a Pacific that is more geopolitically contested than it has been for 70 years. Michael Wesley is Deputy Vice-Chancellor International and Professor of Politics at the University of Melbourne. His research and writing focus on Australian foreign policy and the international affairs of Asia and the Pacific. Previously, he was Dean of the College of Asia and the Pacific at the Australian National University. He has also held positions as Executive Director of the Lowy Institute, Director of the Griffith Asia Institute at Griffith University, and Assistant Director-General for Transnational Issues at the Office of National Assessments. He has a PhD in International Relations from the University of St Andrews.
The Russia–Ukraine war: where to now? Lowy Institute 2023-03-09 | Entering the second year of the Russia–Ukraine conflict the Lowy Institute hosted a a conversation with two compelling speakers about what 2023 will bring. Retired Australian Army Major General Mick Ryan has become a globally recognised commentator on the military campaign in Ukraine, while Ukrainian-born journalist Zoya Sheftalovich (POLITICO) has recently returned from Europe, where she covered President Zelenskyy’s visits to London and Brussels. The conversation was chaired by Sam Roggeveen, Director of the International Security Program.Major General (Ret’d) Mick Ryan is a Nonresident Fellow at the Lowy Institute. He spent 35 years in the Australian Army. His operational service includes deployments to East Timor, Iraq and southern Afghanistan. His book, War Transformed: The Future of Twenty-First-Century Great Power Competition and Conflict, was published in 2022.Zoya Sheftalovich is a contributing editor for POLITICO, currently based in Sydney. She is also a regular commentator on the Ukraine war for ABC News 24.
Women and foreign policy - Perspectives from the Lowy Institute Lowy Institute 2023-03-09 | Over the past decade, there has been more emphasis on gender in foreign policy and national security. What does this mean? Should foreign policy be a vehicle for the promotion of gender equality and how is that in Australia’s interest? How are women in foreign policy and national security leadership positions making an impact on the world stage? And are we witnessing a global backlash against women’s rights?To mark International Womens Day the Lowy Institute hosted this event featuring researchers Jennifer Hsu, Jessica Collins and Meg Keen for a conversation chaired by Lydia Khalil to discuss these issues and offer their perspectives as women working in the field.
Aus-PNG Network Emerging Leaders Dialogue 2022 Highlights Lowy Institute 2023-03-02 | We're thrilled to share that the Aus-PNG Network Emerging Leaders Dialogue 2022, which focused on digital connectivity between Australia and PNG, was a huge success! Emerging leaders discussed how technology can transform healthcare, education, disaster response, and more. #AusPNGELD2022 #EmergingLeaders #PapuaNewGuinea #auspngnetwork #LowyInstitute
Launch of the Asia Power Index 2023 Lowy Institute 2023-02-08 | The Asia Power Index 2023 is the fifth edition of the digital analytical tool that ranks 26 countries according to the power they wield in the Indo-Pacific Region. In this video event, Project Lead Susannah Patton and Director of Research Hervé Lemahieu discuss the findings from the 2023 Asia Power Index with Lowy Institute Executive Director Michael Fullilove. They discuss the rankings for the 2023 Index, the impact of Covid-19 on the influence of countries such as China, and the reasons why the United States continues to be the top-ranked country for power in Asia. ABOUT THE ASIA POWER INDEX The Asia Power Index was first published in 2018. It evaluates the balance of power in Asia through 133 indicators across eight thematic measures: Military Capability and Defence Networks, Economic Capability and Relationships, Diplomatic and Cultural Influence, as well as Resilience and Future Resources. More than half of our data points involve original Lowy Institute research, while the rest are aggregated from hundreds of publicly available national and international sources. This year, the Index includes three new indicators based on primary research that track high-level diplomatic engagement between all Index countries, enabling new comparisons of diplomatic and defence influence across Asia. These new indicators quantify the number of bilateral and multilateral diplomatic dialogues at foreign minister level and above held by each Index country, along with their convening power — the number of visits by regional leaders or foreign ministers hosted by each country. In 2023, the top ten countries for overall power are: the United States, China, Japan, India, Russia, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand. The only country to improve its comprehensive power ranking in 2023 is Cambodia, which has risen two places to become the 20th ranked power in the region. Find out more: power.lowyinstitute.org
Preparing for Global Challenges: In Conversation with Bill Gates Lowy Institute 2023-01-23 | In a special in-person conversation with Lowy Institute Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove, Mr Gates will talk about global health, pandemic preparedness, food security and climate change.Bill Gates is co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and founder of Breakthrough Energy. He co-founded Microsoft in 1975, growing the company into a global leader in business and personal software. In 2008, Gates shifted focus to the Gates Foundation’s work on increasing opportunities for the world’s most disadvantaged people. Through the Foundation, he has spent more than 20 years working on global health and development issues including pandemic prevention; disease eradication; maternal, newborn and child health; agricultural development; and water, sanitation and hygiene. In 2010, he co-founded the Giving Pledge to encourage the wealthiest families and individuals to publicly commit more than half their wealth to philanthropic causes and charitable organisations during their lifetime or in their will.Monday 23 January 2023
An Address by Sanna Marin, Prime Minister of Finland Lowy Institute 2022-12-02 | Hear from one of the world’s most interesting and admired leaders on “How a strong Europe can contribute to a more secure world”. In May 2022, Sanna Marin’s government took the historic decision for Finland to apply for NATO membership. In this address, Marin will speak about Finland’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and Europe’s broader security priorities. After her address Ms Marin spoke in conversation with Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove and take audience questions.Sanna Marin was appointed Prime Minister of Finland on 10 December 2019. She has been actively engaged in politics since 2006. In 2015, she was elected to Parliament and has been a member of the Grand Committee, Legal Affairs Committee and Environment Committee. Ms Marin is the third female Prime Minister of Finland and the youngest prime minister in Finland’s history.
2022 Lowy Lecture delivered by World Trade Organization Director-General Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Lowy Institute 2022-11-23 | Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the first woman and first African to hold the office of Director-General of the World Trade Organization. She is an economist and international development professional with more than 40 years of experience, including as a Managing Director at the World Bank. She has twice served as Nigeria's Finance Minister (2003–06 and 2011–15) and also served as the country's Foreign Minister in 2006. In 2021, Time magazine recognised her as one of the world's most influential people.The annual Lowy Lecture is the Lowy Institute’s flagship event, at which a prominent individual reflects on Australia and the world. Past Lecturers include German Chancellor Angela Merkel; UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson; US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan; Lowy Institute Chairman Sir Frank Lowy; and several Australian prime ministers including Prime Minister John Howard, who delivered the inaugural Lowy Lecture in 2005.
2022 Lowy Institute Media Lecture by Gideon Rachman Lowy Institute 2022-11-17 | The 2022 Lowy Institute Media Lecture was delivered by the Financial Times chief foreign affairs columnist Gideon Rachman, who reflected on the place of foreign news coverage in a fracturing media environment. Gideon Rachman became chief foreign affairs columnist for the Financial Times in July 2006. He joined the FT after a 15-year career at The Economist, which included assignments as a foreign correspondent in Brussels, Washington, DC, and Bangkok. He has also edited the business and Asia sections of The Economist. His interests include American foreign policy, the European Union and globalisation. His most recent book is titled The Age of the Strongman: How the cult of leader threatens democracy around the world.
Owen Harries Lecture - Sir Lawrence Freedman Lowy Institute 2022-11-09 | The 2022 Owen Harries Lecture was delivered by the Lowy Institute's 2022 Distinguished Fellow for International Security Sir Lawrence Freedman, one of the world’s most respected military strategists. Sir Lawrence's Harries Lecture, titled ‘Inhumane War?’, discussed Moscow's assumption that Kyiv can be forced to capitulate by attacks on its citizenry and infrastructure even when Russian forces have been pushed back in the land battle. The Lecture was followed by a Q&A session moderated by Lowy Institute Director of Research Hervé Lemahieu.Sir Lawrence Freedman is Emeritus Professor of War Studies, King's College London. Elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1995 and awarded the CBE in 1996, he was appointed Official Historian of the Falklands Campaign in 1997. In 2003, he was awarded the KCMG. In June 2009, he was appointed to serve as a member of the official inquiry into Britain and the 2003 Iraq War. He has written widely on international history, strategic theory and nuclear weapons issues, as well as commenting on current security issues. Among his books are Strategy: A History (2013) and Command: The Politics of Military Operations from Korea to Ukraine (2022).Since 2013, the annual Owen Harries Lecture has honoured the significant contribution made to the international debate in Australia and the United States by Owen Harries, who was a Nonresident Fellow at the Lowy Institute.The Distinguished Fellowship for International Security is supported by the Australian Department of Defence’s Strategic Policy Grants Program.
Does Southeast Asia need a new development model? Lowy Institute 2022-11-03 | Southeast Asia is one of the most economically and developmentally successful regions in the world. But the region faces numerous challenges — from fragmenting globalisation and escalating geopolitical tensions to accelerating digital disruption and the mounting costs of climate change. Internal domestic challenges also loom large. What will it take for Southeast Asia to continue to succeed? Is a new approach to development needed? In September 2022, the Lowy Institute explored these questions in the digital debate feature Does Southeast Asia need a new development model?, featuring contributions from leading Southeast Asian experts.Now, you are invited to join us for a special video event to discuss these questions and more. Chaired by Lowy Institute Lead Economist Roland Rajah, the panel will feature some of the region’s most interesting economic thinkers including Tricia Yeoh, CEO of leading Malaysian think tank, the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs; Vasuki Shastry, Associate Fellow at Chatham House; and Tiza Mafira, a climate policy expert and head of Climate Policy Initiative Indonesia. PANELLISTSTiza Mafira is a climate policy expert based in Jakarta. She leads Climate Policy Initiative Indonesia, a think tank, and in 2020 received the Gen.T Award for Future Leaders of Asia. Vasuki Shastry is an Associate Fellow in the Asia Pacific program of Chatham House. He was formerly with the IMF, Standard Chartered Bank, and the Singapore central bank. He is the author of Has Asia Lost It? Dynamic Past, Turbulent Future. Tricia Yeoh is CEO of Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) and holds a PhD from the School of Politics, History and International Relations at the University of Nottingham, Malaysia. This event and the digital debate feature Does Southeast Asia need a new development model? are produced with the support of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Aiding the Pacific in the time of Covid-19: Launch of the 2022 Pacific Aid Map update Lowy Institute 2022-10-30 | The unprecedented disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic in the Pacific Islands region also caused upheaval in how international donors provide aid to the region's governments.As borders closed, and people-to-people exchanges became restricted, aid programs had to adjust and reconfigure. This caused significant changes in the scale and structure of programs from major donors including Australia and prompted a more prominent role for multilateral donors to help stabilise and support the economies of the region.The 2022 update of the Pacific Aid Map reveals the scale of this disruption. Built upon comprehensive data from the 2020 calendar year, the update shows how major donors like Australia scrambled to reconfigure projects and took tentative steps towards new forms of aid including direct budget support and infrastructure financing. It also shows how non-traditional donors like China had a limited role in the region's pandemic response, while showing the critical contribution made by multilateral donors to bolster the region’s economies.Join us on 31 October for a special video event to launch the 2022 update of the Pacific Aid Map. Lead researcher Alexandre Dayant will be joined by the head of the Lowy Institute's Pacific Islands Program Meg Keen and Pacific Islands Forum advisor Henry Cocker for this discussion, facilitated by the Institute's Lead Economist and International Economics Program Director Roland Rajah.PACIFIC AID MAPThe Pacific Aid Map is the most comprehensive dataset of aid and development funding to countries in the Pacific Islands region. Comprising data on more than 57,000 projects from 67 donors, the dataset provides insight into how international donors support countries in the region, and how Pacific Island nations use development assistance.PARTICIPANTSAlexandre Dayant is a Research Fellow and Project Director responsible for the Lowy Institute Pacific Aid Map and a forthcoming multi-year assessment of foreign aid flows in Southeast Asia. His work focuses on development economics and geoeconomics in both regions. Dr Meg Keen is the Director of the Lowy Institute Pacific Islands Program, where she oversees the Institute’s analysis, events and external engagement concerning the Pacific Islands. Before joining the Lowy Institute, she was the inaugural Director of the Australia Pacific Security College at the Australian National University (ANU).Henry Cocker is an engagement adviser on sustainable development at Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. The role coordinates the Pacific’s regional SDG implementation progress and reporting. Prior to PIFS, he worked as Deputy Secretary for Finance at the Nauru Ministry of Finance, Adviser at the New Zealand Treasury and Deputy Secretary for Finance at the Tongan Ministry of Finance.
Under Pressure: The present and future of international order Lowy Institute 2022-10-13 | The Chinese Communist Party will shortly hold its 20th National Congress during a highly unsettled period in international affairs. In February, after President Putin and President Xi declared a "friendship without limits", Russia launched its brutal invasion of Ukraine. In August, China responded to US Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei with major military exercises. Meanwhile, President Biden has become increasingly vocal in his support for Taiwan. Just days ahead of the CCP Congress, the Lowy Institute hosted the head of one of the most influential think tanks in Washington. Richard Fontaine addressed the Lowy Institute on the present and future of international order. After his remarks, Mr Fontaine spoke with Lowy Institute Executive Director Michael Fullilove about US security policy in Asia, China’s challenge to the United States and the rules-based order, as well as how the Ukraine war is being viewed in Washington. Richard Fontaine is Chief Executive Officer of the Center for a New American Security. He served as President of CNAS from 2012–19 and before that as Senior Fellow from 2009–12. Prior to his time at CNAS, he was foreign policy adviser to Senator John McCain and worked at the US State Department, the National Security Council, and on the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.This event was hosted as part of the project Australia's Security and the Rules-Based Order, which receives funding from the Australian Department of Defence Strategic Policy Grants Program.
An address by Dr S. Jaishankar, India’s Minister for External Affairs Lowy Institute 2022-10-11 | At a time of significant geopolitical uncertainty, India is taking an ever more prominent role in world affairs. From its membership of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, to the influential part that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has played in talks with Russia's President at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, India is asserting its voice on major international issues.Dr Jaishankar is India's leading diplomat. Before entering parliament, he was Foreign Secretary, and previously served as Ambassador in Beijing and Washington, DC. Before that he held posts in Tokyo, Moscow, Singapore, Colombo and Budapest.Dr Jaishankar will address the Lowy Institute on the growing importance of India's relationship with Australia and the interests that both countries share as members of the security-focused Quad. After his remarks, Dr Jaishankar will speak in conversation with Executive Director Michael Fullilove. Dr S. Jaishankar was appointed India's Minister for External Affairs in 2019 following his election to the upper house of India's parliament for the state of Gujarat. Dr Jaishankar served as Foreign Secretary (2015–2018) and previously represented India in a number of senior diplomatic roles including Ambassador to the United States (2013–2015) and Ambassador to China (2009–2013). Dr Jaishankar holds a PhD in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi and in 2019 was awarded the Padma Shri civilian honour. His book, The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World, was published in 2020.
A special address by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy Lowy Institute 2022-10-06 | Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has become an international symbol of resistance as he leads his country's response to Russia's brutal invasion. From his defiant leadership on the streets of Kyiv in the early weeks of the attack to his eloquent advocacy on the global stage, President Zelenskyy has become an internationally admired figure at the heart of some of the most remarkable events in world affairs in recent decades. President Zelenskyy addressed the Lowy Institute from Ukraine via live video link. Afterwards, he spoke in conversation with Executive Director Michael Fullilove and take audience questions.
Women and ASD in our 75th year: Rachel Noble PSM, Director-General Australian Signals Directorate Lowy Institute 2022-09-02 | Please join us for a rare insight into the story of women in the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) from its Director-General, Rachel Noble. ASD is Australia's foreign signals intelligence, cyber security, and offensive cyber operations agency. At this in-person event, the Director-General will also share her experiences as a woman in a male dominated career and her thoughts on what leaders and managers can do to help to continue breaking down barriers for women. Following her speech, the Director-General will take questions from Lowy Institute Executive Director Michael Fullilove and the audience. Rachel Noble PSM is the Director-General of the Australian Signals Directorate. Prior to her appointment, she was the Head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre in the Australian Signals Directorate. Rachel has held senior roles in the Department of Home Affairs, Department of Immigration and Border Protection, and Department of Defence. Rachel was formerly National Security Chief Information Officer and Cyber Policy Coordinator in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, a role in which she received a Public Service Medal for her work.
Migration nation: Australias foreign policy from a multicultural perspective Lowy Institute 2022-08-10 | Half of all Australians were born overseas or have a parent who was born overseas, and Australia is home to more than 250 ancestries and 350 languages. The new Labor government has invoked Australia’s multiculturalism as a part of our national identity in its recent engagement with the region. But what is the role of Australia’s multiculturalism in foreign policy? Are diversity and diasporas a source of soft power and engagement? Our panel examined how Australia’s multiculturalism can inform foreign policymaking chaired by Dr Jennifer Hsu, Research Fellow in the Lowy Institute’s Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Program.Panel guests include:Dr Melissa Phillips is a Lecturer in Humanitarian and Development Studies in the School of Social Sciences at Western Sydney University. She has previously worked for the United Nations and international NGOs in South Sudan, North Africa, and the Middle East, and recently co-edited Understanding Diaspora Development: Lessons from Australia and the Pacific. Jason Chai is the Director of Market Access and Government Affairs for Cochlear Asia-Pacific. He is a former Australian diplomat and has worked for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as well as at senior government levels, including as a Chief of Staff to a Victorian Minister of Trade and Investment. Alfred Deakin Professor Fethi Mansouri holds a research chair in Migration and Intercultural Studies and the UNESCO Chair for comparative research on cultural diversity and social justice. He is the founding Director of the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation at Deakin University. He is the editor of the Journal of Intercultural Studies and since 2010 has served as an expert adviser to the United Nations on cultural diversity and intercultural relations.Recorded on 10 Aug 2022
Launch of The Consul: Critical reflections on international crisis response Lowy Institute 2022-07-22 | On 21 July 2022, the Lowy Institute hosted the launch of 'The Consul', written by Nonresident Fellow Ian Kemish. The book was launched by Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Hon Tim Watts MP, with a conversation afterwards between Ian Kemish and Natasha Kassam, Director of the Institute's Public Opinion and Foreign Policy program.How have world events shaped the way we travel now and what does future travel look like? What should we expect of our government when we are overseas? Where does personal responsibility begin and end? Is Australia’s consular service adequately resourced?Since 2000, there has been extraordinary growth in the demands on the Australian consular service — the men and women who step forward to support their fellow Australians when they experience serious difficulty overseas. Australia’s consular officers are often on the frontline of major international crises — from natural disasters to terrorist attacks, evacuations from war zones, to a global pandemic.Ian Kemish AM served as Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Ambassador to Germany, led the Prime Minister’s International Division, and headed Australia’s consular service in a diplomatic career that spanned 25 years. He was awarded membership of the Order of Australia for his leadership of Australia’s response to the 2002 Bali bombings. He is a Nonresident Fellow with the Lowy Institute, an Adjunct Professor in history at the University of Queensland, a Director of the Australia–Indonesia Centre and an Honorary Fellow of Deakin University.Hon Tim Watts MP, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs is the Federal Member for Gellibrand in Melbourne’s west. Before entering Parliament, he worked in the technology sector, as the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Minister for Communications and a Senior Adviser to the Victorian Premier. Since being elected in 2013, Tim has served in a range of roles including as the Shadow Assistant Minister for Cyber Security and Communications. During his time in Parliament, he has been an active participant in a range of youth and track 1.5 dialogues including with Indonesia, China, India and the United States.
Kori Schake and Samir Saran on the future of the Quad Lowy Institute 2022-06-17 | The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue is becoming increasingly important to Indian, Japanese, Australian and American efforts to balance Chinese power and extend the rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific. Its strategic importance to Australia was underscored this May when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made the Quad leaders’ meeting in Tokyo his first foreign engagement as Prime Minister. At this special event, the Lowy Institute’s Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove discussed the Quad’s evolving role with leading thinkers from two other Quad countries:Dr Samir Saran, President of India’s Observer Research Foundation. Dr Saran curates the Raisina Dialogue, India’s annual flagship platform on geopolitics and geo-economics, and is the founder of CyFy, India’s annual conference on cybersecurity and internet governance. Samir has authored four books, including The New World Disorder and the Indian Imperative with Shashi Tharoor, and Pax Sinica: Implications for the Indian Dawn with Akhil Deo. Dr Kori Schake, Director of Foreign and Defense Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. Dr Schake was the Deputy Director-General of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. She has had a distinguished career in government, working at the US State Department, the US Department of Defense, and the National Security Council at the White House. She has also taught at Stanford, West Point, Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, National Defense University, and the University of Maryland.Recorded on 17 June 2022
Frontier Rules: Technology, order and disorder - Dr Samir Saran Lowy Institute 2022-06-17 | Ubiquitous and universally accessible global technology platforms threaten to undermine social and political cohesion, and limit the effectiveness of an international rules-based order, Dr Samir Saran argues. Global tech companies operate beyond the control of individual nations, and impose different concepts around societies' agreed understanding around rights such as freedom of expression. The light-regulation of US-based tech companies compares with the operation of Chinese tech firms operate in the service of the country - but both have their drawbacks for other nations. How should states deal with the threats these platforms pose, and how can they defend themselves in an era of cyber conflict?
Frontier Rules: The West, alliances and the rules-based order - Dr Kori Schake Lowy Institute 2022-06-17 | Russia's invasion of Ukraine has shocked liberal democracies into action to strengthen the international rules-based order, Dr Kori Schake argues. Nations that value the post-war international framework have been reminded that they need to be prepared to argue for and defend the system. However, she says it is disappointing that the renewed focus on the rules-based order has come about not through positive decisions by liberal democracies, but in response to the actions of authoritarian states. She says the response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine should send a message to China about the consequences of a move against Taiwan.
Frontier Rules: Technology, norms and the future war - Discussion with Mick Ryan and Dr Kori Schake Lowy Institute 2022-06-17 | In conversation with Dr Kori Schake, he discussed his recent book War in the Future, Russian military strategy in Ukraine, and the lessons that China’s military has taken from the conflict.
EVENT: Putin, Xi and the Russian invasion of Ukraine Lowy Institute 2022-05-26 | Moscow’s escalating confrontation with the West means that Russia is now more reliant on China, geopolitically and economically, than at any time in the two countries’ history. What are the implications arising from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — the most serious conflict in Europe since the end of the Second World War? What impact will the war in Ukraine’s have on the evolution of the Sino-Russian partnership, which has assumed pivotal importance — not just for the outcome of the war, but for the future of global order? An event with Dr Bobo Lo, Nonresident Fellow at the Lowy Institute, to mark the launch of his Lowy Institute Analysis Paper Turning point? Putin, Xi and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Dr Lo’s address was followed by a conversation with Hervé Lemahieu, Director of Research of the Lowy Institute and audience questions. Dr Bobo Lo is a Nonresident Fellow with the Lowy Institute and is an independent analyst on global affairs. He is an Associate Research Fellow with the Russia/NIS Center at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) and has written extensively on Russian foreign and security policy, with a particular focus on Sino-Russian relations. Dr Lo is a former diplomat and served as Deputy Head of Mission at Australia’s Embassy in Moscow. He is the author of Russia and the New World Disorder, which was shortlisted for the 2016 Pushkin House Prize and was described by The Economist as the ‘best attempt yet to explain Russia’s unhappy relationship with the rest of the world’. His most recent book is A Wary Embrace: What the China-Russia relationship means for the world. He holds an MA from Oxford and a PhD from Melbourne University.Recorded on 26 May 2022
