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8 Sep 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Dr Paul Twomey presentation
Cyber attacks in Estonia and Georgia are one recent prominent example of cyber space being challenged by growth in crime, espionage and disruptive activity. Disruptive activity targeting governments, cyber infrastructure providers and commercial enterprise is growing significantly around the world. For Australia, where over 90 per cent of the networks that now underpin our economy are in private-sector control and increasingly interconnected to global sources of vulnerability, this an important national issue. At the Wednesday Lunch on 8 September, Paul Twomey discussed this growing global phenomenon and suggested some policy responses for managing this growing threat.
His presentation can be heard here:
Cyber security threats - MP3 (20MB)
Dr Paul Twomey
1 Sep 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Professor David Shambaugh presentation
As China emerges fully on the global stage, its impact is being felt in various dimensions -diplomatic, commercial, cultural, energy and environment, military-strategic, global governance, and other domains. Yet the international community remains very uncertain of China’s intentions, goals, strategies, and tactics. One way to begin to understand how China may behave on the global stage is to delve into domestic debates about China’s international identity and roles in the world. Professor Shambaugh’s lecture at the Wednesday Lunch on 1 September illuminated China’s domestic discourse about its international position.
His presentation can be heard here:
China's competing international identities: the conflicted rising power - MP3 (19MB)
Professor David Shambaugh
27 Aug 2010 - Publication
Distinguished Speaker Series - Michel Sidibé presentation
 On Friday, 27 August 2010, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Mr Michel Sidibé, addressed the Lowy Institute for International Policy as part of our Distinguished Speaker Series.
In 1996, UNAIDS was established as a specialised agency of the United Nations to give policy guidance and advice on all aspects of the global struggle against the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
Mr Sidibé's presentation can be heard here:
Global HIV/AIDS pandemic: challenge and response - MP3 (22MB)
Michael Sidibé
25 Aug 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Peter Beinart presentation
A number of US presidents have come to be associated – whether or not it is strictly historically accurate – with certain foreign policy approaches.
Can we identify an 'Obama doctrine' in US foreign policy? The left believes that President Barack Obama is insufficiently focused on human rights; the right criticises him as a serial apologiser who is hastening America’s decline. To address this difficult topic, the Lowy Institute was pleased to present a leading US analyst and author of a new book on the history of US foreign policy, Peter Beinart.
His presentation can be heard here:
Is there an 'Obama doctrine' in US foreign policy? - MP3 (15MB)
Peter Beinart
20 Aug 2010 - Publication
Coral Sea neighbours - then and now
In this latest article on Pacific strategic issues, Army Visiting Fellow Nick Floyd argues that on the eve of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Australia and New Caledonia, it is timely to consider the continuing strategic relevance of this near neighbour to Australia.
The article demonstrates New Caledonia's array of enduring discontinuities: throughout its history, New Caledonia's strategic overwatch of the South Pacific's approaches has contrasted with its isolation, while the archipelago's richness and diversity of resources are challenged by both its accessibility and vulnerability.
Australian Defence Force Journal, Issue 182, 2010, pp 34-43
Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Floyd
18 Aug 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Dr Robert Sutter presentation
Based on research including consultations with 180 officials in ten Asia-Pacific countries over the past six years, this careful and balanced assessment of the strengths and limitations of Asia’s rise, notably the rise of China, along with the strengths and weaknesses of the United States and its ongoing leadership position in the region, demonstrates that neither China nor any other power or coalition of powers has either the ability nor the will to challenge US leadership in the Asia-Pacific.
Dr Sutter's presentation can be heard here:
U.S. engagement with a rising Asia - MP3 (20MB)
Dr Robert Sutter
13 Aug 2010 - Publication
China in the Pacific: what's really going on?
Lowy Institute Research Fellow Fergus Hanson published an article in the recent publication 'Business advantage Pacific Islands 2010/11" on China's growing relations with Pacific countries.
Fergus Hanson
11 Aug 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Hugh Bradlow presentation
Success in the development and adoption of 'infotronic' technologies is going to be critical to the future of Australia's economic competitiveness and our standard of living. In this Wednesday Lowy Lunch presentation, Hugh Bradlow, Chief Technology Officer for Telstra, looked at the changes in ICT technologies over the next 10 years and the impact that they are likely to have on human behaviour and economic outcomes. He then addressed the perspective of Australia's competitive position in this new world.
Download his PPT here:
Australia's competitive position in the world of technology - PPTX (5MB)
His presentation can be heard here:
Australia's competitive position in the world of technology - MP3 (20MB)
6 Aug 2010 - Publication
Interview: Martine Letts
 On the 65th anniversary of the dropping of the first atom bomb on Hiroshima, Deputy Director Martine Letts spoke to Al Jazeera about the prospects for global nuclear disarmament and preventing the further spread of nuclear weapons.
4 Aug 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Joel Negin presentation
The debate about overseas aid’s effectiveness has until recently been largely confined to policy-makers but, over the past few weeks, the issue has featured prominently in the Australian media. In the Wednesday Lowy Lunch on 4 August, Joel Negin examined the increasingly complex arena of international development assistance, putting the challenges of development assistance into a global context and aiming to widen the scope of the aid debate to a broader audience.
His presentation can be downloaded here:
Reviving dead aid - PPT (5MB)
His presentation can be heard here:
Reviving dead aid - MP3 (21MB)
Joel Negin
30 Jul 2010 - Publication
Analysing 'A Careful War'
 'A Careful War’ was a compelling two-part documentary program which appeared on the ABC’s Four Corners earlier this month. Distinguished reporter Chris Masters undertook a ground-level exploration of one corner of the Afghanistan conflict. Focusing on the work of an Australian mentoring company, the program delivered important and moving perspectives on this complex battlefront from the soldiers who are fighting and the people they are fighting for.
On 30 July Chris Masters delivered a public lecture on the documentary.
The lecture can be heard here:
Analysing 'A Careful War' - MP3 (21MB)
Or viewed by clicking on the image above.
Chris Masters
29 Jul 2010 - Publication
Food for Thought - Mark Thirlwell presentation
 On 29 July in Canberra, in the latest in our Food for Thought series, Mark Thirlwell, Director of the Lowy Institute’s International Economy program, looked at our post-GFC world and tried to answer the question, 'Just how much has changed as a result of the global financial crisis?'
His presentation can be heard here:
Our post-GFC world - MP3 (21MB)
A video of the presentation can be watched by clicking the photo to the right.
Mark Thirlwell
28 Jul 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Panel presentations
 The 41st Pacific Island Forum leaders meeting will be held in Port Vila from 4 August 2010. Australia is the outgoing chair of the Forum.
In the lead up to the meeting the Lowy Institute convened a panel of diverse Pacific commentators and experts from government and non-government sectors to discuss key issues of importance for the Pacific at the Wednesday Lunch at Lowy on 28 July.
Their presentations can be heard here:
The Pacific: back on the Australian Government's agenda? - MP3 (25MB)
A video of the presentation can be watched by clicking the photo to the right.
26 Jul 2010 - Publication
Distinguished Speaker Series - Richard McGregor
Over the last thirty years, China has emerged as a major political and economic power on the international stage, and the pace of this growth has been astonishing. Though China's presence in the global arena continues to grow rapidly, the most remarkable part of this country's transformation has been largely left untold – the central role of the Chinese Communist Party. In THE PARTY: The Secret World of China's Communist Rulers former Financial Times China bureau chief Richard McGregor delves into the hidden world of the Communist Party, revealing how this ruling organisation works and how it has contributed to China's rise as a global superpower and rival to the United States.
His presentation can be heard here:
THE PARTY: The Secret World of China's Communist Rulers - MP3 (21MB)
Richard McGregor
16 Jul 2010 - Publication
A new mind-set for exchange rates
Lowy Institute Visiting Fellow Stephen Grenville has published an article entitled 'A new mind-set for exchange rates' in the first issue for 2010 of Agenda: A Journal of Policy Analysis and Reform (Volume 17 - Issue 1).
The article is available at: http://epress.anu.edu.au/agenda/017/pdf/mindset.pdf
Dr Stephen Grenville AO
16 Jul 2010 - Publication
Distinguished Speaker Series - Senator John Faulkner presentation
On Friday 16 July, Australia's Defence Minister, Senator John Faulkner, spoke at the Lowy Institute to discuss Australia's commitment and contribution to the ISAF effort in Afghanistan, in the context of Australian strategic objectives, operational developments and the challenge of capacity building.
His presentation can be heard here:
Afghanistan - Australia's commitment - MP3 (23MB)
Senator The Hon. John Faulkner
15 Jul 2010 - Publication
Food for Thought - Michael Wesley presentation
 Mineral resources play a role in international affairs that far outweighs the attention paid to the sector by policy makers and strategic thinkers. Modern societies are becoming ever more dependent on mineral resources but increasingly less self-sufficient in their production, making access to stable and reasonably priced resources central to their functioning. And yet there is little awareness of the general dynamics, trends and forces governing the global production and trade in strategic resources. Developing such an awareness is particularly important for Australians, given our continent’s rich endowment in many of the resources that the global economy needs.
Watch a video of this presentation by clicking the photo above.
Dr Michael Wesley
14 Jul 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Philip Eliason presentation
Yemen's growing internal crises and linkages to international terrorism have captured the attention of the international community. Yemen's position at the crossroads of international trade and in a region already bedevilled by piracy and instability are further reasons to be interested in that country's future trajectory. On 14 July the Wednesday Lowy Lunch Club heard Philip Eliason speak about Yemen's internal developments and its role as a fulcrum in a regional arc of crisis.
His presentation can be heard here:
Yemen: Fulcrum in an arc of crisis - MP3 (22MB)
Philip Eliason
7 Jul 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Green, McKibbin & Picker presentation
After an extraordinary build-up, the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference spectacularly failed to produce an international response commensurate with the scale of the climate change issue - and there seems little prospect of an agreement in the near term. This Wednesday Lowy Lunch launched a new Lowy Policy Brief that charts an alternative course for delivering an international agreement on climate change that will commence genuine reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
Their presentation can be heard here:
Confronting the crisis of international climate policy - MP3 (21MB)
The publication can be downloaded here:
Publication download
Fergus Green Professor Warwick McKibbin Dr Greg Picker
6 Jul 2010 - Publication
Moving Australia forward
 At the Lowy Institute on Tuesday 6 July, the Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon. Julia Gillard, gave her first major policy speech as prime minister.
Her presentation can be heard here:
Moving Australia forward - MP3 (13MB)
Her speech is also available for download.
5 Jul 2010 - Publication
Sino-American relations: the state of play
For the first time in 20 years, the relationship with China played almost no part in the American Presidential election of 2008. President Obama has forged a low-key, pragmatic relationship with Beijing, but has not seen much success in building a workable "G2" that so many have called for. China kept Obama's visit to Washington in late 2009 deliberately low-key, and has refused to co-operate on the value of its currency, pressuring North Korea and Iran, or acting on global warming. Recently Washington has angered Beijing over Obama's meeting with the Dalai Lama and selling arms to Taiwan. Suisheng Zhao, one of the world pre-eminent watchers of the Sino-American relationship, explored the thinking underpinning the current relationship, and the dynamics driving the evolution of the relationship.
The conversation can be heard here:
Sino-American relations - MP3 (20MB)
Professor Suisheng Zhao
30 Jun 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Professor Simon Evenett
On Tuesday, 29 June 2010, the Wednesday Lowy Lunch Club provided an opportunity to hear from one of the world’s leading experts on the international trading system, Professor Simon Evenett. Professor Evenett discussed the commercial policy and trade strategies of the United States, Europe, and the emerging economic powers.
His presentation can be heard here:
The Commercial Policy and Trade Strategies of the World’s Leading Economic Powers - MP3 (21MB)
Professor Simon Everett
23 Jun 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Mark Thirlwell presentation
At the Wednesday Lowy Lunch on 23 June, Mark Thirlwell, Director of the Institute’s International Economy program, discussed the entanglement of international economics, geopolitics and security, and assessed whether we are headed for a new age of geo-economics.
His presentation can be heard here:
The return of geo-economics - MP3 (22MB)
A video of this presentation is available in our Video Library.
Mark Thirlwell
21 Jun 2010 - Publication
Distinguished Speaker Series - Dr Charles Ferguson presentation
On 21 June, the Lowy Institute held a lecture by the President of the Federation of American Scientists, Dr Charles Ferguson, as part of its Distinguished Speaker Series. Dr Ferguson examined the links between civil nuclear energy and nuclear weapons proliferation. In light of the growing number of states which have signed peaceful nuclear energy cooperation deals, the lecture focused on the increasing risks of an attack upon, or sabotage of, civil nuclear facilities. Dr Ferguson was in Australia as a guest of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and this event was supported by the Lowy Institute’s partnership with the Nuclear Security Project of the Nuclear Threat Initiative.
His presentation can be heard here:
Potential security consequences of the nuclear energy revival - MP3 (20MB)
Dr Charles Ferguson
16 Jun 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Minar Pimple presentation
At the Wednesday Lowy Lunch Club on 16 June, distinguished international speaker Minar Pimple addressed the Club on the important question of how well the Asia-Pacific region is doing in achieving the Millennium Development Goals and what role we and broader civil society can play in helping to achieve this ambitious agenda to tackle extreme poverty, adopted by world leaders at the United Nations in 2000.
His presentation can be heard here:
The Millennium Development Goals in Asia and the Pacific - MP3 (19MB)
Minar Pimple
9 Jun 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Dr Milton Osborne presentation
For the past few weeks our TV news and newspaper front pages have shown us chaotic images from downtown Bangkok. These pictures and the violent political tensions they portray run counter to the touristic stereotype of Thailand as a relaxed country of smiles. On 9 June, Dr Milton Osborne, recently back from a trip to Thailand, discussed the present political situation in Thailand and its struggle between the Yellow and Red Shirts.
His presentation can be heard here:
Troubled Thailand - MP3 (19MB)
A video of this presentation is available in our Video Library.
Dr Milton Osborne
1 Jun 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Dr Malcolm Cook presentation
The Wednesday Lowy Lunch this week was on Tuesday and it launched the Asia New Zealand Foundation’s Outlook Paper #13, 'Standing Together, In Single File', by the Lowy Institute’s Program Director East Asia, Dr Malcolm Cook.
Malcolm was joined by Dr Brendan Taylor to discuss the paper. Brendan is a lecturer at the School of International, Political and Strategic Studies at ANU. Dr Andrew Butcher, the Asia New Zealand Foundation’s Director Policy and Research, moderated the launch.
The presentations at the launch can be heard here:
Standing together, in single file: Australia and New Zealand in Asia - MP3 (18MB)
Dr Andrew Butcher Dr Malcolm Cook Dr Brendan Taylor
1 Jun 2010 - Publication
Australia and New Zealand in Asia
In a new report for the Asia New Zealand Foundation, the Lowy Institute’s Malcolm Cook evaluates how regional and Australian foreign policy dynamics are weakening trans-Tasman bonds when it comes to engaging Asia. For decades, the two countries shared goal of engaging Asia has brought them closer together. Now, this same drive may be pushing the two apart. There is no better sign of this than this year’s FIFA World Cup. Australia is representing Asia while New Zealand’s All Whites is Oceania’s only team.
Dr Malcolm Cook
31 May 2010 - Publication
Comparing climate commitments: a model-based analysis of the Copenhagen Accord
Lowy Institute Professorial Fellow Warwick McKibbin, in a Brookings Institution paper, analyses the Copenhagen targets using the G-Cubed model of the global economy.
The publication is available here.
Professor Warwick McKibbin
26 May 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - James Curran presentation
Following the sudden disappearance in the 1960s and 1970s of the familiar coordinates of the British world, Australians were cast into the realm of the unknown. The task of remodelling the national image touched every aspect of Australian life where identifiably British ideas, habits and symbols had grown obsolete.
At the Wednesday Lunch on 26 May, James Curran examined the task of finding a stable, coherent policy basis for a 'more independent' footing for Australia’s foreign relations.
His presentation can be heard here:
The 'new foreigners': Australian diplomacy in the wake of empire - MP3 (21MB)
James Curran
19 May 2010 - Publication
Distinguished Speaker Series - Lord May presentation
On 19 May, the Lowy Institute was delighted to welcome back Lord May of Oxford, a member of the Institute’s International Advisory Council, to speak on climate change as part of our Distinguished Speaker Series. Lord May argued that although it is beyond dispute that the burning of fossil fuels is thickening Earth’s greenhouse gas blanket (to levels not seen for tens of millions of years), there remain some uncertainties about the severity of particular adverse consequences and the timescales for manifestation.
Lord May's presentation can be heard here:
Climate change: facts, uncertainties, and the way forward after Copenhagen - MP3 (20MB)
Professor Lord (Robert) May OM AC Kt FRS
18 May 2010 - Publication
Panel discussion
 At a breakfast on Tuesday 18 May a panel examined the prospects and trends in the commercial relationship between Australia and the United States in an era of deepening economic integration across the Asia-Pacific. The Honourable Anthony Byrne MP gave the keynote address, which was followed by this panel discussion with leading business and economic commentators.
The panelists' presentations can be heard here:
Doing business with the United States in a post GFC world - MP3 (18MB)
A video of the presentation can be watched by clicking the photo above.
Lowy Institute for International Policy
18 May 2010 - Publication
Keynote address - The Honourable Anthony Byrne MP
 Despite the economic downturn following the global financial crisis, the United States remains Australia’s most significant commercial partner, taking into account the value and diversity of our two-way investment and trade flows.
On Tuesday 18 May at a panel discussion on the prospects and trends in the commercial relationship between Australia and the United States, The Honourable Anthony Byrne MP, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the Minister for Trade, gave the keynote address.
His speech can be heard here:
Doing business with the United States in a post GFC world - MP3 (12MB)
The Hon. Anthony Byrne MP
17 May 2010 - Publication
Building bridges through music
On Monday 17 May at the Lowy Institute, an audience heard five important voices in Australian cultural life examine the role of music in promoting understanding between nations and communities. Joining Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor, Sydney Symphony, Mr Vladimir Ashkenazy (pictured), in this unique public conversation were Lindy Hume, David Bridie, Andrew Ford and Geraldine Doogue AO.
The panel can be heard here:
Building bridges through music - MP3 (20MB)
A video of the presentation can be watched by clicking the photo above.
Vladimir Ashkenazy David Bridie Geraldine Doogue Andrew Ford Lindy Hume
8 May 2010 - Publication
Diary: Michael Fullilove
Michael Fullilove opens his diary from his recent visit to Washington for The Spectator.
The Spectator (Australia), 8 May 2010, p. v
Dr Michael Fullilove
5 May 2010 - Publication
Food for Thought - Anthony Bubalo presentation
 For much of the twentieth century the West's conception of Asia largely focused on Northeast and Southeast Asia. For decades, this largely maritime and 'vertical' view of Asia accurately reflected the distribution of the region's economic and strategic power. But as the world enters the second decade of the twenty-first century this vertical view of Asia has outlived its usefulness, obscuring rather than illuminating emerging geo-strategic realities.
Anthony Bubalo's presentation can be heard here:
Horizontal Asia - MP3 (12MB)
A video of the presentation can be watched by clicking on the photo above.
Anthony Bubalo
5 May 2010 - Publication
Food for Thought - Fergus Hanson presentation
 When we think of foreign policy we tend to envisage diplomats meeting behind closed doors. But public opinion has long played an important part in shaping it.
Polls are proliferating in number and increasing in sophistication. How is this affecting the way foreign policy is made?
The Director of the Lowy Institute Poll project, Fergus Hanson, discussion of these issues can be heard here:
What Australia thinks about foreign policy - MP3 (21MB)
A video of the presentation can be watched by clicking the photo above.
Fergus Hanson
5 May 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Barry O’Farrell presentation
In federal systems like Australia, international policy and broader international engagement are usually, and incorrectly, seen as solely matters for the national government. However, state governments can and do play an important role in Australia's global engagement, both economically and socially. New South Wales, as the largest and most cosmopolitan state in the country, is well placed to significantly deepen economic ties in Asia and beyond.
Barry O'Farrell MP, leader of the NSW Liberal Party, spoke about New South Wales' place in the world.
His presentation can be heard here:
New South Wales' place in the world - MP3 (20MB)
Barry O’Farrell MP
4 May 2010 - Publication
A place at the top table
In this essay, Michael Fullilove makes the case for Australia’s candidacy for the UN Security Council, and refutes the various arguments that have been made against the bid.
Griffith Review, Edition 28, April 2010
Dr Michael Fullilove
28 Apr 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Anthony Bubalo presentation
In 2006, at the height of the Israel-Lebanon war, former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice famously remarked that the world was witnessing the 'birth pangs of a new Middle East'. In this Wednesday Lowy Lunch Club, Anthony Bubalo, director of the West Asia program, critically examined Secretary of State Rice's prediction by exploring what has changed and what is changing in the world's most economically and strategically vital region. His Perspective on this subject is at: http://www.lowyinstitute.org/Publication.asp?pid=1285
His presentation can be heard here:
The new Middle East - MP3 (20MB)
Anthony Bubalo
23 Apr 2010 - Publication
Distinguished Speaker Series - The Hon. Tony Abbott MHR
The Lowy Institute was pleased to host the second ‘headland’ speech by the Hon. Tony Abbott MHR, Leader of the Opposition, on Friday 23 April. The speech covered Coalition views on foreign affairs and defence.
Tony Abbott was elected Leader of the Federal Parliamentary Liberal Party on 1 December 2009. He was previously Leader of the House and a senior Cabinet Minister in the Howard Government, serving in roles including Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister for Health and Ageing.
His speech can be heard here:
National security fundamentals - MP3 (15MB)
A video of this speech is available in our Video Library.
A transcript of his speech is available.
The Hon. Tony Abbott MHR
21 Apr 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Dr Aaron Bernstein presentation
Halting biodiversity loss requires rethinking how humans do business with the biosphere. Innovation is needed in accounting of the goods and services nature provides humanity. Dr Aaron Bernstein discussed these issues at the Wednesday Lunch at Lowy on 21 April. Dr Bernstein is on faculty at Harvard Medical School and the Center for Health and Global Environment.
His presentation can be heard here:
Getting a grip on nature: valuing biodiversity and its human health dimensions - MP3 (19MB)
A video of this presentation is available in our Video Library.
Dr Aaron Bernstein
20 Apr 2010 - Publication
Horizontal Asia
Anthony Bubalo and Malcolm Cook from the Lowy Institute have published an article titled 'Horizontal Asia' in the April-May issue of The American Interest. The article argues that the rise of China and India and these two giants' growing ties with the Middle East are undercutting our traditional understanding of Asia.
Anthony Bubalo Dr Malcolm Cook
19 Apr 2010 - Publication
Lowy Institute Upcoming Public Events
The Lowy Institute was established to inform and deepen the debate about international policy in Australia. We connect you with interesting speakers and new ideas through our events program, details of which can be found at http://www.lowyinstitute.org/Upcoming-Events.asp
Lowy Institute for International Policy
15 Apr 2010 - Publication
Distinguished Speaker Series: Dr David Malone presentation
As part of its Distinguished Speaker Series, the Lowy Institute was pleased to host Dr David Malone, who spoke on India's most important future bilateral relationship, that with China.
David M. Malone is a distinguished Canadian diplomat and scholar. He is president of Canada’s International Development Research Centre, one of the world’s leading research institutions on development issues.
His presentation can be heard here:
India and China: can two tigers share a mountain? - MP3 (20MB)
A video of this presentation is available in our Video Library.
Dr David Malone
14 Apr 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Dr Martin Parkinson presentation
At the Wednesday Lunch on 14 April, Dr Martin Parkinson, the Secretary of the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, shared his thoughts on the Copenhagen Summit and its aftermath. The Copenhagen climate change negotiations achieved more than is generally recognised, but also demonstrated the degree to which domestic circumstances determine how countries position on climate change.
His presentation can be heard here:
After Copenhagen: where to next for action on climate change? - MP3 (21MB)
Dr Martin Parkinson
8 Apr 2010 - Publication
Distinguished Speaker Series - Professor Gilles Kepel presentation
The Lowy Institute for International Policy was pleased to host as a part of its Distinguished Speakers Series the renowned French scholar of the Islamic and Arab worlds, Professor Gilles Kepel. Professor Kepel spoke on the future of political Islam, examining the trajectory of both al-Qaeda’s brand of violent extremism as well as the challenges faced by mainstream Islamist movements seeking democratic openings in parts of the Islamic world.
Gilles Kepel is Professor at the Institut d'Études Politiques (Sciences Po) in Paris and Director of its doctoral programme on the Muslim World. He also currently holds the Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs at the London School of Economics.
His presentation can be heard here:
The future of political Islam - MP3 (22MB)
A video is available by clicking 'More'.
Professor Gilles Kepel
7 Apr 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Professor David Kinley presentation
Economic globalisation and universal human rights both have the ability to improve and enrich individuals and communities. However, their respective institutions, methods, practices and goals differ, with both positive and negative effects. At the Wednesday Lowy Lunch on 7th April, Professor David Kinley discussed how human rights intersect with the trade, aid and commercial dimensions of global economic relations. He will argue that, while the global economy is a vitally important civilising instrument, it itself requires civilising according to human rights standards.
Professor David Kinley holds the Chair in Human Rights Law at Sydney University.
His presentation can be heard here:
Civilising globalisation: human rights and the global economy - MP3 (18MB)
Professor David Kinley
31 Mar 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - John Connor presentation
After Copenhagen, attention is moving away from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and towards a new climate multilateralism, one that more actively engages other global forums such as the G20, WTO and the Major Economies Forum alongside the UNFCCC. This requires a deft balancing of newly aligned geopolitical forces and continued investment in building fragile trust between developed and developing countries. It also requires continued policy reform at the domestic level, leading to real and internationally verified cuts in carbon pollution.
John Connor, Chief Executive Officer of the Climate Institute, discussed these issues at the Wednesday Lunch at Lowy on 31 March.
His presentation can be heard here:
The new multilateralism of climate change - MP3 (19MB)
A transcript is available.
John Connor
31 Mar 2010 - Publication
John Lang, our forgotten Indian envoy
In this article in The Spectator (Australia), Lowy Institute Program Director and India expert Rory Medcalf suggests that a voice from the past could help ease today’s media-fed tensions between India and Australia. John Lang, Australia’s first novelist, was a pioneer of the Indian press and campaigned for the rights of Indians against the East India Company.
The Spectator (Australia), 31 March 2010
Rory Medcalf
30 Mar 2010 - Publication
Barack finds a friend
In an article in The Spectator (Australia), Lowy Institute Senior Research Fellow Andrew Shearer writes that the US President and the Australian Prime Minister both meet stiff resistance to their idealistic agendas.
The Spectator (Australia), 17 March 2010
Andrew Shearer
24 Mar 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Daryl Copeland presentation
Diplomacy should matter – particularly for anyone who prefers talking over fighting and dialogue over diktat. At the Wednesday Lunch on 24 March, Daryl Copeland argued that diplomacy has been sidelined by globalisation and is facing a crisis of relevance and effectiveness.
Mr Copeland is an analyst, writer and educator on international policy, global issues, diplomacy and public management. His book, 'Guerrilla Diplomacy: Rethinking International Relations', was released in July 2009.
His presentation can be heard here:
Guerrilla diplomacy - MP3 (23MB)
Daryl Copeland
23 Mar 2010 - Publication
Adapting America’s Security Paradigm
On 23 March the Washington-based National Strategy Information Center (NSIC) released a major report arguing that the United States and other democracies face a radically altered international security environment that will require a range of new and better integrated capabilities. The report, Adapting America’s Security Paradigm, argues for a reoriented and retrained US military, more effective local intelligence, professional military and civilian stabilisation teams, enhanced strategic communication, and development of a corps of civilian and military ‘political entrepreneurs’ to prevent and prevail in irregular conflicts. Andrew Shearer, the Institute’s Director of Studies, was a member of NSIC’s International Practitioner Working Group, which provided input to the report.
Andrew Shearer
23 Mar 2010 - Publication
Nuclear weapons in Asia: why we should worry
 In the Lowy Institute's first Food for Thought lecture in Melbourne, on 23 March, International Security Program Director Rory Medcalf explored how the dangers of nuclear-armed confrontation between states might be minimised in the Asian century. He focused on relations among the United States, China, India and Pakistan, considered Japan’s difficult position, and touched upon whether a middle power like Australia could make a difference.
The presentation can be heard here:
Nuclear weapons in Asia: why we should worry - MP3 (20MB)
A video of the presentation can be watched by clicking on the photo above.
Rory Medcalf
22 Mar 2010 - Publication
The Pacific presidency
US President Barack Obama has called himself ‘America’s first Pacific president’. On Monday the Lowy Institute and the United States Studies Centre endeavoured to flesh out this concept. How should we rate his presidency and, in particular, his policies towards the Pacific region? What looming challenges does he face in Asia and the Pacific?
Dr Michael Wesley chaired a discussion with three experts: Dr Michael Fullilove, Program Director, Global Issues; Mary Kissel, Editorial Page Editor, The Wall Street Journal Asia; and Dr Geoffrey Garrett, Chief Executive Officer, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney.
The panellists' presentations can be heard here:
The Pacific presidency - MP3 (22MB)
Dr Michael Fullilove Dr Geoffrey Garrett Mary Kissel
17 Mar 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Three views from Paris
At the Wednesday Lunch at Lowy on 17 March, the Lowy Institute was pleased to present a panel of three of France’s leading security thinkers, Camille Grand, François Heisbourg and Bruno Tertrais, each offering an individual view on the major strategic challenges facing France today.
Camille Grand is director of the Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique (FRS), François Heisbourg is Chairman of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), and Bruno Tertrais is senior research fellow at FRS. The discussion was moderated by the Lowy Institute’s Program Director for International Security, Rory Medcalf.
The Lowy Institute acknowledges the support of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in bringing the three visitors to Australia.
The panellists' presentations can be heard here:
French strategic perspectives - MP3 (21MB)
10 Mar 2010 - Publication
Distinguished Speaker Series - The Right Hon. Malcolm Fraser presentation
On the occasion of the publication of his political memoirs, the Lowy Institute was pleased to welcome former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser for a conversation on Australian foreign policy. From the Vietnam War to the Afghanistan War, from international law to the treatment of refugees, Mr Fraser discussed the meaning of liberalism in the global context. He was joined on stage by Michael Wesley, the Institute’s Executive Director.
Their conversation can be heard here:
Liberalism and Australian foreign policy - MP3 (22MB)
The Right Hon Malcolm Fraser AC, CH
5 Mar 2010 - Publication
Reflections on the water’s rim: A third generation amphibious culture?
In this recent RSIS Commentaries publication, Chief of Army Visiting Fellow Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Floyd reveals how Australia’s Defence Force is embarking on something of a ‘third generation’ of amphibious culture in its military strategic thought, embracing both capabilities of the new ADF amphibious force, and the future security environment in which they will operate.
RSIS Commentary, 5 March 2010, 3 pp
Janaki Bahadur
4 Mar 2010 - Publication
China reform
Liu Xiaobo, one of the most celebrated public intellectuals in China, was recently sentenced to 11 years in prison for incitement to subversion. Diplomats and human rights activists have joined in condemning the sentence on grounds both of its lack of legal validity and its severity. A groundswell of international sentiment has begun to build, reversing the tendency in recent years to avoid confronting China on its human rights record. The international concern is closely paralleled by concern in China’s domestic intellectual circles.
On Thursday, 4 March, the Lowy Institute hosted an in-conversation event with two prominent Sinologists, David Kelly and Feng Chongyi, who joined Michael Wesley to discuss the significance and implications of this event for China’s internal politics and Australia-China relations.
Their presentations can be heard here:
China reform - MP3 (22MB)
Professor Chongyi Feng David Kelly Dr Michael Wesley
3 Mar 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Dr Malcolm Cook presentation
At the Wednesday Lunch at Lowy on 3 March, Dr Malcolm Cook, Program Director East Asia, spoke on how Asia's continental and horizontal dimensions are reasserting themselves - in ways that question Australia's place in Asia.
His presentation can be heard here:
Asia pivots - MP3 (20MB)
Dr Malcolm Cook
25 Feb 2010 - Publication
Distinguished Speaker Series - Clinton Dines presentation
On the evening of February 25th, the Lowy Institute hosted a lecture by Clinton Dines reflecting on China’s transformation in the last three decades. Clinton discussed the nature of change in the People’s Republic of China in the Reform & Opening Era: then he assessed the significance of these changes in terms of China’s growing role in the world and for governments and companies seeking effective ways to deal with this geopolitical/economic phenomenon, which simultaneously represents both huge opportunities for global development and serious challenges to the existing status quo.
Clinton Dines is one of Australia’s most knowledgeable and respected business leaders in China.
His presentation can be heard here:
China Changing Lecture - MP3 (20MB)
A transcript of his presentation can be downloaded here:
Clinton Dines
24 Feb 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Julianne Schultz presentation
The world faces two creeping threats to its food supplies. On the one hand, expanding populations and the changing diets that accompany growing wealth have put greater strain on lagging gains in food production. On the other hand, climate change and environmental degradation are slowly contaminating food supplies and eroding agricultural productivity. At the Wednesday Lunch on 24 February, these issues were examined by Julianne Schultz, Editor of the Griffith Review, which has just published its newest edition, Food Chain. She was joined by Mark Thirlwell, Director of the Global Issues Program at the Lowy Institute, and Annmaree O’Keeffe, Research Fellow at the Lowy Institute, who have both written on these twin challenges to food security.
Their presentations can be heard here:
The challenges of food security - MP3 (21MB)
Annmaree O'Keeffe Julianne Schultz Mark Thirlwell
16 Feb 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lowy Lunch - Panellists' presentations
At Lunch at Lowy on 16 February an exceptional panel of visiting international experts and policy practitioners from India, Pakistan, China and the USA discussed the risks of nuclear competition between the nuclear armed states in South West Asia and China. The panellists are in Sydney for a workshop on Asia's nuclear future, co-hosted by the Institute and the US-based Non-proliferation Policy Education Center. We thank NPEC for bringing the panellists to Australia.
Photo: Professor Gareth Evans spoke at the workshop dinner on the Report of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament, 'Eliminating nuclear threats: a practical agenda for global policymakers', which he co-authored with Yoriko Kawaguchi.
Their presentations can be heard here:
Can nuclear competition be avoided? - MP3 (21MB)
Li Hong Tariq Osman Hyder Rory Medcalf
12 Feb 2010 - Publication
Distinguished Speaker Series - Helen Clark presentation
The Institute was pleased to host an address by Helen Clark, head of the United Nations Development Programme, on 12 February.
In recent times, the challenges of the developing world are compounded by multiple crises: the food and fuel crises, the global recession, climatic events, and devastating natural disasters such as the earthquake in Haiti, the tsunami in Samoa, earthquakes in Indonesia and many more. How can the international community move the development agenda forward and stay focused on achieving the Millennium Development Goals agreed by world leaders in the year 2000? Helen Clark discussed the role of the UNDP and the importance of aid in managing these priorities, while remaining flexible to the ever present threat of natural disasters and conflicts.
Moving the development agenda forward in today’s world - MP3 (20MB)
Helen Clark
10 Feb 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lowy Lunch - Barry Wain presentation
The recent vandalisation of a string of Christian churches in Malaysia has, again, focussed attention on the challenges of communal politics in modern Malaysia. At the Wednesday Lowy Lunch on 10 February, Barry Wain discussed how these attacks reflect a deep crisis at the heart of Malaysian politics today and how this crisis developed during the 22-year rule of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and since his retirement in 2003.
Barry Wain, author of the recently released 'Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times', is Writer-in-Residence at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore.
His presentation can be heard here:
Malaysia: tolerant reputation, troubled reality - MP3 (17MB)
Barry Wain
3 Feb 2010 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Research staff presentations
On 3 February, at the first Wednesday Lunch at Lowy for 2010, three Lowy Institute scholars discussed where the world and our region are headed after a tumultuous year in 2009. Will things be calmer or more uncertain?
Mark Thirlwell, Program Director International Economy, assessed the post-GFC global economy. Michael Fullilove, Program Director Global Issues, looked at President Obama’s second year in office and the changing global outlook, and Jenny Hayward-Jones, Program Director Myer Foundation Melanesia Program, reviewed prospects for the Pacific, with a particular focus on Papua New Guinea, Australia’s closest neighbour, and Fiji.
Their presentations can be heard here:
The year ahead - MP3 (18MB)
Dr Malcolm Cook Dr Michael Fullilove Jenny Hayward-Jones Mark Thirlwell Dr Michael Wesley
28 Jan 2010 - Publication
Welcome to 2010
 At at reception at the Westin Hotel on Thursday 28 January 2010, Dr Michael Wesley, Executive Director of the Lowy Institute, spoke of what we should expect in the decade ahead.
His speech can be heard here:
Welcome to 2010 - MP3 (8MB)
A video of the presentation can be watched by clicking on the photo.
Dr Michael Wesley
23 Jan 2010 - Publication
Don't sacrifice relations with Japan over whaling
Andrew Shearer warns that Tokyo is not innocent, but that our response is provocative, pointless and downright dangerous.
The Spectator, 23 January 2010, p. ix
Andrew Shearer
11 Jan 2010 - Publication
The Mekong River under threat
In an article in The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus, Lowy Institute Visiting Fellow Milton Osborne provides a summary of his recent Lowy Institute Paper, 'The Mekong: river under threat'.
The Asia Pacific Journal: Japan Focus, 2-2-10, 11 January 2010, available at: http://japanfocus.org/-Milton-Osborne/3286
The complete Lowy Institute Paper, 'The Mekong: river under threat' is available for download at: http://www.lowyinstitute.org/Publication.asp?pid=1188
Dr Milton Osborne
8 Jan 2010 - Publication
An 'EU-style' Asian Community? A few naïve perceptions
In a lecture co-sponsored by the Lowy Institute and the University of Sydney, delivered at the University of Sydney on 2 December 2009, David Camroux, Senior Researcher at Sciences Po, the Centre for International Studies and Research, Paris, examines the possibility of an EU model for an Asian Community.
David Camroux
4 Jan 2010 - Publication
Not unpopular in China
In an article in Pragati - The Indian National Interest Review, Andrew Shearer and Fergus Hanson write on the tensions between India and China.
Pragati, January 2010, p. 19-20
Fergus Hanson Andrew Shearer
1 Jan 2010 - Publication
Temple of gloom: Thai-Cambodian relations deteriorate
Lowy Institute Visiting Fellow Milton Osborne published an article in Jane's Intelligence Review on the decades-long dispute between Thailand and Cambodia over the Preah Vihear temple.
Dr Milton Osborne
22 Dec 2009 - Publication
From the Executive Director
The Lowy Institute celebrates its sixth anniversary this year. This is the first end-of-year message from Dr Michael Wesley as the Institute’s Executive Director.
Dr Michael Wesley
16 Dec 2009 - Publication
Eliminating nuclear threats
 Following the launch by Prime Ministers Rudd and Hatoyama of the report of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND) 'Eliminating Nuclear Threats: A Practical Agenda for Global Policymakers', the Lowy Institute convened an expert panel to assess the report and its impact on global disarmament and non-proliferation.
The moderator was Dr Michael Wesley and the panellists were Martine Letts, Rory Medcalf, and Dr Rod Lyon.
The members of the expert panel can be heard here:
Eliminating nuclear threats - MP3 (22MB)
A video of the presentation can be watched by clicking the photo above.
15 Dec 2009 - Publication
Of men v machines: who knows what lurks in the hearts of man?
Technological advancement has always tested societal paradigms - even in warfare. Even so, the pace and pervasiveness of technological innovation in the 21st century seem to challenge the very basis of human interaction in conflict. In this article in the Australian Defence Force Journal, Nick Floyd, Chief of Army Visiting Fellow at the Lowy Institute enters the human dimension of modern warfare through the portal of its past, and considers the prospects for a future, non-human manifestation of conflict.
Australian Defence Force Journal, Issue 180, 2009 pp 78-83
Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Floyd
2 Dec 2009 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Research staff presentations
On 2 December, Deputy Director Martine Letts and members of our Lowy Institute research team wound up this year’s Wednesday Lunch at Lowy Club series with a review of 2009, and what it means for Australia. Director of Studies Andrew Shearer, Program Director for East Asia, Dr Malcolm Cook and blog editor Sam Roggeveen gave their perspectives on the year, what surprised them and what did not.
Their presentations can be heard here:
2009 in review - MP3 (22MB)
Dr Malcolm Cook Martine Letts Sam Roggeveen Andrew Shearer
2 Dec 2009 - Publication
India: Leaving the village behind
In this major review essay for The Australian Literary Review, Lowy Institute Program Director Rory Medcalf examines how some important new books on India can help Australians to understand this rising mega-democracy.
The Australian Literary Review, 2 December 2009, ppp. 12-13
Rory Medcalf
27 Nov 2009 - Publication
The Mekong: Milton Osborne presentation
The Mekong River basins are one of the most important and dynamic areas in the world for the battle between economic development’s demands for energy and environmental and social sustainability. As world attention shifts to the pending global climate change negotiations in far-off Copenhagen, the ongoing damming of the Mekong River and plans by the riparian states to build new dams threaten the livelihoods of millions or people in Southeast Asia who rely on the river. Milton Osborne’s latest publication for the Lowy Institute on the Mekong River focuses on these plans by the Lao PDR and Cambodia to build dams on the Mekong and evaluates their potential social and environmental ramifications especially for Cambodia’s Great Lake and for the Mekong Delta in Vietnam.
His presentation at the launch can be heard here:
The Mekong: river under threat - MP3 (19MB)
Dr Milton Osborne
25 Nov 2009 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Dr Greg Picker and Fergus Green presentations
At the Wednesday Lunch at Lowy on 25 November a new Lowy Institute Analysis, 'Comprehending Copenhagen: A Guide to the International Climate Change Negotiations', by Dr Greg Picker and Fergus Green, was launched. The authors outlined the issues on the Copenhagen agenda – from carbon markets to adaptation, from avoided deforestation to emissions reduction targets – and highlighted the areas of dispute between the parties.
Their presentations can be heard here:
Comprehending Copenhagen - MP3 (21MB)
Fergus Green Dr Greg Picker
19 Nov 2009 - Publication
The stellar status symbol
In the latest issue of China Security, Research Associate Fiona Cunningham argues that Chinese behaviour needs to be viewed in light of its ambition to become a great power. ‘The Stellar Status Symbol: True Motives for China’s Manned Space Program’ examines China’s first manned space mission in 2003 as a leap forward in China’s journey toward great power status, copying the activities of the United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War in order to improve its current international standing. The paper suggests that certain state capabilities are great power ‘status symbols’ and similar status motivations may be behind big-ticket military capabilities that are usually read as signs of Chinese threatening intent.
The article is at: http://www.chinasecurity.us/pdfs/FionaCunningham.pdf
Fiona Cunningham
18 Nov 2009 - Publication
Australia's resources in the world
 The 2009 Lowy Lecture on Australia in the World was delivered on 18 November by Mr Marius Kloppers, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of BHP Billiton Ltd.
A video of the presentation can be watched by clicking the photo at right. Part 2 is available in our Video Library.
His presentation support can be downloaded here:
Australia's resources in the world - PPT (2MB)
The 2009 Lowy Lecture can be heard here:
Australia's resources in the world - MP3 (19MB)
Marius Kloppers
18 Nov 2009 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Thomas Mahnken presentation
 China’s rise is transforming the Asia-Pacific strategic landscape, and understanding how 'China' thinks preoccupies governments across the region.
At the Wednesday Lunch at Lowy on 18 November, Thomas Mahnken explored features of China’s national strategic culture, including a sense of cultural superiority, a belief that China’s natural position is that of the 'Middle Kingdom' as well as the need for China to be unified internally and free from external meddling.
His presentation can be heard here:
China's strategic culture - MP3 (18MB)
A video of the presentation can be watched by clicking the photo above.
Thomas G. Mahnken
11 Nov 2009 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Brigadier Phil Winter presentation
In Afghanistan, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) are now the number one killer of coalition forces, and the 2009 campaigning season is seeing a record number of IED attacks. At this week's Wednesday Lowy Lunch, the Commander of Australia’s Counter-IED Task Force, Brigadier Phil Winter, described how Australia and its partners in Afghanistan are dealing with the lethal harvest of what Afghans are now calling the 'evil flowers'. Brigadier Winter's PM interview on the topic is at: http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2009/s2740062.htm.
His PowerPoint presentation can be downloaded here:
Stemming the 'evil flowers' - PPT (45MB)
His presentation can be heard here:
Stemming the 'evil flowers' - MP3 (19MB)
Brigadier Phil Winter
10 Nov 2009 - Publication
Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall
Monday, 9 November, 2009 was the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. To mark this anniversary, the Lowy Institute engaged three prominent commentators on the significance of the end of the Cold War. Lowy Institute Executive Director, Michael Wesley, moderated a conversation between veteran strategic analyst Owen Harries, Amnesty International Director Claire Mallinson, and Westpac international economist Huw Mackay.
Their conversation can be heard here:
Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall - MP3 (22MB)
Owen Harries Claire Mallinson Huw McKay Dr Michael Wesley
6 Nov 2009 - Publication
Distinguished Speaker Series - The Hon. Kevin Rudd MP
 On Friday, 6 November 2009, the Honourable Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia, spoke at the Lowy Institute for International Policy on 'Australia, the region and the world: the challenges ahead'.
Australia, the region and the world - MP3 (22MB)
A video of the presentation can be watched by clicking the photo above. Part 2 is available in our Video Library.
A transcript of the Prime Minister's speech is available below.
The Hon. Kevin Rudd MP
4 Nov 2009 - Publication
New media and world politics
 Sam Roggeveen, editor of the Lowy Institute's influential political commentary site, The Interpreter, www.lowyinterpreter.org, spoke in Melbourne on 4 November on new media and world politics.
As a participant in the global online conversation, he offered his perspectives on how new media is changing the world. Drawing on US presidential politics, recent events in Iran, China's online revolution and other contemporary international events, Sam explored the implications of new media for governments, citizens and businesses.
A video of the presentation can be watched by clicking the photo above. Part 2 is available in our Video Library.
Sam Roggeveen
4 Nov 2009 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Kevin Lynch presentation
At the Wednesday Lunch at Lowy on 4 November, the Honourable Kevin Lynch, the former Clerk of the Privy Council, Canada, addressed the significant role that public policy plays in responding to the global financial crisis, the most fundamental challenge to free-market orthodoxy since the 1970s, and what this might mean for the institutions of global economic governance such as the IMF, G8, and G20.
His presentation can be heard here:
When boring became sexy - MP3 (20MB)
A transcript is available.
The Hon. Kevin G. Lynch
3 Nov 2009 - Publication
Twenty-first century ANZACS
In this article in the Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter, Nick Floyd, Chief of Army Visiting Fellow at the Lowy Institute, and Peter Greener, Senior Fellow at the New Zealand Defence Force Command & Staff College, review the recent announcements by the New Zealand and Australian Governments on a prospective trans-Tasman force, and consider how current arrangements, politics and the challenges of the coming century will have an impact on the purpose, employment and shape of such a force.
Asia-Pacific Defence Reporter, Vol. 35(8) October 2009, pp 31-32: http://www.asiapacificdefencereporter.com/oct09/twenty-first-century-anzacs
Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Floyd
28 Oct 2009 - Publication
Abolishing all nuclear weapons
The Right Hon. Malcolm Fraser, AC CH, Former Prime Minister of Australia, delivered the 2009 Dr John Gee Memorial Lecture presented by the ANU Strategic and Defence Studies Centre and the Lowy Institute for International Policy.
Mr Fraser addressed the current state of nuclear weapons acquisition and distribution and the present danger and opportunities facing the world. He covered the failures in disarmament and non-proliferation and the implications and security challenges nuclear weapons have for Australian Defence policy.
His lecture can be heard here.
The Right Hon Malcolm Fraser AC, CH
28 Oct 2009 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Paul Kelly presentation
 This week’s Wednesday Lowy Lunch focused on the foreign policy dimensions of Paul Kelly’s new book, 'The March of Patriots: The struggle for modern Australia'. Divided by temperament, politics and values, Paul Keating and John Howard had passionate views about Australia’s role in the world and the national interest strategy best calculated to realise their objectives. In his lecture Paul Kelly reviewed the different conceptions of foreign policy held by Keating and Howard and assessed the legacy they bequeathed to Kevin Rudd.
His presentation can be heard here:
The March of Patriots - MP3 (17MB)
A video of the presentation can be watched by clicking the photo above.
Paul Kelly
21 Oct 2009 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Mark Thirlwell presentation
Next month will mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. This also makes it the 20th anniversary of the birth of the new global economy. At the Wednesday Lunch on 21 October, Mark Thirlwell, Director of the Institute’s international economy program, looked at some of the forces shaping the world economy during its first two decades: a period bookmarked at one end by the collapse of communism and the triumph of the market, and at the other by global financial crisis and the rise of state capitalism, and one which has included the Asian financial crisis, the dot-com bubble, the launch of the euro, the creation of the WTO, China’s emergence as a major global economic player, and the ascendancy of the G-20.
His presentation can be heard here:
The world economy at 20 - MP3 (17MB)
Mark Thirlwell
19 Oct 2009 - Publication
The Great Crash of 2008
The Great Crash of 2008 took almost everyone by surprise although there were plenty of warning signs. Now, questions must be asked: what are the geo-economic and geo-strategic implications of such a wide-ranging crash, and how do we restore development in this changed world?
On 19 October, Professor Ross Garnaut AO appeared in conversation with Mr Ian Macfarlane AC to discuss the reasons for the downturn, from good, old-fashioned greed and rampant speculation, to the imbalances in global capital flows. The conversation also included the impact of the downturn on climate change, economic policy and ideology, and was chaired by Dr Michael Wesley.
The conversation can be heard here:
The Great Crash of 2008 - MP3 (21MB)
14 Oct 2009 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Prof. Anthony Cordesman presentation
The war in Afghanistan and instability in Pakistan have become the defining foreign policy challenges for the Obama Administration. At this week’s Wednesday Lowy Lunch Club, Professor Anthony Cordesman considered these challenges in a discussion of US policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan.
His presentation can be heard here:
US policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan - MP3 (19MB)
7 Oct 2009 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Amb. Colin Keating presentation
At the Wednesday Lunch at Lowy on 7 October 2009, Ambassador Colin Keating, who was New Zealand Ambassador on the Security Council in 1993/94, and now the Executive Director of Security Council Report, gave an insider’s view of what it takes to get elected and what being on the Council could entail for Australia.
His presentation can be heard here:
Australia's bid for election to the UN Security Council - MP3 (19MB)
Ambassador Colin Keating
1 Oct 2009 - Publication
Lowy Institute Panel: Can Obama's disarmament agenda work?
 On 29 September, the Lowy Institute convened an expert panel to examine the implications of President Obama's push to reduce nuclear dangers, as well as to debate broader questions about nuclear disarmament.
Moderated by Executive Director Dr Michael Wesley, the panel also included Deputy Director Martine Letts, Intl. Security Program Director Rory Medcalf, and the Griffith Asia Institute Director-designate Dr Andrew O'Neil.
The event also marked the launch of the Nuclear Policy Centre web page which consolidates the Institute's expanding range of publications and activities on nuclear issues.
This panel discussion was supported by the Institute's partnership with the Nuclear Security Project (www.nuclearsecurityproject.org).
Lowy Institute for International Policy
30 Sep 2009 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Martine Letts presentation
 At the Wednesday Lunch at Lowy on 30 September, Deputy Director Martine Letts explored prospects for partnership between government and industry on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, and how Australia could lead.
Her presentation can be heard here:
Preparing for the second nuclear age - MP3 (20MB)
A video of the presentation can be watched by clicking the photo above.
Martine Letts
28 Sep 2009 - Publication
Distinguished Speaker Series: H.E. Prof. László Sólyom presentation
On 28 September 2009, as part of the Institute's Distinguished Speaker Series, the Lowy Institute was pleased to host H.E. Prof. László Sólyom, the President of the Republic of Hungary, who discussed how the experiment in Central and Eastern Europe started twenty years ago offers parallels and transferable experiences which may be relevant for the planning, launching and leading of a peaceful global transition to social and environmental sustainability.
His PowerPoint presentation can be downloaded here:
Possible parallels - PPT (1.5MB)
His presentation can be heard here:
Possible parallels - MP3 (16MB)
H.E. Prof. László Sólyom
23 Sep 2009 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Dr Michael Fullilove presentation
At the Wednesday Lunch at Lowy on 23 September Dr Michael Fullilove launched his new paper making the case for Australia’s UN Security Council bid. The paper is available here.
His presentation can be heard here:
The case for Australias UN Security Council bid - MP3 (19MB)
Dr Michael Fullilove
18 Sep 2009 - Publication
Australia's security challenges: lessons for others?
Chief of Army Visiting Fellow Nicholas Floyd published an article in Issue 94/2009 of RSIS Commentaries, a publication of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore, on how lessons from Australian Defence Force experiences can be adapted and exported to other security stakeholders.
RSIS Commentaries 94/2009, 18 September 2009
Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Floyd
17 Sep 2009 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - William Paterson presentation
At the Wednesday Lowy Lunch on 16 September, Australia’s Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism, William Paterson PSM, provided an overview of the terrorist threat in Southeast Asia against the background of terrorism trends worldwide.
His presentation can be heard here:
Terrorism in Southeast Asia - MP3 (19MB)
A transcript is available.
William Paterson PSM
9 Sep 2009 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Ms Lyn Lusi presentation
At the Wednesday Lunch at Lowy on 9 September, Ms Lyn Lusi spoke about her experiences in the Democratic Republic of Congo, what we must learn from its tragic predicament and how the international community needs take responsibility for tackling the problem of gender-based violence as a tool of war.
Her PowerPoint presentation can be downloaded here:
The need for a global response to gender-based violence - PPT (3MB)
Her presentation can be heard here:
The need for a global response to gender-based violence - MP3 (17MB)
Lyn Lusi
3 Sep 2009 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Professor Warwick McKibbin presentation
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process has focused on commitments of developed countries with an exclusive goal of emission reductions from historical base year emissions. However, these baseline emissions trend vary widely, and achieving similar targets can require very different efforts by different countries at different times. These differences have greatly hampered climate cooperation.
A copy of the new Brookings study can be obtained here.
His PowerPoint presentation can be downloaded here:
A Copenhagen price collar - PPT (134KB)
His presentation can be heard here:
A Copenhagen price collar - MP3 (20MB)
Professor Warwick McKibbin
27 Aug 2009 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Tony Maniaty presentation
Difficult and dangerous work, covering wars with TV cameras has become a core component of modern conflict - so much so that a 'military-media' nexus has arisen alongside what US President Eisenhower famously termed the 'military-industrial complex'. From Vietnam to Iraq and beyond, televised coverage of battle has impacted strongly on public support for wars and on strategic policy. It has also met barriers: from embedding and censorship to the deliberate targeting, kidnapping and cold-blooded murder of journalists.
His presentation can be heard here:
TV and war - MP3 (21MB)
A transcript is available.
Tony Maniaty
20 Aug 2009 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Professor David Menashri presentation
The aftermath of Iran's Presidential election last July has plunged that country into internal turmoil. Mass popular protests not seen since the revolution in 1979, large-scale arrests and deep fissures within the Iranian regime have all brought into question the certainties of Iranian politics. Against this background the Lowy Institute is proud to host as a speaker at the next Wednesday Lowy Lunch Club a leading international expert on Iran, Professor David Menashri, to help understand how current developments in the country may play out and what impact they will have on Iran's foreign policy.
His presentation can be heard here:
Iran after the presidential election - MP3 (21MB)
Video of this presentation is also available.
12 Aug 2009 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Rowan Callick presentation
Westerners have presumed that China's rise will take a familiar trajectory incorporating first economic, then political and social development in a broadly liberal democratic, market-driven direction. The recent tensions with Australia underline the failure of that perspective to explain modern China and its rise. What is China today and where is it heading? At the Wednesday Lunch at Lowy on 12 August, Asia-Pacific Editor of The Australian newspaper, Rowan Callick, explored the dimensions of the party-state.
His presentation can be heard here:
China: perverse rising superpower - MP3 (21MB)
Video of this presentation is also available.
Rowan Callick
5 Aug 2009 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Dr Sylvia Earle presentation
Governing climate and weather, shaping planetary chemistry, generating most of the atmospheric oxygen, the ocean is vital to all life. In the past 50 years, more has been learned about the ocean than during all preceding history, but at the same time, more has been lost. Sharp declines in commercially-exploited fish and other marine life and increasing pollution mean trouble for the ocean - and for us. At the Wednesday Lunch at Lowy on 5 August, internationally renowned environmentalist Sylvia Earle explained in her presentation, 'Thinking Blue', why 'hope spots' - fully protected areas in the sea - are critically important to our collective future.
Her PowerPoint photos can be downloaded here:
Thinking blue - PPT (58MB)
Her presentation can be heard here:
Thinking blue - MP3 (19MB)
Dr Sylvia Earle
29 Jul 2009 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Professor Ian Chubb presentation
The Rudd Government has announced major reforms to our university system in order to ensure that Australia can meet challenges of the next century. At the Wednesday Lunch at Lowy on 29th July, Professor Ian Chubb argued that it is imperative for Australia that we lift our sights and rebuild our capacity to perform alongside the world’s best in those fields of education and research. He argued the proposed Compacts between universities and the Government have the potential to drive change that will secure the long-term international competitiveness of our education and research sectors.
His presentation, 'Research universities and Australia’s place in the world', can be heard here:
Research universities and Australia - MP3 (21MB)
Professor Ian Chubb
22 Jul 2009 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Fergus Hanson presentation
At the Wednesday Lunch at Lowy on 22 July a Lowy Institute Policy Brief by Fergus Hanson, 'China: Stumbling through the Pacific', was launched. The Policy brief examines the shortcomings of China's current approach to aid-giving in the Pacific region.
Fergus Hanson is a Research Fellow at the Lowy Institute and has written several reports and articles on Chinese development assistance.
His presentation can be heard here:
China: Stumbling through the Pacific - MP3 (19MB)
Fergus Hanson
16 Jul 2009 - Publication
3 questions à...Michael Fullilove
In Issue 10 of Les Carnets du Cap, a publication of the Centre for Analysis and Prediction (CAP) of the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Dr Michael Fullilove answers three questions about Australia’s foreign policy.
Les Carnets du Cap, Issue 10, Winter-2008-Spring2009, pp 129-134
Dr Michael Fullilove
15 Jul 2009 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Dr Alex Wodak presentation
When Nixon launched the War on Drugs in 1971, it was intended primarily as a political strategy rather than as a public policy. While it has failed as a public policy, the War on Drugs has often succeeded as a political strategy. However, significant health, social or economic benefits are hard to identify. There have been no reductions in deaths, diseases, crime or corruption. Global drug production and consumption is increasing while retail price is decreasing and purity is increasing.
At the Wednesday Lunch at Lowy on 15 July, Dr Alex Wodak addressed these problems.
His PowerPoint presentation can be downloaded here:
The global war on drugs - PPT (400KB)
His presentation can be heard here:
The global war on drugs - MP3 (20MB)
A transcript is available.
Dr Alex Wodak
8 Jul 2009 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Dr Khalid Koser presentation
The global financial crisis is having a significant impact on international migration: for the first time in 25 years there has been a reduction in labour migration flows around the world; growing numbers of migrant workers are losing their jobs and returning home; the global value of remittances will reduce significantly in 2009; employment, living and working conditions are deteriorating for many migrant workers; and many states are adopting restrictive admission and work permit policies to protect the national labour market. This presentation by Dr Khalid Koser considers the implications of these changes for Australian domestic and foreign policy, considering lessons learned from elsewhere in the world as well as from responses to earlier economic and financial crises.
His presentation can be heard here:
The GFC and international migration - MP3 (19MB)
Dr Khalid Koser
1 Jul 2009 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Dr Michael Wesley presentation
At the Wednesday Lowy lunch on 1 July, Dr Michael Wesley, the new Executive Director of the Lowy Institute, talked about the challenges ahead for Australia and the Lowy Institute. The world after the Global Financial Crisis will be a world which asks some very searching questions of Australia's foreign policy makers, businesspeople, and citizens. How should Australia respond to the new position of China as a key power determining the future of collective global issues? What are the challenges to Australia’s economy as posed by an increasingly knowledge-intensive and Asia-centric global economy? Michael Wesley discussed these and other issues, and in doing so, outlined his vision for the Lowy Institute over the next five years.
His presentation can be heard here:
Australia's international future - MP3 (21MB)
Video of this presentation is also available.
Dr Michael Wesley
30 Jun 2009 - Publication
Distinguished Speaker Series - Graham Freudenberg presentation
On Tuesday 30 June the Lowy Institute was pleased to host a lecture in its Distinguished Speaker Series by the author and political adviser Graham Freudenberg AM. The title of the lecture was: 'Australasian Anxieties: How Winston Churchill shaped Australia's relations with Britain, Japan and the United States for six decades'.
His presentation can be heard here:
Australasian Anxieties - MP3 (25MB)
Video of this presentation is also available.
Videos from selected events are available in the Video Library.
Graham Freudenberg
24 Jun 2009 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Rory Medcalf presentation
At the Wednesday Lunch at Lowy on 24 June, Rory Medcalf, Program Director International Security, drew upon recent consultations in the region to warn that efforts to reduce global nuclear dangers will founder if they do not account for the rising strategic concerns of North Asian powers, especially China and Japan.
Mr Medcalf’s research for this presentation was supported by the Lowy Institute’s partnership with the Nuclear Security Project (www.nuclearsecurityproject.org).
His presentation can be heard here:
Wicked weapons - MP3 (19MB)
Video of this presentation is also available.
Rory Medcalf
24 Jun 2009 - Publication
Project brief
In a recent project brief for the MacArthur Foundation Asia Security Initiative, the Lowy Institute’s MacArthur Foundation Asia Security Project team outlined their project’s central objectives over the next three years, as well as its research methodology and means of dissemination.
17 Jun 2009 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Andrew Shearer and Malcolm Cook presentations
At the Wednesday Lowy Lunch on 16 June, Malcolm Cook and Andrew Shearer discussed how the Australia-Japan relationship can help both countries respond to the emerging new order in international relations. This order is characterised by changing global power balances, the move towards a more multi-polar world, and traditional multilateral organisations increasingly unsuited to resolving complex global problems.
Their presentations can be heard here:
Going global: Australia-Japan relations - MP3 (20MB)
Dr Malcolm Cook Andrew Shearer
16 Jun 2009 - Publication
Distinguished Speaker Series - Ambassador de Brichambaut presentation
On 16 June, as part of the Lowy Institute's Distinguished Speaker Series, the Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation (OSCE) in Europe, Ambassador Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, spoke on the relevance of this body to the Asia-Pacific and what it offers to partners in this region.
His PowerPoint presentation can be downloaded here:
OSCE and the Asia-Pacific - PPT (2MB)
His presentation can be heard here:
OSCE and the Asia-Pacific - MP3 (20MB)
Ambassador Marc Perrin de Brichambaut
10 Jun 2009 - Publication
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Professor Robert Lawrence presentation
At the Wednesday Lunch at Lowy on 10 June, Professor Robert Lawrence of Harvard University spoke on the global financial crisis and international trade.
At precisely the time when coordinated global action is required to meet the GFC, there are worrying signs in the US and other leading economies of new forms of protectionism stemming from government stimulus and bailout packages. Professor Lawrence’s address focused on the impact of the global recession and how trade and cooperation will play prominent roles in the recovery.
His PowerPoint presentation can be downloaded here:
How will global trade fare post GFC? - PPT (233KB)
His presentation can be heard here:
How will global trade fare post GFC? - MP3 (20MB)
Video is also available.
Professor Robert Lawrence
9 Jun 2009 - Publication
Troubled waters in need of oil
In an article in leading Indian current affairs magazine Tehelka, Rory Medcalf, coordinator of the Australia-India Roundtable, proposes some ways to deal with the crisis over the safety of Indian students in Australia. The Australian Federal and State governments have responsibilities, as do universities, but the Indian media also has a part to play.
Rory Medcalf
3 Jun 2009 - Publication
History of fear in a country of dust
In a major review essay in The Australian Literary Review, Lowy Institute Non-resident Fellow Whit Mason reviews three books on the conflict in Afghanistan.
Australian Literary Review, 3 June 2009, p. 10
Whit Mason
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