Mihai Sora

Project Director, Australia-PNG Network

Areas of expertise

Australian foreign policy in the Pacific; Australia-PNG relations; geopolitics in the Pacific; Melanesia; conflict analysis and fragile states

Contact

@MihaiSora

Biography

Publications

News and media

Mihai Sora is a Research Fellow in the Pacific Islands Program and Project Director of the Aus-PNG Network. Mihai has more than a decade’s experience as an Australian diplomat with postings to Solomon Islands and Indonesia, and was a Pacific Analyst at the Office of National Assessments. Mihai helped to design and deployed in-country with the Multinational Observer Mission to Fiji’s 2014 national elections. He has a Master of Letters in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Sydney, a Graduate Certificate in Editing and Publishing, and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Technology, Sydney.

Commentary

A security agreement between China and Solomon Islands could impact stability in the whole Pacific

Australia must figure out how to respond to an increasingly crowded Pacific, without increasing tensions in the region. Originally published in The Guardian.

Kick-starting America’s Pacific diplomacy

Trying to force a “choice” with China would be a mistake. But US can win plenty of good will living up to its promises.

Podcasts

Lowy Institute Conversations: Collaborating and building connections across the Pacific through art

Mihai Sora speaks to Ruth McDougall and Ruha Fifita about the 10th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art and how art is a powerful way to build and maintain connections…

Team Pacific serves up a revolution: Interpreter 2021 favourites

A reality TV cooking show that is about so much more than simply food.

Commentary

Australia’s early intervention can help Solomon Islands but the roots of the conflict run deep

Honiara has awoken to a calmer scene but tension lingers as quelling the violent protests has not resolved their underlying causes. Originally published in The Guardian.

Podcasts

Lowy Institute Conversations: Collaborating and building connections across the Pacific through art

Mihai Sora speaks to Ruth McDougall and Ruha Fifita about the 10th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art and how art is a powerful way to build and maintain connections…

Dark days for Honiara in the shadow of geopolitics

Solomon Islands finds itself tangled in a web of deep grievances and duelling powers keen to curry favour.

Commentary

Telstra’s Digicel Pacific challenge

The deal with the government insulates the telco from financial risk. But accepting the role of Australia’s lead business ambassador in the region makes it no set-and-forget…