Hervé Lemahieu

Director of Research
Hervé Lemahieu
Biography
Publications
News and media

As Director of Research, Hervé Lemahieu manages the Lowy Institute’s research team. The Institute’s research is globally recognised for its analysis on China, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands region, as well as its thematic expertise in economic, security and development issues. Hervé also has carriage of the Institute’s editorial, digital and design functions.

His research interests include strategy and geopolitics, global governance, Australian foreign policy, Southeast Asia and data analysis.

In 2018, Hervé developed the Asia Power Index, which is an annual data-driven assessment that maps the changing distribution of power in the region. He oversees other innovative multi-year research projects including the Global Diplomacy Index, the Southeast Asia and Pacific Aid Maps, and the Lowy Institute Poll.

Hervé provides regular commentary in Australian and international media, has given evidence in front of congressional and parliamentary committees, and presented his research at the World Economic Forum. He is a Consulting Senior Fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore where he advises on the Anatomy of Choice Project: Southeast Asia between the Superpowers.

He has also convened a number of bilateral and trilateral strategic dialogues between Australia and ASEAN, China, the European Union, France and the United States.

Before joining the Lowy Institute in 2016, Hervé was Research Associate for Political Economy and Security at the London-based think tank IISS. He started his career at Oxford Analytica informing government and business policy on geopolitical risk in Asia.

Hervé holds an MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy from the University of Oxford, and an MA in International Relations and Modern History from the University of St Andrews. A dual citizen of Australia and Belgium, he grew up in Myanmar among other countries.

Australia must perfect the art of sizing up China
Commentary
Australia must perfect the art of sizing up China
Neither the US nor China can dominate the other. That leaves an opening for smart middle powers that know their own strengths. Originally published in the Australian…
Macron tries to put the spark back into the G7
Macron tries to put the spark back into the G7
By keeping Trump from derailing the proceedings, the self-anointed saviour of the West scored a tactical win.
Morrison must think hard about our Pacific plays
Commentary
Morrison must think hard about our Pacific plays
Originally published in The AustralianMichael Fullilove , Hervé Lemahieu
Five big takeaways from the 2019 Asia Power Index
Five big takeaways from the 2019 Asia Power Index
The 2019 Lowy Institute Asia-Power Index, launched today, tracks shifts in the distribution of power over 25 countries.
How Power Adapts to a Changed World
Speeches
How Power Adapts to a Changed World
At the 2019 World Economic Forum in Davos, the Lowy Institute’s Hervé Lemahieu used the Asia Power Index to chart what might happen to the distribution of power as we move from an…
Thailand: the Princess vs the General
Thailand: the Princess vs the General
It’s very unusual for key players from the country’s two most powerful institutions to publicly showcase divisions.
Europe's crisis of unrealistic expectations
Commentary
Europe's crisis of unrealistic expectations
Originally published in Australian Financial Review Hervé Lemahieu
Why the US should not simply decouple from China without building new partnerships
Commentary
Why the US should not simply decouple from China without building new partnerships
Originally published in South China Morning PostRichard McGregor , Hervé Lemahieu
Why North Korea is in no hurry to do what the US wants
Commentary
Why North Korea is in no hurry to do what the US wants
Meeting in Singapore last month, US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un captured the world's attention and promised to work towards “new relations”. Why…
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