Ben Scott

Director, Australia’s Security and the Rules-Based Order Project

Areas of expertise

Australian national security policy; International rules and norms; US foreign policy; the Middle East

Contact

@Ben_G_Scott

Biography

Publications

News and media

Ben Scott is a Senior Adviser at the Australian National University's National Security College. He served as the Director of the Australia’s Security and the Rules-Based Order Project at the Lowy Institute from 2020 to 2022.

Ben has more than 20 years’ experience in diplomacy, intelligence and international development. He joined the Lowy Institute from the Office of National Intelligence, where he was a Senior Middle East Analyst before representing ONI at the Australian Embassy in Washington, DC from 2016-2020.

In Israel and the Palestinian territories, Ben was the Rule of Law Adviser to Quartet Representative Tony Blair, Australian Representative to the Palestinian Authority and Third Secretary at the Australian Embassy in Tel Aviv.

Ben was a Diplomatic Fellow at the Lowy Institute in 2005 and wrote the Lowy Institute Paper, Re-imagining PNG: Culture, Democracy and Australia’s Role. He served as a Bougainville peace monitor for six months in 1998.

Binary error: How and why governments need a cyber security rethink

Deterrence of hostile states in cyberspace misses the point when operations concentrate on only “offence” vs “defence”.

It’s complicated: psychology and national security decisions

Thinking about the plethora of security threats all at once is hard – which can increase the risk of bias intruding.

Analyses

Sharper choices: How Australia can make better national security decisions

In a complex and competitive national security environment, new ways of thinking on strategic decision-making are key.

Podcasts

Ali Wyne on great power competition, the United States and China

What does great power competition mean, and where did the concept come from? In this episode of Rules Based Audio, Ben Scott speaks to author and analyst Ali…

Jerusalem, the rules-based order and deal-making

Australia's interests – near and far – are best served by consistent support for an effective multilateral system.

Competing and cooperating: the paradox in US strategy

The new National Security Strategy at least acknowledges the shape of the problem even if not yet providing an answer.

Should democracies ever lie?

Is bending the truth sometimes necessary and justified in situations short of war?

Podcasts

Rules Based Audio: AUKUS – Are Australian nuclear submarines a dangerous precedent?

Commentary

What is Australia’s plan B for China?

The US may not win, and China may not be easily appeased either. We need more eggs in more baskets. Originally published in the Australian Financial Review.