Susannah Patton

Director, Southeast Asia Program
Areas of expertise

Indo-Pacific strategy; Australian foreign policy; Southeast Asia.

Susannah Patton
Biography
Publications
News and media

Susannah Patton is Director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute and the Project Lead for the Asia Power Index, the Institute’s annual data-driven assessment that maps the changing distribution of power in the region. Her research on Southeast Asia is focused on strategic alignment dynamics and the roles of external powers including the United States, China and Australia.

Before joining the Lowy Institute, Susannah was a Research Fellow in the Foreign Policy and Defence Program at the United States Studies Centre. Her commentary and analysis have featured in Australian and international outlets, including The New York Times, Foreign Policy, Australian Financial Review and The Interpreter. Before leaving government, she worked in various Southeast Asia-focused positions in the Australian government, including as a Senior Analyst in the Southeast Asia Branch at the Office of National Intelligence, in the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit Taskforce in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and as a diplomat in the Australian Embassy in Bangkok. Susannah holds first class honours degrees in law and political science from the Australian National University.

Thai foreign policy in the twilight zone
Thai foreign policy in the twilight zone
If foreign policy reflects domestic politics, its unsurprising that Thailand’s diplomacy is confused and haphazard.
The cost of Albanese skipping Prabowo’s inauguration
The cost of Albanese skipping Prabowo’s inauguration
Bilateral ties won’t be adversely affected, but errors like this change the way Australia is seen in the region.
Marking time: The ASEAN summit in Laos
Marking time: The ASEAN summit in Laos
In a world of tumult, there is something quietly reassuring about the predictable summitry of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Kamala Harris and the Indo-Pacific: Correcting the attention deficit
Kamala Harris and the Indo-Pacific: Correcting the attention deficit
Many Southeast Asian countries already see the United States as a more distant and less reliable partner.
Harris 1.0
Data Snapshot
Harris 1.0
What Kamala Harris’ election would mean for Australia and the world
Quad summit shows strengths and limits of Biden’s foreign policy
Commentary
Quad summit shows strengths and limits of Biden’s foreign policy
Originally published in The Straits Times
Timor-Leste joins the Asia Power Index
Timor-Leste joins the Asia Power Index
Despite its small size, the Southeast Asian nation should not be underestimated.
2024 Asia Power Index Key Findings Report
Reports
2024 Asia Power Index Key Findings Report
In-depth analysis and insight into the changing power distribution in Asia and its geopolitical consequences.
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