When he emerged as Australia’s 30th Prime Minister in 2018, Scott Morrison was not known for his diplomatic credentials and had never made foreign policy a big feature of his political career. Yet he has presided over one of the most consequential periods in Australia’s international relations: from a recalibration of ties with China, Australia’s primary trade partner, to the announcement of the AUKUS agreement. In this episode, Director of the Lowy Institute’s International Security Program Sam Roggeveen speaks to journalist and political commentator Paul Kelly about the factors and influences that have shaped Scott Morrison’s approach to foreign policy, which are detailed in Kelly’s new Lowy Institute Paper, Morrison’s Mission: How a Beginner Reshaped Australian foreign policy. Paul Kelly is Editor-at-Large at The Australian. He writes on politics, public policy and international relations and is a former Editor-in-Chief at the paper. He has written or co-authored 12 books on Australian politics and history including The End of Certainty (1992) on the politics and economic reforms of the Hawke-Keating era, The March of Patriots (2009), offering a re-interpretation of the Keating and Howard prime ministerships, and Triumph and Demise (2014), an account of the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd era. Morrison’s Mission follows his 2006 book for the Lowy Institute on John Howard’s foreign policy, Howard’s Decade.

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Conversations: Paul Kelly on Scott Morrison's foreign policy 'mission'

On Friday 21 January 2022, the Lowy Institute hosted the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom, the Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP. She was joined by Australia's Foreign Minister, Senator the Hon Marise Payne and Lowy Institute Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove AM.

Building a global network of liberty - address by The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP

Our panel event to mark the release of the 2021 Asia Power Index. Launched by the Lowy Institute in 2018, this annual project measures resources and influence to rank the relative power of states in Asia. The 2021 edition, which covers four years of data, is the most comprehensive assessment so far of the changing distribution of power in the Indo-Pacific region. The principal researchers behind the project, Hervé Lemahieu and Alyssa Leng, was joined by Roland Rajah, the Lowy Institute’s Lead Economist, to discuss the Index’s key findings: Why the United States has registered the most substantial — albeit still modest — upswing in power of any country in the region. What China’s losses across half of the Index’s measures of power in 2021 will mean for its trajectory to 2030 and beyond. How the region is becoming more bipolar and less multipolar, and the difficulties this poses for Southeast Asian middle powers in particular. Hervé Lemahieu is the Director of Research at the Lowy Institute, where he is responsible for the Institute’s team of experts and oversees its research output. Hervé leads the research for the annual Asia Power Index and authored the methodology to map the changing distribution of power in the region. Alyssa Leng is a Research Fellow and Economist in the Power and Diplomacy Program and one of the principal researchers behind the Asia Power Index. Prior to joining the Institute, Alyssa worked on Australia’s economic policy response to the Covid-19 pandemic at the Australian Treasury. Roland Rajah is Lead Economist and Director of the International Economics Program at the Lowy Institute. Before joining the Institute, Roland was a Senior Economist and Country Manager at the Asian Development Bank. The event was chaired by Sam Roggeveen, Director of the Lowy Institute’s International Security Program.

Launch of the 2021 Asia Power Index

An In conversation with Audrey Tang, who was appointed Taiwan’s first Digital Minister by President Tsai Ing-wen in 2016. Lowy Institute Director of Public Opinion Natasha Kassam spoke to Audrey Tang about their journey from an activist and civic hacker to a senior minister, and how digital democracy and innovation have helped Taiwan to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, the spread of disinformation and tensions with China. Audrey Tang held positions across a range of technology companies and start-ups before becoming involved in politics during Taiwan’s 2014 Sunflower Movement, when Tang volunteered to help the protesters occupying Taiwanese parliament to broadcast their message. Tang was then invited to build a media literacy curriculum for Taiwan’s schools, and appointed Taiwan’s first digital minister in 2016. Tang has been a key figure in Taiwan’s pandemic response, and was named one of Foreign Policy magazine’s 100 global thinkers in 2019. Natasha Kassam is the Director of the Lowy Institute’s Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Program, directing the annual Lowy Institute Poll and researching China’s politics, Taiwan, and Australia-China relations. She is also a Fellow of the ANU National Security College’s Futures Council and a member of the Advisory Board for the University of Melbourne’s Asian Law Centre. Prior to joining the Lowy Institute, Natasha was an Australian diplomat in China and Solomon Islands, and part of the drafting team for the Australian government’s 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper.

In Conversation with Taiwan’s Digital Minister Audrey Tang

The White House Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell spoke to the Lowy Institute's Executive Director Michael Fullilove as part of the digital conference 'The Indo-Pacific Operating System'. Broadcast on 1 December 2021.

In Conversation: White House Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell with Michael Fullilove

In this episode, Mihai Sora is joined by Ruth McDougall and Ruha Fifita to discuss the 10th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT10) showing at the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane from 4 December. They discuss how Pacific art is a powerful vehicle for building and maintaining connections across communities, the uniquely collaborative nature of Pacific art, and how to reframe art as less of an ‘industry’ and more as a meaning-making cultural activity that delivers new learning for artists and their audiences. Mihai Sora is the Project Director of the Australia-Papua New Guinea Network at the Lowy Institute, Ruth McDougall is curator for Pacific art for APT10 and Ruha Fifita is an interdisciplinary artist born and raised in the Kingdom of Tonga, who has exhibited throughout the Pacific and who has curated a number of projects for APT10.

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

Since 2013, the annual Owen Harries Lecture has honoured the significant contribution made to the international debate in Australia and the United States by Mr Harries, who was a Nonresident Fellow at the Lowy Institute. The 2021 Owen Harries Lecture was given by former Australian Finance Minister and Secretary-General of the OECD Matthias Cormann. Mr Cormann will speak on “Levelling the playing field – an agenda for growth, climate and a rules-based international order”. His lecture was followed by a conversation with Lowy Institute Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove. The Hon. Mathias Cormann is the 6th Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Prior to his appointment, he served as the Australian Minister for Finance, Leader of the Government in the Senate, and as a Senator representing Western Australia. Dr Michael Fullilove AM is the Executive Director of the Lowy Institute. He writes widely on global affairs in publications such as The New York Times, Financial Times, The Atlantic and Foreign Affairs. Recorded on November 24, 2021

2021 Owen Harries Lecture: The Hon. Mathias Cormann

In this episode, Lowy Institute lead economist Roland Rajah is joined by Dr Vijaya Ramachandran and Dr Sam Geall to discuss the outcomes from the COP26 Glasgow Climate Change Conference and deeper rifts in international climate policy and politics. They discuss whether COP26 succeeded in 'keeping 1.5 alive', and China's role in global climate efforts given geopolitical tensions with the US. They also discuss whether some Western governments are engaged in 'colonialism in green', whether India played a 'spoiler' role at the talks, and the huge unmet need for greater climate finance to help poor countries. They also talk about where opportunities might lie for future progress in global climate policy. Dr Vijaya Ramachandran is the Director for Energy and Development at the Breakthrough Institute. Dr Sam Geall is a research fellow at the University of Sussex and associate fellow at Chatham House.

COP26 and beyond: fault lines in global climate policy

The 2021 Lowy Lecture was delivered by US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. Mr Sullivan is one of the sharpest and most influential policymakers in the world and a trusted adviser to Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Mr Sullivan spoke on the Biden administration’s foreign and security policies in an era of pandemics, growing climate risk and competition with China and Russia. His Lowy Lecture was followed by an extended Q&A with Lowy Institute Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove. The Lowy Lecture is the Lowy Institute’s flagship annual event, at which a prominent speaker reflects on Australia and the world. Past Lecturers have included German Chancellor Angela Merkel, UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, author and broadcaster Fareed Zakaria, and three Australian prime ministers, including Scott Morrison. Jake Sullivan is the National Security Adviser to US President Joe Biden. Mr Sullivan served as Senior Foreign Policy Adviser to Hillary Clinton's 2016 election campaign, National Security Adviser to Vice President Joe Biden, Director of Policy Planning at the US Department of State, and Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. In 2017, Mr Sullivan served as the Lowy Institute’s Distinguished International Fellow. Dr Michael Fullilove AM is the Executive Director of the Lowy Institute. He writes widely on global affairs in publications such as The New York Times, The Atlantic and Foreign Affairs. Dr Fullilove is the author of several books, including Rendezvous with Destiny: How Franklin D. Roosevelt and Five Extraordinary Men Took America into the War and into the World (Penguin).

2021 Lowy Lecture — Jake Sullivan, US National Security Adviser

In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with Senator Penny Wong, the Shadow Foreign Minister and Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. Penny was elected to the Senate in 2001 and was appointed to Shadow Cabinet in 2005. She served as Climate Change Minister between 2007 and 2010 and as Finance Minister between 2010 and 2013. Michael and Penny discuss the politics of climate change in Australia, the AUKUS pact, and the findings of the Lowy Institute’s Diplomat Database. Penny reflects on her upbringing, Labor’s priorities for the region, and the current state of the Australia-China relationship.

The Director’s Chair: Penny Wong on politics, China, and the job of Foreign Minister.

In this episode of Lowy Institute Conversations, former deputy speaker of the Afghan parliament and women’s rights activist Fawzia Koofi joins Lowy Institute Research Fellow Lydia Khalil for a discussion on the heartbreak of leaving Afghanistan, the prospects for the country under Taliban rule, and the future of human rights in the country. Ms Koofi was previously a member of the Afghan delegation negotiating peace with the Taliban in Doha Qatar. This interview was originally scheduled in August 2021. However, Ms Koofi was placed under house arrest as the Taliban consolidated their hold over Kabul following the US military withdrawal from the country. It was not until she could negotiate her evacuation that she was able to speak.

After The Fall: Fawzia Koofi on Afghanistan's future

In this episode of Rules Based Audio, Ben Scott talks to Professor Hilary Charlesworth. Professor Charlesworth is a distinguished international lawyer who has been nominated for election to the International Court of Justice. The election will take place at the United Nations in New York on 5 November. Professor Charlesworth has served as a judge ad hoc on the court twice before. She is a Laureate Professor at the Melbourne University Law School and a Distinguished Professor at the Australian National University. In this conversation with Ben Scott, Professor Charlesworth discusses the role of the court and her candidacy.

Rules Based Audio (Episode 3): In Conversation with Hilary Charlesworth

In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with the former Jordanian diplomat, UN High Commissioner for  Human  Rights and think tank president  Dr  Zeid  Ra’ad  Al Hussein. Zeid served as Jordan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Ambassador to the United States, and served as UN High Commissioner for  Human  Rights between 2014 and 2018. Zeid is the CEO and President of the International Peace Institute in New York and a professor of the practice of law and human rights at the University of Pennsylvania.   Zeid and Michael speak about global efforts to address climate change, the situation in Afghanistan, and China’s record on human rights. Zeid reflects on his time as High Commissioner and his lifelong association with the UN, and discusses what the pandemic reveals about the international community.

The Director’s Chair: Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on the United Nations, China and climate change.

In this episode of Lowy Institute Conversations, Research Fellow Jennifer Hsu talks with Fan Yang and Fergus Ryan about Fan’s recent paper for the Lowy Institute, titled “Translating Tensions: Chinese-Language Media in Australia”. The paper is one of the first to provide insight into the published content of Chinese-language media organisations in Australia as it relates to Australia-China relations. Fan Yang is a PhD candidate at the School of Communication and Creative Arts, Deakin University. She researches Chinese-language media on WeChat with a focus on human-technology mediation. Her doctoral thesis is entitled “News Manufactories on WeChat: The Word Business, Censorship and Pseudo-Journalism”. She has published in various outlets including Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies, Policy Forum, Media International Australia,The Conversation, and others. Fergus Ryan is a Senior Analyst with Australia Strategic Policy Institute’s International Cyber Policy Centre. He has worked in media, communications and marketing roles in China and Australia for close to a decade and has published widely on Chinese tech, entertainment and media industries. Most recently, Fergus was a journalist for The Australian.

Lowy Institute Conversations: Fan Yang and Fergus Ryan on Chinese-language media in Australia

The 2021 Lowy Institute Media Lecture was presented by Australian journalist Yalda Hakim. ‍Yalda Hakim is an international correspondent, broadcaster, presenter and documentary maker. She grew up in Australia, where her family had sought refuge after fleeing the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Currently host of BBC World News’ Impact with Yalda Hakim, she started her journalistic career at SBS News in Sydney as a cadet, rising to become a reporter and presenter on its international affairs program Dateline. As well as pursuing a career in international journalism, which has seen her report on events from the United States to South Sudan, she has established a charitable foundation that supports women in Afghanistan to access education and university studies. Follow the 2021 Lowy Institute Media Award at https://mediaaward.lowyinstitute.org

2021 Lowy Institute Media Lecture

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