Earlier this month, Cuban citizens took to the streets across the country to protest against deteriorating living conditions amidst the country’s economic and coronavirus crisis. ASPI’s David Engel was previously Australian Ambassador to Mexico and non-resident ambassador to Cuba. He speaks with Professor Adrian Hearn about the protests and their political significance, the impact of social media and the government response. In the wake of the targeted attacks on Microsoft Exchange servers, Australia’s own cyber security vulnerabilities are increasingly being highlighted. Fergus Hanson is joined by the Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre’s CEO Rachael Falk and Anne-Louise Brown for a discussion on the Microsoft Exchange hack, as well as the growing frequency of ransomware crimes in Australia, and how the Australian Government can help better protect communities and businesses. Peter Jennings speaks to Daniel Ward about his new ASPI report, ‘Losing our agnosticism: How to make Australia’s foreign influence laws work’. They consider why Australia pursued country agnosticism for foreign influence legislation and potential solutions to adequately address foreign influence concerns. Mentioned in this episode: ‘Exfiltrate, encrypt, extort: The global rise of ransomware and Australia’s policy options’ by Rachael Falk & Anne-Louise Brown: https://www.aspi.org.au/report/exfiltrate-encrypt-extort ‘Losing our agnosticism. How to make Australia’s foreign influence laws work’ by Daniel Ward: https://bit.ly/36SxVDR Guests (in order of appearance): David Engel: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/david-engel Professor Adrian Hearn: https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/profile/460793-adrian-hearn Fergus Hanson: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/fergus-hanson Rachael Falk: https://cybersecuritycrc.org.au/rachael-falk Anne-Louise Brown: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/anne-louise-brown Peter Jennings: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/peter-jennings Daniel Ward: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/daniel-ward

Policy, Guns & Money

Protests in Cuba, ransomware on the rise, rethinking Australia’s foreign influence laws

On 11th July, billionaire Richard Branson joined Virgin Galactic’s first fully crewed test flight to space. Billionaire Jeff Bezos will soon follow suit on the first Blue Origin crewed flight on July 20. Dr Malcolm Davis speaks with Dr Cassandra Steer from the ANU Institute of Space and College of Law to discuss this new era for space tourism and its potential implications. The arrest of former South African president, Jacob Zuma, has sparked mass unrest in the provinces of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. Research Intern Khwezi Nkwanyana speaks to Dr Ibrahim Abraham from the Australian National University about the recent violence and the significance of Zuma’s arrest with regards to corruption and wider stability in the country. Dr Teagan Westendorf is joined by Peta Lowe from Phronesis Consulting and Training to discuss counterterrorism and the roles of countering violent extremism (CVE) and preventing violent extremism (PVE). Peta and Teagan discuss these issues with a specific focus on gender, regional complexities and the cyber realm. Mentioned in this episode: War and Peace in Outer Space: Law, Policy, and Ethics, edited by Cassandra Steer and Matthew Hersch Guests (in order of appearance): Dr Malcolm Davis: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/malcolm-davis Dr Cassandra Steer: https://law.anu.edu.au/people/cassandra-steer Khwezi Nkwanyana: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/khwezi-nkwanyana Dr Ibrahim Abraham: https://researchers.anu.edu.au/researchers/abraham-i Dr Teagan Westendorf: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/teagan-westendorf Peta Lowe: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/peta-lowe

Virgin Galactic takes off, South Africa unrest and countering violent extremism

UN Peacekeeping operations are an extremely important part of the UN’s contribution to international peace and security. Peacekeeping expert Associate Professor Charlie Hunt from RMIT University joins Lisa Sharland to discuss some of the challenges facing the UN in delivering these important operations and the future of peacekeeping, and how Australia can increase its presence in peacekeeping operations. In June this year, the US Government released its first ‘National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism’. Professor Arie Perliger, Director of Security Studies at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, joins Dr Teagan Westendorf to examine the strategy. They consider the strategy’s four pillars, policy gaps and its potential to address the threat of domestic terrorism in the US. In an excerpt of an ASPI Webinar, Will Cathcart, Head of WhatsApp, joined Fergus Hanson for a discussion online on some of the challenges facing the world’s largest messaging service. They discussed end-to-end encryption, working in countries with different government requirements and the importance of security to WhatsApp. You can watch the full discussion here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KBQCsLDoBA Mentioned in this episode: US National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/National-Strategy-for-Countering-Domestic-Terrorism.pdf ASPI Webinar with Will Cathcart, Head of WhatsApp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KBQCsLDoBA Guests (in order of appearance): Lisa Sharland: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/lisa-sharland Dr Charlie Hunt: https://www.rmit.edu.au/contact/staff-contacts/academic-staff/h/hunt-associate-professor-charlie Dr Teagan Westendorf: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/teagan-westendorf Professor Arie Perliger: https://www.uml.edu/fahss/criminal-justice/faculty/perliger-arie.aspx Fergus Hanson: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/fergus-hanson Will Cathcart: https://about.facebook.com/media-gallery/executives/will-cathcart/ Music: "Just Wondering" by Maarten Schellekens via the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org

The future of peacekeeping, countering domestic terrorism, a conversation on WhatsApp

Lisa Sharland is joined by Professor Joanne Wallis, Professor of International Security at the University of Adelaide, to discuss her chapter on ‘Strategic Competition and the Pacific Islands’ in the Institute for International and Strategic Studies Asia-Pacific Regional Security Assessment 2021. They discuss the challenges posed by strategic competition in the region, opportunities for Australian engagement and why Australia should work more closely with partners in the region. Dr Malcolm Davis speaks to Lieutenant Colonel Kyle Marcrum and Dr Brendan Mulvaney from the US China Aerospace Studies Institute about the concept of deterrence, something they explored in the recent ASPI report ‘To deter the PRC…’. They discuss how the People’s Republic of China views and approaches deterrence in comparison to liberal democracies, and how Australia and its partners should respond. Climate policy remains a hot topic in Australia. With Barnaby Joyce re-elected as nationals leader and the federal government still not committing to net-zero by 2050, Anastasia Kapetas and Dr Robert Glasser discuss the Australian Government’s current position on climate, and climate risks for Australia and our near region. Mentioned in this episode: To deter the PRC: https://www.aspi.org.au/report/deter-prc Strategic Competition and the Pacific Islands: https://www.iiss.org/publications/strategic-dossiers/asia-pacific-regional-security-assessment-2021 Guests (in order of appearance): Lisa Sharland: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/lisa-sharland Professor Joanne Wallis: https://researchers.adelaide.edu.au/profile/joanne.wallis Dr Malcolm Davis: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/malcolm-davis Lieutenant Colonel Kyle Marcrum: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/kyle-marcrum Dr Brendan Mulvaney: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/brendan-mulvaney Anastasia Kapetas: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/anastasia-kapetas Dr Robert Glasser: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/robert-glasser Image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bf/Northern_Islands.jpg Music: "Dulce Reggaeton" by An Jone, via the YouTube Audio Library

Strategic competition in the Pacific, PRC deterrence, Australia’s climate policy

Anastasia Kapetas is joined by John Schaus, Senior Fellow of the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. They explore the concept of asymmetric power and deterrence, how it is used by different actors and how the US and its allies should respond. In May this year, the Chinese government announced the three-child policy, an initiative designed to help increase birth rates in China. Daria Impiombato is joined by Leta Hong Fincher, Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University and author of ‘Betraying Big Brother: the feminist awakening in China’. They discuss the three-child policy, as well as coercive family planning policies in Xinjiang and feminism in China. We are delighted to share an extract of a recent interview with Major General Cheryl Pearce for ASPI’s Women in Defence and Security Network. Major General Pearce, who was most recently Force Commander of the UN Forces in Cyprus, speaks to Lisa Sharland about leadership challenge during Covid-19 and advice for emerging female leaders based on her experiences working in the ADF and in a multi-national force. The full interview is available to watch here: https://bit.ly/2SY6YLE ASPI WDSN Interview with Major General Cheryl Pearce: https://bit.ly/2SY6YLE Guests (in order of appearance): Anastasia Kapetas: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/anastasia-kapetas John Schaus: https://www.csis.org/people/john-schaus Daria Impiombato: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/daria-impiombato Leta Hong Fincher: http://ealac.columbia.edu/leta-hong-fincher/ Lisa Sharland: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/lisa-sharland Major General Cheryl Pearce: @CherylAPearce (Twitter) Music by Unicorn Heads via the YouTube Audio Library. Image by Wokandapix via Pixabay (pixabay.com)

Asymmetric deterrence, China’s three-child policy, women and leadership

Arguably the biggest submarine program in the Western world outside of the United States, Australia’s submarine development continues to raise concerns around cost. Michael Shoebridge and Dr Marcus Hellyer examine the outcomes of the recent Senate Estimates in relation to the underwater program, and what the life-of-type upgrades mean for the submarine’s future. ASPI’s Mapping China’s Technology Giants project provides an overview of the global impact of Chinese technology companies. Tom Uren is joined by Fergus Ryan and Daria Impiombato for a discussion on how U.S. sanctions have impacted the growth of these organisations, and how the Chinese Communist Party’s political influence creates privacy concerns. In a conversation on nation-building, Dr John Coyne and Gill Savage discuss how Australia can re-think its approach to infrastructure in a post-Covid environment. Using the Port of Townsville as an example, they discuss how greater cooperation between regional, state and national governments can achieve economic, social and environmental prosperity. Mentioned in this episode: Mapping China’s Tech Giants: Reining in China’s technology giants: https://www.aspi.org.au/report/mapping-chinas-technology-giants-reining-chinas-technology-giants Collaborative nation building: Port of Townsville case study: https://www.aspi.org.au/report/collaborative-nation-building-port-townsville-case-study Guests (in order of appearance): Michael Shoebridge: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/michael-shoebridge Dr Marcus Hellyer: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/marcus-hellyer Tom Uren: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/tom-uren Fergus Ryan: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/fergus-ryan Daria Impiombato: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/daria-impiombato Dr John Coyne: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/john-coyne Gill Savage: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/gill-savage

Australia’s submarines, mapping China’s technology giants, post-Covid nation-building

Recently, national security debates in the United States and Australia have been heavily focused on the likelihood of conflict in the Taiwan Straits. Anastasia Kapetas is joined by Ryan Hass, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution to discuss the credibility of this narrative. They discuss the likelihood of conflict over Taiwan and how Taiwan can counter China’s actions. Dr Robert Glasser is joined by Natasha Kassam, Director of Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Program at the Lowy Institute to discuss Lowy’s ‘Climate Poll 2021’, an annual report on Australia’s national attitude to climate change. ASPI’s annual Cost of Defence report breaks down the funding and expenditure of the Department of Defence, examining key areas of growth, acquisition spending and investment. Report author Dr Marcus Hellyer discusses some of the trends highlighted in this year’s report with Peter Jennings, and the increasing financial concern around Defence’s external workforce. Mentioned in this episode: The Cost of Defence: ASPI defence budget brief 2021-22: https://www.aspi.org.au/report/cost-defence-aspi-defence-budget-brief-2021-2022 ‘Taiwan needs assuredness, not alarm’, Brookings Blog by Ryan Hass: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2021/05/18/taiwan-needs-assuredness-not-alarm/ Lowy Institute Climate Poll 2021: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/publications/climatepoll-2021 Guests (in order of appearance): Anastasia Kapetas: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/anastasia-kapetas Ryan Hass: https://www.brookings.edu/experts/ryan-hass/ Dr Robert Glasser: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/robert-glasser Natasha Kassam: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/people/experts/bio/natasha-kassam Peter Jennings: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/peter-jennings Dr Marcus Hellyer: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/marcus-hellyer Background music: "Islabonita" by An Jone, via the YouTube Audio Library. Image: Geoff Pryor.

Is alarm on Taiwan wrong? Australian climate attitudes & the Cost of Defence

This week we are excited to share a special episode on Africa Day. Celebrated annually on 25 May, Africa Day commemorates the 1963 founding of the African Union. Lisa Sharland speaks to Ambassador Martin Kimani, the new permanent representative of Kenya to the United Nations. They discuss Kenya’s role on the UN Security Council, engaging in multilateralism via Zoom and counter-terrorism. Brendan Nicholson speaks to Australia’s High Commissioner to South Africa Ms Gita Kamath about Australia’s economic ties with South Africa, the impact of Covid-19 on the region and the effectiveness of groupings such as the Southern African Development Community and the Southern African Customs Union as unifying forces. In November last year, the Ethiopian government launched a military offensive in the country’s northern Tigray region. ASPI Research Intern Khwezi Nkwanyana speaks to the Director of Horn of Africa at Human Rights Watch, Laetitia Bader, about the ongoing humanitarian crisis, its geopolitical implications for neighbouring countries and the responses from different multilateral institutions. Guests (in order of appearance): Lisa Sharland: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/lisa-sharland Ambassador Martin Kimani: https://www.un.int/kenya/staff/amb-martin-kimani Brendan Nicholson: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/brendan-nicholson Ms Gita Kamath: https://www.dfat.gov.au/about-us/our-people/homs/Pages/high-commissioner-to-south-africa Khwezi Nkwanyana: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/khwezi-nkwanyana Laetitia Bader: https://www.hrw.org/about/people/laetitia-bader Image: Flag of the African Union - via WikiPedia Music: "Beyond" by Patrick Patrikios via the YouTube Audio Library

Africa Day 2021

Recently, ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre released a new report which found that birth rates in Uyghur-majority areas in Xinjiang have fallen by unprecedented amounts since 2017. Danielle Cave speaks to report authors Dr James Leibold and Nathan Ruser about the government policies behind this birth-rate drop and some of the report’s key findings. The International Energy Agency has released the report 'Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector' which highlights that the need for transitioning to a net zero system by 2050 has become a near-necessity. Anastasia Kapetas and Dr Robert Glasser discuss the report’s findings and what it means for the international energy sector. On May 7 2021, Colonial Pipeline - a United States major fuel pipeline operator - was the victim of one of the most disruptive cyber-attacks on record, by cybercriminal hacking group DarkSide. Tom Uren and Dr John Coyne discuss the fallout from the ransomware hit, what it means for international law enforcement, and the impact of this on the regulation of cryptocurrency. Mentioned in this episode: ‘Family De-planning: The Coercive Campaign to Drive Down Indigenous Birth-rates in Xinjiang’ report: https://www.aspi.org.au/report/family-deplanning-birthrates-xinjiang ‘Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector’ report: https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-by-2050?utm_campaign=IEA%20newsletters&utm_source=SendGrid&utm_medium=Email Guests (in order of appearance): Danielle Cave: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/danielle-cave Dr James Leibold: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/james-leibold Nathan Ruser: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/nathan-ruser Anastasia Kapetas: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/anastasia-kapetas Dr Robert Glasser: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/robert-glasser Tom Uren: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/tom-uren Dr John Coyne: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/john-coyne

Declining birth rates in Xinjiang, achieving net zero by 2050, fuel pipeline cyber-attack

In April, President Biden held the first Leaders Summit on Climate which saw a number of countries commit to more ambitious reduction targets. Research intern Matthew Page speaks to Associate Professor Matt McDonald from the University of Queensland about Australia’s hesitancy to set a target date for emission reductions, the impacts of climate on Australia’s national security and whether investment in hydrogen and carbon-capture and storage technologies will significantly reduce Australia’s carbon emissions. The financial and social impacts of Covid-19 and the increased time people are spending online have been described as factors which may make people more vulnerable to radicalisation. Dr Teagan Westendorf speaks to Nafees Hamid, Research Fellow at Artis International, about pathways to radicalisation, including the significance of sacred values, and the importance of community in preventing radicalisation. Brendan Nicholson is joined by Katherine Stewart from the International Committee of the Red Cross for a conversation about her experiences working in the Australian Defence Force and the ICRC. They discuss Kath’s experiences working in Bougainville and Iraq and most recently, in Israel and the Occupied Territories, and the importance of neutrality in the Red Cross. Mentioned in this episode: - https://theconversation.com/the-neuroscience-of-terrorism-how-we-convinced-a-group-of-radicals-to-let-us-scan-their-brains-114855 Guests (in order of appearance): Matthew Page: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/matthew-page Associate Professor Matt McDonald: http://researchers.uq.edu.au/researcher/634 Dr Teagan Westendorf: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/teagan-westendorf Nafees Hamid: https://artisinternational.org/nafis-hamid/ Brendan Nicholson: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/brendan-nicholson Background music: Stylish Groove by Scott Holmes Music via the Free Music Archive: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/media-music-mix/stylish-groove Image: "Greenland Ice Sheet" via WikiMedia: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Greenland_Ice_Sheet.jpg/2560px-Greenland_Ice_Sheet.jpg

Climate and National Security, Preventing Radicalisation and a conversation with Katherine Stewart

April 28 marked US President Joe Biden's first 100 days in office - a symbolic milestone used to measure the impact of a new administration. Peter Jennings is joined by Bruce Wolpe, Senior Fellow from the United States Studies Centre, to discuss President Biden's achievements so far, in areas such as the response to the pandemic and climate policy, and the domestic and foreign policy challenges the administration needs to manage. Recently, Taiwan has been receiving increased international attention, in part because of its successful pandemic response but also due to Cross-Strait tensions. ASPI Research Intern, Elena Yi-Ching Ho speaks to Wen-Ti Sung, Lecturer in the Taiwan Studies Program at the Australian National University about Cross-Strait relations, the potential for military conflict and whether the status quo is still sustainable. Dr Teagan Westendorf speaks to Professor Ruth Wallace, Dean of the College of Indigenous Futures, Arts and Society, and Director of the Northern Institute at Charles Darwin University. They discuss Australia’s evolving biosecurity challenges and the opportunities for community in Australia’s North to play a significant role in understanding and responding to biosecurity threats. Guests (in order of appearance): Peter Jennings: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/peter-jennings Bruce Wolpe: https://www.ussc.edu.au/people/bruce-wolpe Elena Yi-Ching Ho: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/elena-yi-ching-ho Wen-Ti Sung: https://www.anu.edu.au/news/for-journalists/mr-wen-ti-sung Dr Teagan Westendorf: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/teagan-westendorf Professor Ruth Wallace: https://www.cdu.edu.au/northern-institute/our-teams/ruth-wallace

Biden’s first 100 days, Taiwan & Cross-Strait relations, biosecurity in Australia’s north

In the earliest days of the Biden Administration, the United States has made it clear that it wants to re-engage in multilateralism. Peter Jennings is joined by Professor Gordon Flake, CEO of the Perth USAsia Centre, to discuss Biden’s foreign policy agenda, climate policies and the importance of alliances and repairing some of America’s reputational damage. Following the first-ever leader-level Quad summit in March 2021, Michael Shoebridge is joined by Dr Lavina Lee, Senior Lecturer in Modern History, Politics and International Relations at Macquarie University to weigh in on the latest developments in the Quad grouping as well as Australia-India bilateral relations. ASPI research intern, Hillary Mansour speaks with Dr David Engel, Head of ASPI’s Indonesia Program about Indonesia's Defence Equipment and Technology Transfer Agreement with Japan, what the agreement means for Indonesia and how Indonesia’s recent international engagements complement their foreign policy strategy. Mentioned in this episode: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/indonesias-free-and-active-foreign-policy-on-show-in-ministerial-visits-to-japan-and-china/ Guests (in order of appearance): Peter Jennings: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/peter-jennings Professor Gordon Flake: https://perthusasia.edu.au/staff-gordon-flake Michael Shoebridge: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/michael-shoebridge Dr Lavina Lee: https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/persons/lavina-rajendram-lee Hillary Mansour: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/hillary-mansour David Engel: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/david-engel Background music: "Classical Landscapes" by Kesta. Via the Free Music Archive. Image: US Passport via PXHere

Biden’s commitment to multilateralism, developments in the Quad & Indonesia’s foreign policy

Earlier this week, Australia’s second WPS National Action Plan outlines how Australia will take forward our national commitments to the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Emilia Currey is joined by Lisa Sharland, ASPI’s Deputy Director of Defence, Strategy & National Security and Head of International Program to discuss the plans strategic outcomes, how it differs from the first NAP, challenges for successful implementation and considerations for domestic concerns. Have you ever considered a career in intelligence? Michael Shoebridge speaks with Carl and Karinda from the Office of National Intelligence about some of the exciting career pathways in intelligence and what the future of the intelligence workforce might look like. This week, ASPI released the report ‘Island voices and Covid-19: Vulnerability and resilience - Views from The Strategist’ Brendan Nicholson is joined by the report co-author Professor Richard Herr from the University of Tasmania to discuss the range of responses to the pandemic in Pacific and Indian ocean states and the vulnerabilities and opportunities created by the pandemic. Mentioned in this episode: https://www.careersinintelligence.gov.au https://www.aspi.org.au/report/island-voices-and-covid-19-vulnerability-and-resilience-views-strategist Guests: Emilia Currey: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/emilia-currey Lisa Sharland: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/lisa-sharland Michael Shoebridge: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/michael-shoebridge Brendan Nicholson: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/brendan-nicholson Professor Richard Herr: https://rmdb.research.utas.edu.au/public/rmdb/q/indiv_detail_warp_trans/329 Background music: "Outlaw's Farewell (pt1)" by Reed Mathis - via the YouTube Audio Library. Image: "United Nations" via WikiPedia

Australia’s WPS National Action Plan, work in intelligence, Covid-19 response in the Pacific

This week, ASPI has launched the Climate & Security Policy Centre, which will be headed up by Dr Robert Glasser. Anastasia is joined by Robert to discuss the Centre’s objectives as well as the new ASPI report ‘The rapidly emerging crisis on our doorstep’ which warns of climate hazards in Maritime Southeast Asia. ASPI released the report ‘Next step in the step up: The ADF's role in building health security in Pacific Island states’ which looks at the potential for the ADF to form military partnerships in the health sector in Pacific island countries. Michael Shoebridge, speaks to report author Dr David Brewster, Senior Research Fellow at the ANU National Security College, about how the partnership could work and how it could benefit both the ADF and the region. Last week the Australian Government announced a $1 billion federal plan to build a new guided weapons facility in Australia. Peter Jennings and Dr Marcus Hellyer consider the Government’s plan and how this will impact Defence's sovereign capability. Mentioned in the episode: ‘The rapidly emerging crisis on our doorstep’: https://www.aspi.org.au/report/rapidly-emerging-crisis-our-doorstep ‘Next step in the step up: The ADF's role in building health security in Pacific Island states’: https://www.aspi.org.au/report/next-step-step-adfs-role-building-health-security-pacific-island-states Climate and Security Policy Centre: https://www.aspi.org.au/program/climate-and-security-policy-centre Guests: Anastasia Kapetas: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/anastasia-kapetas Dr Robert Glasser: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/robert-glasser Michael Shoebridge: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/michael-shoebridge Dr David Brewster: https://researchers.anu.edu.au/researchers/brewster-dh Peter Jennings: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/peter-jennings Dr Marcus Hellyer: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/marcus-hellyer Background music: "Cover" by Patrick Patrikios via the YouTube Audio Library. Image: "Sea Dart Missile in flight": https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sea_Dart_missile_in_flight.jpg

Southeast-Asia Climate hazards, AU-Pacific health partnerships & AU guided weapons investment

In this episode of Policy, Guns & Money, Dr Marcus Hellyer speaks to Senior ASPI Fellow Dr Andrew Davies about his recent report ‘Coming ready or not: Hypersonic weapons’. They discuss what a hypersonic weapon is, whether there are ways to defend against this type of weapon and who is developing this capability. Dr Teagan Westendorf speaks to Professor Lisa Short, Design Thinker & Digital Technologist, Founder of P&L Digital Edge and Group Chair of the Global Foundation for Cyber Studies & Research. They discuss how Australia can enable big tech innovation, the challenges of funding innovation and why it’s important decision-makers have an understanding of STEM and the potential of innovation. Anastasia Kapetas speaks to Hayley Channer, Senior Policy Fellow with the Perth USAsia Centre, about the relationship between US domestic politics and foreign policy, Biden’s response to Covid-19 and how the Biden Administration can rebuild trust with its allies in the Indo-Pacific. Report: https://www.aspi.org.au/report/coming-ready-or-not-hypersonic-weapons Guests: Dr Marcus Hellyer: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/marcus-hellyer Dr Andrew Davies: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/andrew-davies Dr Teagan Westendorf: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/teagan-westendorf Professor Lisa Short: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisagshort/?originalSubdomain=au Anastasia Kapetas: https://www.aspi.org.au/bio/anastasia-kapetas Hayley Channer: https://perthusasia.edu.au/about-us/our-people/staff/hayley-channer Image: WikiMedia: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:E190_Contrail_(3010347403).jpg Background Music: "Cover" by Patrick Patrikios, via the YouTube Audio Library

Hypersonic weapons development, technology innovation, US domestic politics & foreign policy

A fortnightly podcast produced by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI). ASPI is an independent, non-partisan think tank that produces expert and timely advice for Australia’s strategic and defence leaders.

hubhopper

Policy, Guns & Money

hubhopper