Distinguished Speaker Series - Senator John Faulkner presentation
On Friday 16 July, Australia's Defence Minister, Senator John Faulkner, spoke at the Lowy Institute to discuss Australia's commitment and contribution to the ISAF effort in Afghanistan, in the context of Australian strategic objectives, operational developments and the challenge of capacity building
By John Faulkner
Food for Thought - Michael Wesley presentation
Mineral resources play a role in international affairs that far outweighs the attention paid to the sector by policy makers and strategic thinkers. Modern societies are becoming ever more dependent on mineral resources but increasingly less self-sufficient in their production, making access to
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy: Yemen: Fulcrum in an arc of crisis - Philip Eliason presentation
Yemen's growing internal crises and linkages to international terrorism have captured the attention of the international community. Yemen's position at the crossroads of international trade and in a region already bedevilled by piracy and instability are further reasons to be interested in that
By Philip Eliason
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy: Confronting the crisis of international climate policy - Green, McKibbin & Picker presentation
After an extraordinary build-up, the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference spectacularly failed to produce an international response commensurate with the scale of the climate change issue - and there seems little prospect of an agreement in the near term. This Wednesday Lowy Lunch launched a new
By Warwick McKibbin, Fergus Green, Greg Picker
Moving Australia forward- Julia Gillard
At the Lowy Institute on Tuesday 6 July, the Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon. Julia Gillard, gave her first major policy speech as prime minister
By Julia Gillard
Sino-American relations: the state of play
For the first time in 20 years, the relationship with China played almost no part in the American Presidential election of 2008. President Obama has forged a low-key, pragmatic relationship with Beijing, but has not seen much success in building a workable "G2" that so many have called for. China
By Suisheng Zhao
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy: The Commercial Policy and Trade Strategies of the World's Leading Economic Powers - Professor Simon Evenett
On Tuesday, 29 June 2010, the Wednesday Lowy Lunch Club provided an opportunity to hear from one of the world's leading experts on the international trading system, Professor Simon Evenett. Professor Evenett discussed the commercial policy and trade strategies of the United States, Europe, and
By Simon Everett
Advancing Innovative Development and Aid Strategies in the Asia-Pacific: Accelerating the Millennium Development Goals
Progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the Asia-Pacific region is mixed. Asia is generally progressing well while the Pacific is lagging behind, and in several cases countries are in fact regressing. Since the signing of the Millennium Declaration in 2000 there has been a lot of
By Danielle Cave
Distinguished Speaker Series: Potential security consequences of the nuclear energy revival - Dr Charles Ferguson presentation
On 21 June 2010, the Lowy Institute held a lecture by the President of the Federation of American Scientists, Dr Charles Ferguson, as part of its Distinguished Speaker Series. Dr Ferguson examined the links between civil nuclear energy and nuclear weapons proliferation. In light of the growing
By Charles Ferguson
The economics of infrastructure in a globalized world
This paper by Lowy Institute Professorial Fellow Warwick McKibbin and Timo Henckel summarises a conference held in Sydney on 18-19 March 2010, which was sponsored by the Asian Development Bank, Australian National University, the Brookings Institution, the Lowy Institute for International Policy and
By Warwick McKibbin, Timo Henckel
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy: Troubled Thailand - Dr Milton Osborne presentation
For the past few weeks our TV news and newspaper front pages have shown us chaotic images from downtown Bangkok. These pictures and the violent political tensions they portray run counter to the touristic stereotype of Thailand as a relaxed country of smiles. On 9 June, Dr Milton Osborne, recently
By Milton Osborne
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy: The Millennium Development Goals in Asia and the Pacific - Minar Pimple presentation
At the Wednesday Lowy Lunch Club on 16 June, distinguished international speaker Minar Pimple addressed the Club on the important question of how well the Asia-Pacific region is doing in achieving the Millennium Development Goals and what role we and broader civil society can play in helping to
By Minar Pimple
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy: Standing together, in single file - Dr Malcolm Cook presentation
The Wednesday Lowy Lunch this week was on Tuesday and it launched the Asia New Zealand Foundation's Outlook Paper #13, 'Standing Together, In Single File', by the Lowy Institute's Program Director East Asia, Dr Malcolm Cook.Malcolm was joined by Dr Brendan Taylor to discuss the paper. Brendan
By Malcolm Cook, Brendan Taylor, Andrew Butcher
Lowy Institute Poll launch
The 2010 Lowy Institute Poll, 'Australia and the world: public opinion and foreign policy', was launched on 31 May by Lowy Institute Executive Director Michael Wesley, followed by an interactive discussion with panelists Stephen Loosley, Miranda Devine and Arthur Sinodinos
By Michael Wesley, Stephen Loosley, Miranda Devine, Arthur Sinodinos
Comparing climate commitments: a model-based analysis of the Copenhagen Accord
Lowy Institute Professorial Fellow Warwick McKibbin, in a Brookings Institution paper, analyses the Copenhagen targets using the G-Cubed model of the global economy.The publication is available here
By Warwick McKibbin
Panel discussion: Doing business with the United States in a post GFC world
At a breakfast on Tuesday 18 May a panel examined the prospects and trends in the commercial relationship between Australia and the United States in an era of deepening economic integration across the Asia-Pacific. The Honourable Anthony Byrne MP gave the keynote address, which was followed by this
By Lowy Institute for International Policy
Keynote address: Doing business with the United States in a post GFC world - The Honourable Anthony Byrne MP
Despite the economic downturn following the global financial crisis, the United States remains Australia's most significant commercial partner, taking into account the value and diversity of our two-way investment and trade flows. On Tuesday 18 May at a panel discussion on the prospects and trends
By Anthony Byrne
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy: The 'new foreigners': Australian diplomacy in the wake of empire - James Curran presentation
Following the sudden disappearance in the 1960s and 1970s of the familiar coordinates of the British world, Australians were cast into the realm of the unknown. The task of remodelling the national image touched every aspect of Australian life where identifiably British ideas, habits and symbols had
By James Curran
Distinguished Speaker Series: Climate change: facts, uncertainties, and the way forward after Copenhagen - Lord May presentation
On 19 May, the Lowy Institute was delighted to welcome back Lord May of Oxford, a member of the Institute's International Advisory Council, to speak on climate change as part of our Distinguished Speaker Series. Lord May argued that although it is beyond dispute that the burning of fossil fuels is
By Robert May
Building bridges through music
On Monday 17 May at the Lowy Institute, an audience heard five important voices in Australian cultural life examine the role of music in promoting understanding between nations and communities. Joining Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor, Sydney Symphony, Mr Vladimir Ashkenazy (pictured), in
By Vladimir Ashkenazy, Lindy Hume, Geraldine Doogue, David Bridie, Andrew Ford
Food for Thought: What Australia thinks about foreign policy - Fergus Hanson presentation
When we think of foreign policy we tend to envisage diplomats meeting behind closed doors. But public opinion has long played an important part in shaping it. Polls are proliferating in number and increasing in sophistication. How is this affecting the way foreign policy is made
Food for Thought: Horizontal Asia - Anthony Bubalo presentation
For much of the twentieth century the West's conception of Asia largely focused on Northeast and Southeast Asia. For decades, this largely maritime and 'vertical' view of Asia accurately reflected the distribution of the region's economic and strategic power. But as the world enters the second
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy: New South Wales' place in the world - Barry O'Farrell presentation
In federal systems like Australia, international policy and broader international engagement are usually, and incorrectly, seen as solely matters for the national government. However, state governments can and do play an important role in Australia's global engagement, both economically and socially
By Barry O'Farrell
Distinguished Speaker Series: National security fundamentals - The Hon. Tony Abbott MHR
The Lowy Institute was pleased to host the second 'headland' speech by the Hon. Tony Abbott MHR, Leader of the Opposition, on Friday 23 April. The speech covered Coalition views on foreign affairs and defence.Tony Abbott was elected Leader of the Federal Parliamentary Liberal Party on 1 December
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy: The new Middle East - Anthony Bubalo presentation
In 2006, at the height of the Israel-Lebanon war, former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice famously remarked that the world was witnessing the 'birth pangs of a new Middle East'. In this Wednesday Lowy Lunch Club, Anthony Bubalo, director of the West Asia program, critically examined Secretary
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy - Dr Aaron Bernstein presentation
Halting biodiversity loss requires rethinking how humans do business with the biosphere. Innovation is needed in accounting of the goods and services nature provides humanity. Dr Aaron Bernstein discussed these issues at the Wednesday Lunch at Lowy on 21 April. Dr Bernstein is on faculty at Harvard
By Aaron Bernstein
Lowy Institute Upcoming Public Events
The Lowy Institute was established to inform and deepen the debate about international policy in Australia. We connect you with interesting speakers and new ideas through our events program, details of which can be found at http://www.lowyinstitute.org/Upcoming-Events.asp
Distinguished Speaker Series: India and China: can two tigers share a mountain? - Dr David Malone presentation
As part of its Distinguished Speaker Series, the Lowy Institute was pleased to host Dr David Malone, who spoke on India's most important future bilateral relationship, that with China.David M. Malone is a distinguished Canadian diplomat and scholar. He is president of Canada's International
By David Malone
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy: After Copenhagen: where to next for action on climate change? - Dr Martin Parkinson presentation
At the Wednesday Lunch on 14 April, Dr Martin Parkinson, the Secretary of the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, shared his thoughts on the Copenhagen Summit and its aftermath. The Copenhagen climate change negotiations achieved more than is generally recognised, but also
By Martin Parkinson
Distinguished Speaker Series: The future of political Islam - Professor Gilles Kepel presentation
The Lowy Institute for International Policy was pleased to host as a part of its Distinguished Speakers Series the renowned French scholar of the Islamic and Arab worlds, Professor Gilles Kepel. Professor Kepel spoke on the future of political Islam, examining the trajectory of both al-Qaeda's
By Gilles Kepel
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy: Civilising globalisation: human rights and the global economy - Professor David Kinley presentation
Economic globalisation and universal human rights both have the ability to improve and enrich individuals and communities. However, their respective institutions, methods, practices and goals differ, with both positive and negative effects. At the Wednesday Lowy Lunch on 7th April, Professor David
By David Kinley
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy: After Copenhagen, attention is moving away from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and towards a new climate multilateralism, one that more actively engages other global f - John Connor presentation
After Copenhagen, attention is moving away from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and towards a new climate multilateralism, one that more actively engages other global forums such as the G20, WTO and the Major Economies Forum alongside the UNFCCC. This requires a
By John Connor
Conference Report: Asia's Nuclear Future
In February 2010 the Lowy Institute co-hosted a major international workshop on Asia's Nuclear Future with the US-based Non-Proliferation Policy Education Centre. Leading experts and security practitioners from the United States, China, Japan, India, Pakistan and Australia had a candid exchange of
Adapting America's Security Paradigm
On 23 March the Washington-based National Strategy Information Center (NSIC) released a major report arguing that the United States and other democracies face a radically altered international security environment that will require a range of new and better integrated capabilities. The report,
Nuclear weapons in Asia: why we should worry
In the Lowy Institute's first Food for Thought lecture in Melbourne, on 23 March, International Security Program Director Rory Medcalf explored how the dangers of nuclear-armed confrontation between states might be minimised in the Asian century. He focused on relations among the United States,
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy: Guerilla diplomacy - Daryl Copeland presentation
Diplomacy should matter – particularly for anyone who prefers talking over fighting and dialogue over diktat. At the Wednesday Lunch on 24 March, Daryl Copeland argued that diplomacy has been sidelined by globalisation and is facing a crisis of relevance and effectiveness.Mr Copeland is an analyst
By Daryl Copeland
The Pacific presidency
US President Barack Obama has called himself 'America's first Pacific president'. On Monday the Lowy Institute and the United States Studies Centre endeavoured to flesh out this concept. How should we rate his presidency and, in particular, his policies towards the Pacific region? What looming
By Michael Fullilove, Geoffrey Garrett, Mary Kissel
Distinguished Speaker Series: Liberalism and Australian foreign policy - The Right Hon. Malcolm Fraser presentation
On the occasion of the publication of his political memoirs, the Lowy Institute was pleased to welcome former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser for a conversation on Australian foreign policy. From the Vietnam War to the Afghanistan War, from international law to the treatment of refugees, Mr Fraser
By Malcolm Fraser
Reflections on the water's rim: A third generation amphibious culture?
In this recent RSIS Commentaries publication, Chief of Army Visiting Fellow Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Floyd reveals how Australia's Defence Force is embarking on something of a 'third generation' of amphibious culture in its military strategic thought, embracing both capabilities of the new
By Nicholas Floyd
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy: Asia pivots - Dr Malcolm Cook presentation
At the Wednesday Lunch at Lowy on 3 March, Dr Malcolm Cook, Program Director East Asia, spoke on how Asia's continental and horizontal dimensions are reasserting themselves - in ways that question Australia's place in Asia
By Malcolm Cook
Distinguished Speaker Series: China Changing Lecture - Clinton Dines presentation
On the evening of February 25th, the Lowy Institute hosted a lecture by Clinton Dines reflecting on China's transformation in the last three decades. Clinton discussed the nature of change in the People's Republic of China in the Reform & Opening Era: then he assessed the significance of these
By Clinton Dines
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy: The challenges of food security - Julianne Schultz presentation
The world faces two creeping threats to its food supplies. On the one hand, expanding populations and the changing diets that accompany growing wealth have put greater strain on lagging gains in food production. On the other hand, climate change and environmental degradation are slowly contaminating
By Mark Thirlwell, Julianne Schultz, Annmaree O'Keeffe
Wednesday Lowy Lunch: Can nuclear competition be avoided? - Panellists' presentations
At Lunch at Lowy on 16 February an exceptional panel of visiting international experts and policy practitioners from India, Pakistan, China and the USA discussed the risks of nuclear competition between the nuclear armed states in South West Asia and China. The panellists are in Sydney for a
By Rory Medcalf, Tariq Osman Hyder, Li Hong
Distinguished Speaker Series - Helen Clark presentation
The Institute was pleased to host an address by Helen Clark, head of the United Nations Development Programme, on 12 February.In recent times, the challenges of the developing world are compounded by multiple crises: the food and fuel crises, the global recession, climatic events, and devastating
By Helen Clark
Wednesday Lowy Lunch: Malaysia: tolerant reputation, troubled reality - Barry Wain presentation
The recent vandalisation of a string of Christian churches in Malaysia has, again, focussed attention on the challenges of communal politics in modern Malaysia. At the Wednesday Lowy Lunch on 10 February, Barry Wain discussed how these attacks reflect a deep crisis at the heart of Malaysian politics
By Barry Wain
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy: 2010 The year ahead - Research staff presentations
On 3 February, at the first Wednesday Lunch at Lowy for 2010, three Lowy Institute scholars discussed where the world and our region are headed after a tumultuous year in 2009. Will things be calmer or more uncertain?Mark Thirlwell, Program Director International Economy, assessed the post-GFC
By Malcolm Cook, Michael Fullilove, Mark Thirlwell, Michael Wesley, Jenny Hayward-Jones
At at reception at the Westin Hotel on Thursday 28 January 2010, Dr Michael Wesley, Executive Director of the Lowy Institute, spoke of what we should expect in the decade ahead
Don't be disarmed by anti-nuke drive
In an opinion piece in the Australian, Franklin C. Miller and Andrew Shearer argue that a nuclear deterrent is still the cornerstone of regional stability for Asia.The Australian, 18 December 2009, p. 9Originally published in The Wall Street Journal on 17 December 2009
By Andrew Shearer, Franklin C. Miller
The Lowy Institute celebrates its sixth anniversary this year. This is the first end-of-year message from Dr Michael Wesley as the Institute's Executive Director
Wednesday Lunch at Lowy: 2009 in review - Research staff presentations
On 2 December, Deputy Director Martine Letts and members of our Lowy Institute research team wound up this year's Wednesday Lunch at Lowy Club series with a review of 2009, and what it means for Australia. Director of Studies Andrew Shearer, Program Director for East Asia, Dr Malcolm Cook and
By Malcolm Cook, Martine Letts, Sam Roggeveen, Andrew Shearer