The National Security Podcast (ANU National Security College)

Is artificial intelligence (AI) the game-changer many think it will be? Will advances in AI change the nature of competition and conflict between states, or lift the fog of war? Do the American and Chinese militaries even have what it takes to fully operationalise AI, and what are the weaknesses and risks of each country’s approach?

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Katherine Mansted learns about the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) military modernisation and China’s drive to lead the world in AI, as well as the blind spots and limitations of the PLA’s focus on innovation. She also seeks to understand the key enablers of AI — from data and cloud computing to 5G — as well as the bureaucratic and doctrinal impediments to effective AI applications, and how countries can manage the safety and escalation risks of the AI 'race'.

Elsa B Kania is an adjunct senior fellow with the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, a non-resident fellow with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, and a research fellow with the Center for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. 

Katherine Mansted is a senior adviser at the National Security College and non-resident fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Previously, she was a commercial solicitor with King & Wood Mallesons, a ministerial adviser to the federal government, and served as an Associate in the High Court of Australia.

Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode:

Battlefield Singularity:  Artificial Intelligence, Military Revolution, and China’s Future Military Power (2017)

Chinese Military Innovation in Artificial Intelligence:  Hearing of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (June, 2019)

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode, we talk to the former head of Emergency Management Australia Mark Crosweller about national resilience in an era of climate change and COVID-19.

How has Australia’s recent bushfire disaster impacted the way policymakers consider climate change and its impact on national security? Has COVID-19 illuminated the fragility of an interdependent society? What is it that keeps a former Director General of Emergency Management Australia awake at night? In this National Security Podcast, Mark Crosweller talks about our vulnerability to the increased severity of climate change-driven natural disasters, the impacts of national crises like COVID-19, and how we need to change the way we look at developing national resilience in the face of a dangerous future.

Mark Crosweller was the Director General of Emergency Management Australia and led the National Resilience Taskforce for the Commonwealth Government of Australia. Mark’s professional life has seen him serve in leadership roles for state and territory, as well as national governments across numerous disaster response and crisis management portfolios.

Chris Farnham is the presenter of the National Security Podcast. He joined the National Security College in June 2015 and is currently Senior Outreach and Policy Officer. His career focus has been on geopolitics with experience working in and out of China for a number of years as well as operating in Australia and Southeast Asia.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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In this National Security Podcast, we speak to Professor Tom Nichols about international and domestic national security influences on the United States' 2020 elections.

As the United States moves toward an election in the midst of a pandemic and increasing tensions with China, and in the shadow of Russian interference, national security is going to be central to its 2020 presidential and congressional elections. Should we expect more Russian interference and could they be successful a second time? Can America’s alliance network survive a second term of President Trump? Why are there armed civilians raiding state capitals, and what does this mean for domestic security? And what would happen if President Trump refused to accept the result of an election that ended his time in office? We tackle these questions and more in this National Security Podcast.

Tom Nichols is Professor of National Security Affairs at the US Naval War College, an Adjunct Professor at the Harvard Extension School, a former aid in the US Senate and the author of The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why It Matters.

Chris Farnham is the presenter of the National Security Podcast. He joined the National Security College in June 2015 and is currently Senior Outreach and Policy Officer. His career focus has been on geopolitics with experience working in and out of China for a number of years as well as operating in Australia and Southeast Asia.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Katherine Mansted is joined by Major General Marcus Thompson to discuss the nature of information warfare in the 21st century, and how it fits within Australia's broader defence mission.

In 2017, Australia formed its first Information Warfare Division (IWD) in the Department of Defence. Tasked with achieving information superiority over Australia’s adversaries and gaining an advantage which can be exploited in the traditional air, land, and sea domains, the IWD is headed up by Major General Marcus Thompson. Three years into its life, the IWD has overcome many challenges, but what threats and opportunities are on the horizon? Have COVID-19 and the recent bushfires changed public expectations about the role of the Australian Defence Force in helping with unconventional security threats at home? In this National Security Podcast, we will tackle these questions, and discuss whether there is a need for wider public discussion and awareness of the threat of cyber and information attacks.

Major General Marcus Thompson AM is Head of Information Warfare for the Australian Defence Force.

Katherine Mansted is a senior adviser at the National Security College and non-resident fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Previously, she was a commercial solicitor with King & Wood Mallesons, a ministerial adviser to the federal government, and served as an Associate in the High Court of Australia.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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It’s been two years since the Russian government’s alleged interference in the US presidential election. Since then, it’s not just the US who has had to grapple with this new form of statecraft – countries in Europe have also taken steps to secure their democratic processes against fake news and cyber-attacks.

On this Natsec Pod, Chris Farnham chats to Tim Maurer about the brave new battleground of cyber interference, the blurred lines between state and non-state actors in cyberspace, and how far the US has gone in protecting the integrity of the 2018 mid-term elections. Listen here:

Tim Maurer is the co-director of the Cyber Policy Initiative and a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He recently co-authored a paper, “Russian Election Interference: Europe’s Counter to Fake News and Cyber Attacks”. He was visiting Australia undertaking a Special Visits Program through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Macquarie University.

Chris Farnham is the presenter of the National Security Podcast. He joined the National Security College in June 2015 as Policy and Events Officer. His career focus has been on geopolitics with experience working in and out of China for a number of years as well as operating in Australia and Southeast Asia.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook.

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In this National Security Podcast extra, we speak to Professor Hugh White AO about his new book, How to Defend Australia. Hugh argues for a radical shift in the way we view America’s role in Asia, and that Australia can no longer count on US support should it find itself under the threat of being attacked. The discussion includes how China’s expanding economic and military power is dominating the region and what that means for the structure of Australia’s defence forces.

As the region shifts and China flexes its military and economic muscles, how should Australia structure its national defence for the coming decades?

Throughout his book, Hugh suggests that Australia should abandon its current plans for 12 French submarines and building 24 submarines, sell most of its newer vessels, and double the purchase of Joint Strike Fighter aircrafts. Little has set a fire under Australia’s national security community this much since his last book, The China Choice. Join us for an in-depth conversation where we test some of Hugh’s assumptions and detail his thinking of why the country needs to completely rethink the way it defends itself.

Hugh White AO is Professor of Strategic Studies at the Australian National University. His work focuses primarily on Australian strategic and defence policy, Asia-Pacific security issues, and global strategic affairs especially as they influence Australia and the Asia-Pacific. He has served as an intelligence analyst with the Office of National Assessments, as a journalist with the Sydney Morning Herald, as a senior adviser on the staffs of Defence Minister Kim Beazley and Prime Minister Bob Hawke, and as a senior official in the Department of Defence, where from 1995 to 2000 he was Deputy Secretary for Strategy and Intelligence, and as the first Director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

Chris Farnham is the presenter of the National Security Podcast. He joined the National Security College in June 2015 and is currently Senior Outreach and Policy Officer. His career focus has been on geopolitics with experience working in and out of China for a number of years as well as operating in Australia and Southeast Asia.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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As the Indian Ocean Region becomes enmeshed in the greater Indo-Pacific architecture, how is India adjusting the way it interacts with regional actors? How is India responding to China’s Belt and Road Initiative and how has talk of receding US power impacted Indian strategic thinking? Chris Farnham talks to Darshana Baruah from Carnegie India to discuss how India sees the changing Indo-Pacific region.

Darshana Baruah is an associate director with Carnegie India. Her primary research focuses on maritime security in Asia with a focus on the Indian Navy and its role in a new security architecture. She was a 2016 national parliamentary fellow, Australia, where she was associated in the office of the Hon. Ms. Teresa Gambaro MP, chair, Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade.

Chris Farnham is the presenter of the National Security Podcast. He joined the National Security College in June 2015 as Policy and Events Officer. His career focus has been on geopolitics with experience working in and out of China for a number of years as well as operating in Australia and Southeast Asia.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. Don't forget to listen and subscribe to the Policy Forum Pod - full episode list and subscription options here.

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This episode of the National Security Podcast brings you an audiopaper from the Policy Options Paper series, the flagship publication of the ANU National Security College. Australia as a Space Power: Combining Civil, Defence, and Diplomatic Efforts is authored by Cassandra Steer – Senior Lecturer at the ANU College of Law and Mission Specialist at the ANU Institute for Space (InSpace).

Space is a critical strategic domain for Australia’s civilian and military interests but is increasingly congested, contested and competitive. Major powers are engaged in a destabilising space arms race – China, Russia, and the United States have rejected the strategic restraint that kept space a stable political and military domain. As a ‘middle space power’, Australia has the capacity to encourage responsible behaviour in space.

This episode of the National Security Podcast brings you an audiopaper from the Policy Options Paper series – the flagship publication of the ANU National Security College. Policy Options Papers offer short, evidence-based and forward-looking insights and recommendations for policymakers on topical national security issues facing Australia. Every paper in the series is informed by consultation, and reviewed by practitioner and academic experts. You can read this paper and others in the series on the National Security College website.

Dr Cassandra Steer FHEA is a Senior Lecturer at the ANU College of Law and Mission Specialist at the ANU Institute for Space (InSpace).

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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Hosted by the ANU National Security College, the Women in National Security Conference is a forum on the participation of women in Australia’s future national security policy and practice.

From data to deterrence, new technologies to counter-terrorism, Indo-Pacific strategy to the future of power, this sold-out conference will feature a range of expert speakers to challenge yesterday’s assumptions – and the National Security Podcast will be there to bring you the highlights.

In this first episode, host Chris Farnham hears from Amy Roberts and Catherine Bridges about how Australia can secure its next generation of cyber experts.

Amy Roberts is an Assistant Director with the Australian Signals Directorate. She manages the Government’s Cyber Security Challenge Australia, the largest national tertiary ‘hacking’ competition, in partnership with the corporate sector and academia, to identify the next generation of cyber talent.

Catherine Bridges is Cyber Advisor at the ANU National Security College, on secondment from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Her career has included roles in policy development, implementation and advice, legal analysis and advice and stakeholder engagement across several government agencies including the Attorney-General’s Department, Defence and Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Chris Farnham is the presenter of the National Security Podcast. He joined the National Security College in June 2015 as Policy and Events Officer. His career focus has been on geopolitics with experience working in and out of China for a number of years as well as operating in Australia and Southeast Asia.

Shownotes | The following were referred to in this podcast:

Cyber Security Challenges Australia – the country's largest tertiary ‘hacking’ competition, run by an alliance of Australian Government, business and academic professionals. Corporate partners include Telstra, PwC, Splunk, Microsoft, and BAE Systems.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook.

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This episode of the National Security Podcast brings you the first-ever audiopaper from the ANU National Security College’s flagship publication, the Policy Options Paper series. Clever Country in a Changed World: Re-Thinking Australian Science Policy is authored by Paul Harris — Adjunct Fellow at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown University — and is presented by Katherine Mansted, Series Editor and Senior Adviser for Public Policy at the ANU National Security College.

The global science and technology system has undergone massive change since 2000 and is now a key site of geoeconomic competition between states. For the first time in Australia’s history, its most significant partner for science collaboration will be a country other than its principal ally, the United States. Australia’s successful model for science has relied upon uncommonly high levels of international engagement, but in this new world that model also brings new risks. There is a need to systematically re-think how the Australian science system engages with the rest of the world and delivers value to the nation. 

This episode of the National Security Podcast brings you the first-ever audiopaper from the ANU National Security College’s flagship publication, the Policy Options Paper series. Policy Options Papers are the flagship publication from the ANU National Security College and offer short, evidence-based and forward-looking insights and recommendations for policymakers on topical national security issues facing Australia. Every paper in the series is informed by consultation and reviewed by practitioner and academic experts. The paper is also available as a PDF.

Paul Harris is the Director of The Australian National University’s North American Liaison Office in Washington DC and an Adjunct Fellow at Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology.

Katherine Mansted is a senior adviser at the ANU National Security College and non-resident fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Previously, she was a commercial solicitor with King & Wood Mallesons, a ministerial adviser to the federal government, and served as an Associate in the High Court of Australia.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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On this National Security Podcast, Head of National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf speaks with Ms Rachel Noble PSM, Director-General of the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), about the history of signals intelligence in Australia, who ASD spies on and why, and adapting to new security threats.

Signals intelligence has been an element of national security operations for as long as there has been warfare and competition. But how does an agency raised out of the Second World War adapt to the modern national security landscape? Has cybersecurity fundamentally altered the nature of Australian Signals Directorate (ASD)'s focus on intelligence collection and information protection? And with threats to Australia’s security emanating not only from international actors but also from Australians, at home and abroad, what role does ASD play in conducting surveillance on Australian citizens and where are the oversights to ensure that laws and personal privacies are not breached? As the second instalment in the National Security College’s 10th Anniversary series Head of College Professor Rory Medcalf talks to Ms Rachel Noble about these matters and more on this episode of the National Security Podcast.

Ms Rachel Noble PSM is Director-General of the Australian Signals Directorate. Prior to this, Rachel was the Head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at The Australian National University. His professional background involves more than two decades of experience across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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In this episode of National Security Podcast, Sam Roggeveen joins Chris Farnham and Katherine Mansted to talk about his recent paper Our Very Own Brexit: Australia’s Hollow Politics and Where It Could Lead Us.

Is Australia seeing a surge in conservative sentiment, or is the nation being led by political parties in search of a new identity? On this National Security Podcast, we are joined by Sam Roggeveen of the Lowy Institute to discuss where and how domestic politics and foreign policy interact, and ask what it would mean for Australia’s place in Asia if the country’s politics were to turn on multiculturalism.

Sam Roggeveen is Director of the Lowy Institute’s International Security Program and a Visiting Fellow at The Australian National University's Strategic and Defence Studies Centre.

Katherine Mansted is a senior adviser at the National Security College and non-resident fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Previously, she was a commercial solicitor with King & Wood Mallesons, a ministerial adviser to the federal government, and served as an Associate in the High Court of Australia.

Chris Farnham is the presenter of the National Security Podcast. He joined the National Security College in June 2015 as Policy and Events Officer. His career focus has been on geopolitics with experience working in and out of China for a number of years as well as operating in Australia and Southeast Asia.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook.

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This week on the National Security Podcast, Chris Farnham talks to Zack Cooper about Trump’s diplomacy, from the recent G7 Summit to US grand strategy in the Indo-Pacific. Could trade disagreements with allies lead to fractures in America’s security partnerships? How does Trump square US strategic goals in Asia with his withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership? And what advice for Australian policymakers seeking to get the most out of the US alliance?

Zack Cooper is a Research Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. He focuses on US defence strategy in Asia, US alliances and partnerships in Asia, US-China strategic competition, and Chinese economic statecraft and coercion.

Chris Farnham is the presenter of the National Security Podcast. He joined the National Security College in June 2015 as Policy and Events Officer. His career focus has been on geopolitics with experience working in and out of China for a number of years as well as operating in Australia and Southeast Asia.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, the second instalment of our special three-part series looking at key trends influencing the future strategic landscape of the Indo-Pacific, we consider the technologies that have become critical to national security and how they’re going to shape the region over the coming decades.

Technology has been part of human life since shale was shaped to cut animal hide. Things have come a long way since stone was the leading edge of innovation. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, we speak to a number of scientists, researchers, strategic thinkers and analysts to find out what technologies they are working on and the ones that they think could plausibly influence the future strategic landscape.

Jennifer Jackett is a Sir Roland Wilson Scholar in the National Security College at The Australian National University.

Professor Claudia Vickers is leads the Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).

Dr Amy Parker is Vice-President of Earth Observation Australia.

Dr Sue Keay is Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland AI Hub and Chair of Robotics Australia.

Dr Atsushi Sunami is the President of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

Michael O’Hanlon is Director of Research for Foreign Policy and Co-Director of the Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology at the Brookings Institution.

Elsa Kania is Adjunct Senior Fellow with the Technology and National Security Program at the Centre for a New American Security.

Chris Farnham is the Senior Outreach and Policy Officer at the ANU National Security College.

This mini-series forms part of the Indo-Pacific Futures Project underway at ANU National Security College. This project, which explores the future strategic landscape of the Indo-Pacific region, offers a range of analysis and ideas, all of which is available on the Futures Hub website. In the rest of this series, experts from across the national security community will interrogate the future of the Indo-Pacific strategic landscape, evaluate the influence of critical technology on the region, and examine the rise of geoeconomics as a feature of great power competition. Don't miss the first episode of the series.

The Indo-Pacific Futures Project receives support from the Japanese Embassy in Australia. ANU National Security College is independent in its activities, research, and editorial judgment and does not take institutional positions on policy issues. Accordingly, the author is solely responsible for the views expressed in this publication, which should not be taken as reflecting the views of any government or organisation.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on 

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In this episode of National Security Podcast, United States Chargé d’Affaires to Australia Mike Goldman joins Professor Rory Medcalf to discuss Australia’s bilateral relationship with the United States and the Biden Administration’s approach to the region.

With a new administration in the White House, where should we expect continuity and discontinuity in America’s approach to its allies and the Indo-Pacific? In this episode of the National Security Podcast, and the second edition of Security Summit with Rory Medcalf, we speak to United States Chargé d’Affaires to Australia Mike Goldman on how the Biden Administration views the bilateral relationship, how the United States will respond to increasing Chinese attempts to coerce Australia, and how it is approaching the growing list of challenges to Indo-Pacific security.

Mike Goldman is Chargé d’Affaires at the United States Embassy to Australia in Canberra and a career member of the Senior Foreign Service. Mike has been working in diplomacy since he joined the State Department in 2000, including on several postings throughout Asia.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at The Australian National University. His professional background involves more than two decades of experience across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

Chris Farnham is the producer of the National Security Podcast. He joined the National Security College in June 2015 and is currently Senior Outreach and Policy Officer. After serving as a soldier in the Australian Army, Chris has worked in roles throughout East Asia with a focus on geopolitics and regional security.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Mission Specialist at the ANU Institute for Space Dr Cassandra Steer, CEO of the Space Industry Association of Australia James Brown, and Visiting Fellow at ANU National Security College Katherine Mansted join Dayle Stanley to interrogate the opportunities and risks presented to Australia as a ‘middle space power’.

Space is a critical strategic domain for Australia’s civilian and military interests but is increasingly congested, contested, and competitive. Major powers are engaged in a destabilising space arms race – China, Russia, and the United States have rejected the strategic restraint that kept space a stable political and military domain. As a ‘middle space power’, Australia has the capacity to encourage responsible behaviour in space. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, ANU National Security College brings you a panel discussion between Dr Cassandra Steer, James Brown, Katherine Mansted, and Dayle Stanley that interrogates the opportunities and risks presented to Australia as a middle space power.

Dr Cassandra Steer FHEA is a Senior Lecturer at ANU College of Law and Mission Specialist at the ANU Institute for Space (InSpace) and the author of recent Policy Options Paper Australia as a Space Power: Combining Civil, Defence and Diplomatic Efforts.

James Brown is the CEO of the Space Industry Association of Australia, Australia’s peak body for the space sector. He is currently a non-resident fellow at the United States Studies Centre, Chairman of Veteran Sports Australia, and a strategic adviser to the University of Technology Sydney.

Katherine Mansted is a Senior Adviser at the National Security College and non-resident fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Previously, she was a commercial solicitor with King & Wood Mallesons, a ministerial adviser to the federal government, and served as an Associate in the High Court of Australia.

Dayle Stanley is Director, Strategy and Engagement at the National Security College Futures Hub at The Australian National University.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of National Security Podcast, Dr Vasabjit Banerjee — specialist in comparative politics, electoral competition and political violence — joins Chris Farnham to discuss the current situation in the United States and the future of American democracy.

With the sitting president refusing to accept the election result and claiming mass-voter fraud, whilst his supporters take to the streets and threaten violence, the United States stands at a political crossroads. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Dr Vasabjit Banerjee – Assistant Professor and Coordinator of International Studies at Mississippi State University – talks with Chris Farnham about why President Trump has been such a shock to American democracy, why he is leveraging social unrest and what his lasting impact on American politics is likely to be.

Vasabjit Banerjee is an Assistant Professor and Coordinator of International Studies at Mississippi State University where he specialises in comparative politics, electoral competition, contentious politics and political violence. 

Chris Farnham is the presenter of the National Security Podcast. He joined the ANU National Security College in June 2015 and is currently Senior Outreach and Policy Officer. Prior to joining the ANU, Chris was a soldier in the Australian Army, and an analyst for think tanks and private intelligence companies where he focused on geopolitics and East Asian regional security.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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This episode of the National Security Podcast brings you an audiopaper from the Policy Options Paper series, the flagship publication of ANU National Security College. New Indo-Pacific partnership: Building Australia-Bangladesh security ties is authored by David Brewster, Senior Research Fellow at ANU National Security College.

As part of its Indo-Pacific strategy, Australia needs to broaden its engagement in South Asia. For at least a decade, Australia has rightly concentrated on its partnership with India, but it is now time to broaden that strategy to include other countries in that region. Bangladesh should be an important part of that new focus. With its thriving economy and a population of more than 160 million, it has the potential to become the next ‘Asian tiger’. In this Policy Options Paper, David Brewster argues the case for why Australia should develop its defence and security relationship with Bangladesh as part of broader political and economic engagement, and outlines how this could be achieved.

Policy Options Papers offer short, evidence-based and forward-looking insights and recommendations for policymakers on topical national security issues facing Australia. Every paper in the series is informed by consultation, and reviewed by practitioner and academic experts.

Dr David Brewster is a Senior Research Fellow at the ANU National Security College. His research focuses on security in India and the Indian Ocean region, and Indo-Pacific maritime affairs.

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In this episode of National Security Podcast, expert on information warfare Molly McKew joins Chris Farnham to discuss the influence of disinformation on the United States presidential election.

With less than one month until the US election - and the president testing positive for COVID-19 - the whirlwind of conspiracy theories and disinformation attacks has gone into overdrive. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Molly McKew dissects disinformation campaigns from conspiracy theories - and foreign from domestic narratives. She outlines how the US elections might be influenced, the likelihood of post-election violence, and why elected US representatives have become some of the greatest super-spreaders of false information.

Molly McKew is a writer and an expert on information warfare. Molly served as adviser to the former president of Georgia and is CEO of Fianna Strategies, a consulting firm that advises governments, political parties, and non-government organisations on foreign policy and strategic communication.

Chris Farnham is the presenter of the National Security Podcast. He joined the National Security College in June 2015 and is currently Senior Outreach and Policy Officer. His career focus has been on geopolitics with experience working in and out of China for a number of years as well as operating in Australia and Southeast Asia.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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In this episode of National Security Podcast, Shadow Minister for Home Affairs and Government Accountability Senator Kristina Keneally joins Professor Rory Medcalf on the first episode of Security Summit with Rory Medcalf to discuss the threat right-wing extremism poses to Australia’s national security.

With right-wing extremism on the rise in Australia, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the Australian Federal Police are dramatically increasing the time and resources they spend on tracking and combating this threat to national security. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, we launch our new stream – Security Summit with Rory Medcalf – by hosting Senator Kristina Keneally, member of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, to discuss the shape of the challenge, why it has increased in severity, and whether government has the right tools at its disposal to deal with right-wing extremism.

Senator Kristina Keneally is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Australian Senate where she serves as the Shadow Minister for Home Affairs and Government Accountability and member of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security. Prior to entering the Senate, Senator Keneally was Premier of New South Wales.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at The Australian National University. His professional background involves more than two decades of experience across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

Chris Farnham is the producer of the National Security Podcast. He joined the National Security College in June 2015 and is currently Senior Outreach and Policy Officer. After serving as a soldier in the Australian Army, Chris has worked in roles throughout East Asia with a focus on geopolitics and regional security.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast we talk to Kelly Magsamen about American national security policy - what is driving it, where it is going, and if we’re headed into a cul-de-sac of policy failure. We also find out if the Obama administration moved too slowly to counter China’s militarisation of the South China Sea or whether it was a mistake by Beijing to even build bases amongst its Southeast Asian neighbours. And we ask considering the global rules-based order, why should we care anymore and did it ever even matter?

Kelly Magsamen is the vice president for National Security and International Policy at the Center for American Progress. Prior to joining American Progress, she served in various national security positions. Magsamen was the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs and performed the duties of assistant secretary of defense. In these positions, she was a lead adviser to the secretary of defense for U.S. defense policy and strategy across the Indo-Asia-Pacific, including in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Prior to her tenure at the Pentagon, Magsamen served on the National Security Council (NSC) staff for two presidents and four national security advisers. As special assistant to the president and senior director for strategic planning, she was responsible for long-term planning and helped craft the 2015 U.S. National Security Strategy. She also served as senior adviser for Middle East reform during the height of the Arab Spring. As NSC director for Iran, she was responsible for coordinating U.S. policy on Iran. Magsamen began her government career as a presidential management fellow at the U.S. State Department, where she worked on Iraq policy in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, at the U.S. Mission to NATO, and as special assistant and chief of staff to the counselor.

Chris Farnham is the presenter of the National Security Podcast. He joined the National Security College in June 2015 and is currently Senior Outreach and Policy Officer. His career focus has been on geopolitics with experience working in and out of China for a number of years as well as operating in Australia and Southeast Asia.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of National Security Podcast, Caroline Millar — Deputy Secretary, National Security at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet — joins Rory Medcalf to discuss the role of the national security professional in an age of disruption.

With the COVID-19 pandemic super-charging Australia’s threat landscape, issues such as great power competition, technological disruption and challenges to the rules-based order are weighing heavily on the desks of national security policymakers. In this episode of National Security Podcast, Caroline Millar — Australia’s Deputy Secretary, National Security at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet — talks with Rory Medcalf about the national security challenges Australia faces going into the 2020s. They also explore the evolution of the national security community from the Cold War, through the post-9/11 period to the present moment.

Caroline Millar is Deputy Secretary, National Security at Australia’s Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Prior to this role, Caroline was a senior diplomat, intelligence analyst and policymaker in Australia’s national security and policy community.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at The Australian National University. His professional background involves more than two decades of experience across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

Chris Farnham is the presenter of the National Security Podcast. He joined the National Security College in June 2015 and is currently Senior Outreach and Policy Officer. His career focus has been on geopolitics with experience working in and out of China for a number of years as well as operating in Australia and Southeast Asia.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Greg Moriarty — Secretary of the Department of Defence — joins Rory Medcalf to discuss Australia’s Defence agenda in a contested Indo-Pacific.

With Australia’s regional superiority eroding, defence modernisation and effective strategies are imperative for Australia’s defence forces. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Head of the National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf speaks with Secretary Greg Moriarty on Australia’s efforts to develop and maintain a cutting edge military, defending Australia’s interests whilst maintaining good relations with Indo-Pacific nations, and how the Australian Defence Force retains its social license at a time when its integrity is being questioned.

Greg Moriarty has served as the Secretary of Defence since 2017. Prior to his role with Defence, Greg has served as the International and National Security Advisor and the Chief of Staff to an Australian Prime

Minister, as Australia’s Ambassador to Indonesia and Iraq, the Commonwealth Counter-Terrorism Coordinator and in numerous senior roles in the Defence Intelligence Organisation.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at The Australian National University. His professional background involves more than two decades of experience across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

Chris Farnham is the presenter of the National Security Podcast. He joined the ANU National Security College in 2015 and is currently Senior Outreach and Policy Officer. Prior to joining ANU, Chris was a soldier in the Australian Army, and an analyst for think tanks and private intelligence companies where he focused on geopolitics and East Asian regional security.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this special episode of the National Security Podcast, Katherine Mansted is joined by Alastair MacGibbon, Gai Brodtmann and Rory Medcalf to discuss Australia's recently released national Cyber Security Strategy.

Released on 6 August, the Australian government released the 2020 Cyber Security Strategy. Citing the increased interconnectivity and reliance on the Internet as we transition to a digital society, a process supercharged by the COVID-19 pandemic, the document paints a daunting picture of a riskier and more uncertain landscape for national security. But does this strategy go far enough? In this National Security Podcast, the panel consider how the Strategy divides threats from nation states and criminal actors, and whether it communicates in a way that will speak to Australian society as a whole. We also ask whether the time has passed for refraining from naming those actors that threaten Australia’s cybersecurity.

Gai Brodtmann is convenor of the National Security College’s Women In National Security conference, a member of Sapien Cyber’s advisory board, and a contributor to The Strategist. Gai is the former Member for Canberra and Shadow Assistant Minister for Cyber Security and Defence Personnel.

Alastair MacGibbon is Chief Strategy Officer at CyberCX and was National Cyber Security Adviser, Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on Cyber Security, Head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre, and Australia’s e-Safety Commissioner.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at The Australian National University. His professional background involves more than two decades of experience across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

Katherine Mansted is a senior adviser at the National Security College and non-resident fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Previously, she was a commercial solicitor with King & Wood Mallesons, a ministerial adviser to the federal government, and served as an Associate in the High Court of Australia.

Chris Farnham is the presenter of the National Security Podcast. He joined the National Security College in June 2015 and is currently Senior Outreach and Policy Officer. His career focus has been on geopolitics with experience working in and out of China for a number of years as well as operating in Australia and Southeast Asia.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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Why is President Trump espousing his love for dictators? How will new technologies and citizen investigations change the way intelligence collection is carried out? Are conspiracy theories a bit of fun or are they a serious challenge for trust in government? Does James Clapper watch spy movies?

On this episode of the National Security Podcast Chris Farnham has a wide ranging discussion with the former US Director of National Intelligence and visiting Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor, hosted by the ANU National Security College.

James Clapper was the US Director of National Intelligence from 2010 to January 2017. In this position, he led the United States Intelligence Community and served as the principal intelligence advisor to President Barak Obama.

Chris Farnham is the presenter of the National Security Podcast. He joined the National Security College in June 2015 as Policy and Events Officer. His career focus has been on geopolitics with experience working in and out of China for a number of years as well as operating in Australia and Southeast Asia.

Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode:

Bellingcat – A platform for citizen and journalist investigations

Cameroon atrocity: Finding the soldiers who killed this woman – BBC News

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us at @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook.

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How are social media platforms changing who has power inside democracies and in international relations? Should Israel's recent strikes on Hamas change our thinking on cyber and the use of force? With Australia in the midst of an election and another coming up in the US next year, can ‘critical thinking’ really protect us from electoral interference and fake news?

In this episode, Katherine Mansted asks three cyber experts from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business Scott Shackelford, Angie Raymond, and Abbey Stemler, on the role of international law in transnational data sharing. They also discuss whether data will be Balkanised as many suspect the Internet will be, and whether users could possibly limit the data that’s collected on them daily in the future.

Angie Raymond is Associate Professor of Business Law and Ethics at Indiana University, as well as being Adjunct Associate Professor of Law. She has written widely in international commercial law, international commercial arbitration, and international secured transactions in several renowned publications.

Scott Shackelford is Associate Professor of Business Law and Ethics at Indiana University, and is Cybersecurity Program Chair along with being Director of the Ostrom Workshop Program on Cybersecurity and Internet Governance at the university. He is an expert in cybersecurity and privacy, international law and relations, property, and sustainability.

Abbey Stemler is Assistant Professor of Business Law and Ethics at Indiana University. She is a leading scholar on the sharing economy and has published multiple articles on the subject, including in the Emory Law Journal and the Maryland Law Review.

Katherine Mansted joined the National Security College as a Senior Researcher in 2018. Katherine’s professional background includes work in both law and government. She has been a commercial solicitor with King & Wood Mallesons, a ministerial adviser to the federal government, and served as an Associate in the High Court of Australia.

*We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @NSCANU or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts. *

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Dirk van der Kley and Benjamin Herscovitch — Research Fellows at ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance — join Chris Farnham to discuss how Australia can protect its education exports from potential economic coercion from China.

Coercion against Australia’s education sector would significantly impact the country’s prosperity. Education is Australia’s only remaining export to China valued at over $10 billion annually that the Chinese Government could target without significant self-harm. And, unlike many industries currently subject to China’s economic coercion, education is job-intensive and closely linked to Australia’s technological competitiveness. The Australian Government has no mechanism to co-ordinate efforts to diversify education export markets or cohesively promote Australian education – this makes the sector more exposed to coercion. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, researchers Dirk van der Kley and Benjamin Herscovitch outline how Australia can protect its education exports from potential economic coercion from China, which they have written about in the latest Policy Options Paper published by the ANU National Security College: Protecting Education Exports: Minimising the damage of China’s future economic coercion.

Policy Options Papers are the flagship publication from the ANU National Security College and offer short, evidence-based and forward-looking insights and recommendations for policymakers on topical national security issues facing Australia. Every paper in the series is informed by consultation and reviewed by practitioner and academic experts.

Dirk van der Kley is a Research Fellow at the ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance and a Research Fellow at the ANU National Security College.

Benjamin Herscovitch is a Research Fellow at the ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance.

Chris Farnham is the Senior Outreach and Policy Officer at the ANU National Security College. 

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Katherine Mansted speaks to Ali Wyne about why great powers compete, how China, Russia, and the United States are shaping the global system, and whether their behaviour is making the post-COVID-19 world more dangerous.

Is competition between great powers destined to be fraught with the risk of conflict, or can it be a positive driver of global development? And how do middle powers view the future of their respective regions as the United States and China size each other up in the era of COVID-19? Katherine Mansted is joined by Ali Wyne to answer these questions and more on this episode of National Security Podcast.

Ali Wyne is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and a nonresident fellow at the Modern War Institute.

Katherine Mansted is a senior adviser at the National Security College and non-resident fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Previously, she was a commercial solicitor with King & Wood Mallesons, a ministerial adviser to the federal government, and served as an Associate in the High Court of Australia.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, we are joined by former Shadow Assistant Minister for Cyber Security and Defence Gai Brodtmann, Head of the ANU Strategic and Defence Studies Centre Brendan Sargeant, and Rory Medcalf, Head of the National Security College, to examine the details and meaning of Australia's recently unveiled 2020 Defence Strategy Update and Force Structure Plan.

On 1 July, Australia officially updated its defence strategy with the 2020 Defence Strategy Update and Force Structure Plan. Citing the deterioration of its regional security environment and enhanced offensive capabilities among its potential adversaries, it calls for an upgrading of Australia's defence hardware. So, is offensive deterrence a new strategy for Australia, and could increased war-fighting capabilities drive an arms race in the region? The panel also ask which states may be the intended audience for this strategy update, and how likely the countries of the region may be to see increased Australian defence spending as a signal of intent.

Gai Brodtmann is convenor of the National Security College’s Women In National Security conference, a member of Sapien Cyber’s advisory board, and a contributor to The Strategist. Gai is the former Member for Canberra and Shadow Assistant Minister for Cyber Security and Defence Personnel.

Professor Brendan Sargeant is Head of the ANU Strategic and Defence Studies Centre and Professor of Practice in Defence and Strategic Studies. He is also a former Senior Executive with the Department of Defence, serving in roles such as Assistant Secretary, Deputy Secretary for Strategy, and Head of the Strategic Policy Division.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at The Australian National University. His professional background involves more than two decades of experience across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

Katherine Mansted is a senior adviser at the National Security College and non-resident fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Previously, she was a commercial solicitor with King & Wood Mallesons, a ministerial adviser to the federal government, and served as an Associate in the High Court of Australia.

Chris Farnham is the presenter of the National Security Podcast. He joined the National Security College in June 2015 and is currently Senior Outreach and Policy Officer. His career focus has been on geopolitics with experience working in and out of China for a number of years as well as operating in Australia and Southeast Asia.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs Michael Pezzullo AO joins Head of the National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf to discuss security in an age of disruption.

In the latest instalment of the National Security College’s 10th Anniversary Conversation Series — which explores insights from leaders of the Australian national security community — the Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs shares his philosophical and practical perspectives on national security, how we think about national security in an increasingly complex and interconnected world, and how we can work together across government, the private sector, and in our communities to maintain a prosperous, secure, and united Australia. 

Michael Pezzullo AO is the Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs. Michael has also served as the Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and CEO of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, as well as Deputy Secretary for Strategy in the Department of Defence.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at The Australian National University. His professional background involves more than two decades of experience across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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In this National Security Podcast, Anooshe Mushtaq talks to Chris Farnham about how social exclusion led her down the path of radicalisation, and what policymakers can do to help others avoid the same fate.

Out of all the Muslims in Australia, only a very small number become radicalised. What sets those individuals apart from the rest of Australia’s Islamic community, and puts them on a path toward extremism and potential violence? In this fortnight’s National Security Podcast, Chris Farnham talks to the founder and Director of Raqib Taskforce about her experiences and path towards radicalisation.

Anooshe Mushtaq is a consultant, a social commentator, and the founder and chairperson of Raqib Taskforce – a Muslim-led organisation that builds social inclusion through engagement across the Australian community, dispelling extremist messages in the public domain.

Chris Farnham is the presenter of the National Security Podcast. He joined the National Security College in June 2015 as Policy and Events Officer. His career focus has been on geopolitics with experience working in and out of China for a number of years as well as operating in Australia and Southeast Asia.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook.

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As technology alters the constraints that geography poses on nations, societies, and individuals, how will national security change? How will the fragmentation of society along lines of proximity, ethnicities, and belief systems evolve in an increasingly networked world? Is Brexit the beginning of disintegration for Europe, can Russia ever be brought in from the cold, and what role, if any, does the EU have to play in the tensions between the US and China?

In this National Security Podcast, Chris Farnham talks to Jean-Marie Guéhenno, the author of The Fog of Peace, on how nations will evolve and what that means for national – or even city-based – security. In a networked world of fragmenting societies, the impact of technology and the balkanisation of the tech sector will change how we relate to each other and how we identify, collectivise, and defend ourselves. We also discuss the ‘what now’ for Europe in the face of a disruptive Russia, and whether the two will ever find common ground.

Jean-Marie Guéhenno is a distinguished fellow in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution and a member of the UN secretary-general's High-Level Advisory Board on Mediation. From 2014 to 2017, Guéhenno was president and CEO of the International Crisis Group. He is an expert in peacekeeping, global governance, and transnational security threats. As the undersecretary-general for peacekeeping operations at the UN from 2000 to 2008, Guéhenno became the longest-serving head of peacekeeping. He led the biggest expansion of peacekeeping in the history of the UN.

Chris Farnham is the presenter of the National Security Podcast. He joined the National Security College in June 2015 and is currently Senior Outreach and Policy Officer. His career focus has been on geopolitics with experience working in and out of China for a number of years as well as operating in Australia and Southeast Asia.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Technology and innovation are key drivers of social progress and economic prosperity. At the same time, emerging technologies can be 'double-edged swords' used to undermine security and democracy.

Innovation is also no longer something driven by genius individuals or major government projects. It is a highly comercialised, globalised endeavour. This means that the private sector is often caught in the middle of nation-state power plays. It also finds itself increasingly on the front-lines of national security challenges – as a player, deliberate target, or collateral damage.

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Katherine Mansted finds out why states are increasingly engaging in acts of 'economic warfare' against each other, and how this affects private sector interests. She seeks to understand how national security policymakers can work more closely with the private sector, and how democratic governments can preserve the advantages that come with an open and global innovation sector, while managing the risks that this openness will be exploited or weaponised.

Samantha Ravich of the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), is the chairman of FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation and its Transformative Cyber Innovation Lab, as well as the principal investigator on FDD’s Cyber-Enabled Economic Warfare project. She’s also a tech entrepreneur, and former deputy national security adviser to Vice President Cheney. Recently Dr Ravich was appointed to the congressionally-mandated Cyberspace Solarium Commission.

Andy Kennedy is an Associate Professor of Policy and Governance at the ANU Crawford School of Public Policy. Published widely on comparative foreign policy issues, Dr Kennedy’s particular interest is China, India and the United States.

Katherine Mansted is a senior adviser at the National Security College and non-resident fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Previously, she was a commercial solicitor with King & Wood Mallesons, a ministerial adviser to the federal government, and served as an Associate in the High Court of Australia.

Show notes | The following were referred to in this episode:

The Conflicted Superpower: America’s Collaboration with China and India in Global Innovation

Foundation for Defense of Democracies: Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation (CCTI)

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, India’s High Commissioner to Australia — His Excellency Manpreet Vohra — sits down with Professor Rory Medcalf in the latest instalment of the Security Summit series.

As the world’s largest democracy and one of the fastest growing major economies, what does the future hold for India in an age of great power competition? And with pre-pandemic migration making the Indian diaspora Australia’s fastest growing migrant community, how will the relationship evolve in years to come? On the eve of India’s Independence Day, Professor Rory Medcalf interviews His Excellency Manpreet Vohra, India’s newly appointed High Commissioner to Australia, to explore India’s role in the Indo-Pacific, the growing India-Australia relationship, and how closer strategic collaboration between the two nations can be achieved.

His Excellency Manpreet Vohra commenced as India’s High Commissioner to Australia in April 2021. He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1988 and since then has been Ambassador to Mexico and High Commissioner to Belize (2019-21), Ambassador to Afghanistan (2016-18), and Ambassador to Peru and Bolivia (2011-15).

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at The Australian National University. His professional background involves more than two decades of experience across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, the third instalment of our special three-part Indo-Pacific Futures series, we explore two key geoeconomics trends in the region.

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, we look at the rise of geoeconomics and what it means for the future of regional security. In particular, the program explores supply chain security and economic decoupling as two key geoeconomic trends in the Indo-Pacific and consider how they might play out in coming decades. Economists, strategic thinkers, researchers, and people with policy-making experience join us to define these issues, help us think about what they look like today, and discuss where they may go in years to come.

Dr Jeffrey Wilson is the Research Director at the Perth USAsia Centre.

Dr Xue Gong is Assistant Professor in the China Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Helen Mitchell is a Sir Roland Wilson PhD Scholar at The Australian National University (ANU).

Roland Rajah is the Lead Economist and Director of the International Economics Program at the Lowy Institute.

Dr Benjamin Herscovitch is a Research Fellow at the ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance.

Dr Dirk van der Kley is a Research Fellow at the ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance and the ANU National Security College.

Dr Alicia García Herrero is the Chief Economist for the Asia Pacific at Natixis and a Senior Fellow at the European think-tank Bruegel.

Dr Misato Matsuoka is Associate Professor in the Department of Language Studies at Teikyo University, Japan.

This mini-series forms part of the Indo-Pacific Futures Project underway at ANU National Security College. The project, which explores the future strategic landscape of the Indo-Pacific region, offers a range of analysis and ideas, all of which is available on the Futures Hub website. Don't miss the first and second episodes of this mini-series.

The Indo-Pacific Futures Project receives support from the Japanese Embassy in Australia. ANU National Security College is independent in its activities, research, and editorial judgment and does not take institutional positions on policy issues. Accordingly, the author is solely responsible for the views expressed in this publication, which should not be taken as reflecting the views of any government or organisation.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, David Fricker, Director-General of the National Archives of Australia, joins two of the ANU National Security College’s resident historians — Dr William Stoltz and Associate Professor Sue Thompson – to talk about the vital role played by the National Archives.

Are the collections of the National Archives of Australia national security infrastructure? After almost a decade of leading the organisation, Director-General David Fricker certainly believes so. If they were destroyed, made inaccessible or manipulated, it would severely undermine faith in Australia’s national values, he argues on the National Security Podcast. In this episode, the Director-General — along with Dr William Stoltz and Associate Professor Sue Thompson — explore the vital role the National Archives plays in Australian life, what makes it unique amongst its international peers, the challenge of balancing secrecy with transparency, and much more.

Dr William Stoltz is the Senior Adviser for Public Policy at the ANU National Security College (NSC). He is responsible for mobilising the College’s research and resident expertise to influence and inform current public policy debates.

Associate Professor Sue Thompson is the Academic Convener at NSC and has extensive experience in academia, government, the media, and the non-government sector.

David Fricker is Director-General of the National Archives of Australia, President of the International Council on Archives and Vice-Chair of the UNESCO Memory of the World International Advisory Committee.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Chair of the British Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee Tom Tugendhat joins Rory Medcalf to unpack what the AUKUS arrangement could mean for the future of the Indo-Pacific.

It’s not quite an alliance, it’s not formally a treaty, but AUKUS is certainly a striking alignment of nations. The question is: what impact will it have beyond the initial nuclear submarines arrangement? And can the damage done to Australia’s standing with France – a key Indo-Pacific partner – be repaired? Tom Tugendhat MP joins Professor Rory Medcalf to share a UK perspective on these questions and more. This discussion builds on a recent publication by Mr Tugendhat on Australia-United Kingdom security ties.

Tom Tugendhat is the Conservative MP for Tonbridge and Malling in the United Kingdom and has been Chair of the British Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee since 2017. Before becoming an MP, Tom was in the British Army and served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at The Australian National University. His professional background involves more than two decades of experience across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Lizzie O’Shea and Dominique Dalla-Pozza join Will Stoltz to discuss the state of electronic surveillance in Australia – with a focus on two new powerful pieces of legislation.

Large parts of our lives are now conducted online, so naturally this domain has become an import source of intelligence and evidence for national security agencies. Parliament recently passed two important pieces of legislation that expand the powers of Australia’s security agencies to spy digitally. What impact will these laws have on the average citizen? And how will they help security agencies do their jobs? In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Will Stoltz chats to Lizzie O’Shea and Dominique Dalla-Pozza about these new laws and what impact they might have.

Lizzie O’Shea is a human rights lawyer specialising in public interest litigation. She is a founding member and Chair of Digital Rights Watch and the author of Future Histories.

Dr Dominique Dalla-Pozza is a senior lecturer at ANU College of Law working in the field of Australian public law. Her primary research deals with the Australian Parliament and the legislative process, especially the process by which Australian national security law is made.

Dr William Stoltz is the Senior Adviser for Public Policy at ANU National Security College (NSC). He is responsible for mobilising the College’s research and resident expertise to influence and inform current public policy debates.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this special event recording, Jeffrey Wilson joins Rory Medcalf and Jennifer Jackett to explore the ideas put forward in his recent paper from the Quad Tech Network’s QTN series.

Batteries are a critical technology to support the energy transition necessary for adapting to climate change. However, the global value chains that produce them are insecure. The ‘Quad’ governments – Australia, Japan, India, and the United States – all recognise the need for secure battery value chains but have yet to align their battery strategies. Dr Jeffrey Wilson, Research Director at the Perth USAsia Centre, suggests that a Quad battery partnership should be developed to secure this critical twenty-first century technology. In this special event recording, he is joined in conversation by Head of the ANU National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf and Sir Roland Wilson Scholar Jennifer Jackett to expand upon the analysis and recommendations put forward in his recent paper from the Quad Tech Network’s QTN series.

Dr Jeffrey Wilson is Research Director at the Perth USAsia Centre. He specialises in the regional economic integration of the Indo-Pacific and has expertise in the politics of trade agreements, regional economic institutions, and Australia’s economic ties with Asia.

Professor Rory Medcalf is the head of the National Security College at The Australian National University (ANU). His professional background involves more than two decades of experience across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

Jennifer Jackett is a Sir Roland Wilson Scholar and PhD candidate at ANU National Security College. She is currently on leave from the Australian Government where she held roles across the national security community advising government on issues such as critical infrastructure security, foreign interference, counterterrorism, and international defence engagement.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Head of the ANU National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf is joined in conversation by Senator Jenny McAllister, in her first interview since being appointed as Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.

Professor Rory Medcalf and Senator Jenny McAllister discuss her work as the Deputy Chair of the powerful Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, her pursuit of new intelligence oversight powers for the committee, and its inquiry into critical infrastructure. In the discussion, Senator McAllister reflects on the security of the upcoming federal election, the role of state governments in Australia’s national security, and the need for intelligence and security agencies to reflect the diversity of the communities they serve. Professor Medcalf and Senator McAllister also talk about Dr William Stoltz’s recent argument for a Minister for Intelligence and important research on Women in International Relations by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Danielle Cave.

You can find the National Security Podcast interview with Senator McAllister’s colleague and Chair of the PJCIS Senator James Paterson here.

Senator Jenny McAllister is the Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security and Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Foreign Interference through Social Media. She was elected as a Senator for New South Wales in 2015.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at The Australian National University. His professional experience spans more than two decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Head of ANU National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf and Director of ANU Tech Policy Design Centre Johanna Weaver join Lisa Curtis and Martijn Rasser from the Center for New American Security to discuss their recent paper, A Techno-Diplomacy Strategy for Telecommunications in the Indo-Pacific.

In this special event recording, Professor Rory Medcalf and Johanna Weaver are joined by Lisa Curtis and Martijn Rasser from the Center for New American Security to discuss their recent paper, A Techno-Diplomacy Strategy for Telecommunications in the Indo-Pacific. They argue that the Quad has an opportunity to shape the telecommunications ecosystem in the Indo-Pacific so that key 5G and undersea cable infrastructure are more secure, resilient, and open. Lisa and Martijn recommend that a concrete techno-diplomatic strategy – developed in partnership between Australia, the United States, India, and Japan – will be key to ensuring that the future of the Indo-Pacific is free and open.

Lisa Curtis is Senior Fellow and Director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security.

Martijn Rasser is Senior Fellow and Director of the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security.

Johanna Weaver is Director of the ANU Tech Policy Design Centre.

Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at The Australian National University.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Director of ANU Tech Policy Design Centre Johanna Weaver and Sir Roland Wilson Scholar Jennifer Jackett join Andreas Kuehn from the Observer Research Foundation America to discuss a recent paper, This Connection is Secure: A 5G Risk and Resilience Framework for the Quad.

In this special event recording, Johanna Weaver and Jennifer Jackett are joined by Andreas Kuehn from the Observer Research Foundation America to discuss a recent paper, This Connection is Secure: A 5G Risk and Resilience Framework for the Quad. In the piece, Andreas and his colleague Trisha Ray argue that the Quad countries need to devise effective ways to jointly manage risk and strengthen resilience of 5G components, domestic and foreign networks, and global supply chains. They recommend a common framework for 5G risk and resilience which could help Quad countries allocate their efforts and resources to sustain 5G networks and protect supply chains.

Andreas Kuehn is Senior Fellow with the Cyber Cooperation Initiative at the Observer Research Foundation.

Jennifer Jackett is a PhD candidate at the National Security College and a Sir Roland Wilson Scholar at the ANU.

Johanna Weaver is Director of the ANU Tech Policy Design Centre.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Head of the ANU National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf is joined in conversation by James Renwick, Senior Counsel, Honorary Professor at ANU College of Law, and former Independent National Security Legislation Monitor, to discuss the future of national security oversight.

In this National Security Podcast, Professor Rory Medcalf and Honorary Professor James Renwick explore the role of the judiciary in overseeing and authorising the powers of Australia’s national security agencies and how this might evolve. They discuss James’ experiences as the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor (INSLM) and as a reservist in the Royal Australian Navy, and talk about his important INSLM report ‘Trust but Verify’ which examined the ability of intelligence and security agencies to access communications data.

Honorary Professor James Renwick CSC SC is a member of the NSW Bar, Deputy Judge Advocate General in the Royal Australian Navy, and was the third Independent National Security Legislation Monitor of Australia. As guest editor of the Australian Law Journal James has overseen its latest issue which is a special edition focusing on national security and the law.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at The Australian National University. His professional experience spans more than two decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Dr William Stoltz and Jennifer Jackett are joined by Dr Dirk van der Kley to discuss Shaping the Quad’s DNA, a paper he’s written for the Quad Tech Network’s QTN Series. 

In the years ahead, biotechnology will be one of the most economically lucrative emerging technologies. Perhaps unsurprisingly, three ‘Quad’ governments – Japan, India, and the United States – have all recognised the need for dedicated bioeconomy or biotechnology strategies. In this special event recording, Dr William Stoltz and Jennifer Jackett are joined by Dr Dirk van der Kley from the ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance to discuss his recent paper, Shaping the Quad’s DNA: How can Quad countries manage biotech’s opportunities and risks?. In the piece, Dirk argues that the Quad countries should work together on biotechnology standards, ethics, and joint research infrastructure initially, and that the Quad can play a role in shaping security discussions on biotechnology.

Dr Dirk van der Kley is a Research Fellow at the ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet) who specialises in the theory of geoeconomics, international economic sanctions, international economic policy of the People’s Republic of China, and the effect of industrial policy on geopolitics. Dirk is a member of the ANU Working Group on Geoeconomics.

Dr William Stoltz is the Senior Adviser for Public Policy at ANU National Security College (NSC). He is responsible for mobilising the College’s research and resident expertise to influence and inform current public policy debates.

Jennifer Jackett is a Sir Roland Wilson Scholar and PhD candidate at ANU National Security College. She is currently on leave from the Australian Government where she held roles across the national security community advising government on issues such as critical infrastructure security, foreign interference, counterterrorism, and international defence engagement.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator The Hon Penny Wong delivers an address to the ANU National Security College entitled “Expanding Australia’s Power and Influence”. Following her remarks, she is joined in conversation by Professor Rory Medcalf.

In this special event recording, Senator Penny Wong discusses Australia’s regional role and responsibilities, the clash between short-term political interests and long-term national interests in foreign policy, and Labor’s proposed approach to navigating increasingly turbulent strategic circumstances. Senator Wong is also joined by Professor Rory Medcalf for a Q and A with the audience, discussing Taiwan, economic coercion, technology, and the shaping of our region in light of strategic competition between great powers and the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senator The Hon Penny Wong is Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs. She has previously served as Leader of Government in the Senate, Minister for Finance and Deregulation, and Minister for Climate Change, Energy Efficiency, and Water.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at The Australian National University. His professional experience spans more than two decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, The Hon Paul Fletcher MP – Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities, and the Arts, Member for Bradfield, and previously Director of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs at Optus – joins Professor Rory Medcalf in conversation.

In the latest instalment of the Security Summit series on the National Security Podcast – Professor Rory Medcalf and The Hon Paul Fletcher MP discuss the role of government in Internet regulation, challenges and threats posed by the internet to everyday citizens, and how the Australian Government is legislating an ever-evolving cyberspace. They explore the Morrison government’s recent dealings with Facebook and Google, the eSafety Commissioner’s role in ensuring online safety, how disinformation and deepfakes may play a role in the future political landscape, and Minister Fletcher’s new book, Governing in the Internet Age. 

The Hon Paul Fletcher MP is Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, and the Federal Member for Bradfield. His previous experience includes serving as Parliamentary Secretary to then-Minister for Communications Malcolm Turnbull, Minister for Major Projects, Territories, and Local Government, and Director of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs at Optus.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at The Australian National University. His professional experience spans more than two decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Australian Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers joins Head of ANU National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf in conversation.

In the latest instalment of the Security Summit series on the National Security Podcast, Professor Rory Medcalf and Australian Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers discuss the national security implications of electoral integrity, maintaining Australia’s democratic architecture, and how the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is responding to challenges like disinformation and foreign interference. They also explore the role of elections and the Commission in national security, how the AEC are taking a more active role in countering false narratives regarding elections, and the obstacles to delivering an election in an increasingly contested democratic environment.

Tom Rogers is the Australian Electoral Commissioner, a role he has held since 2014. Previously, he was the Deputy Electoral Commissioner, and State Manager and Australian Electoral Officer for New South Wales at the Australian Electoral Commission.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at The Australian National University. His professional experience spans more than two decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Nadège Rolland, Jude Blanchette, and Charles Edel join Chris Farnham to explore how China views its place in the world.

In the latest episode of the National Security Podcast, Chris Farnham speaks with Nadège Rolland of the National Bureau of Asian Research and Jude Blanchette and Charles Edel of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies on how the Chinese Communist Party thinks about itself and China’s place in the world. The discussion also covers how Chinese strategic thinking differs from traditional Western concepts, the challenges for outsiders in understanding China, and the direction the country is likely to take in the years ahead.

Nadège Rolland is Senior Fellow for Political and Security Affairs at NBR, the National Bureau of Asian Research, and a Nonresident Fellow at the Lowy Institute.

Jude Blanchette holds the Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Charles Edel is the inaugural Australia Chair and a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Chris Farnham is the Senior Outreach and Policy Officer at the ANU National Security College.

‘How China Exports Authoritarism’ by Charles Edel and David O Shullman is available on Foreign Affairs.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this special final episode of 2021 – the 100th National Security Podcast – a team of experts from ANU National Security College examine the security dimensions of the year that was and, looking forward to 2022, explore what might be in store in the year ahead.

As a turbulent year for Australia and its region ends, looking back at how 2021 unfolded has much to reveal about where national security policymakers can go from here. In the 100th episode of National Security Podcast, host Chris Farnham is joined by national security experts Katherine Mansted, Will Stoltz, and Rory Medcalf to explore the big events from the last 12 months and analyse how they might shape the security landscape in 2022.

Katherine Mansted is Senior Fellow in the Practice of National Security at the ANU National Security College. She is also the Director of Cyber Intelligence at Australia’s largest independent cyber security services company, CyberCX.

Dr William Stoltz is the Senior Adviser for Public Policy at ANU National Security College. He is responsible for mobilising the College’s research and resident expertise to influence and inform current public policy debates.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than two decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

Chris Farnham is the Senior Outreach and Policy Officer at the ANU National Security College. After serving as a soldier in the Australian Army, he worked in roles throughout East Asia with a focus on geopolitics and regional security.

You can find out more about the Master of National Security Policy here, and the National Intelligence Community and National Security College Scholarship for Women program here.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In the first episode of the National Security Podcast for 2022, Head of the ANU National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf is joined by Royal United Services Institute Senior Research Fellow Veerle Nouwens to explore how the relationship between these two nations could adapt to an increasingly dynamic Indo-Pacific.

With ‘AUKMIN’ – the meeting of the Australian and United Kingdom Defence and Foreign Affairs ministers – anticipated soon, how might the partnership between the two countries be revitalised to meet new and emerging security challenges? Professor Rory Medcalf and Veerle Nouwens discuss how Australia and the United Kingdom could increase the impact of their ongoing collaboration in the Indo-Pacific, exploring ideas drawn from their recent Policy Options Paper, Australia and the United Kingdom: an Indo-Pacific security agenda for a revitalised partnership.

Veerle Nouwens is a Senior Research Fellow at the International Security Studies Department of the Royal United Services Institute, focusing on geopolitical relations in the Asia-Pacific region.

Rory Medcalf is Head of the ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than two decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

Policy Options Papers are the flagship publication from the ANU National Security College and offer short, evidence-based and forward-looking insights and recommendations for policymakers on topical national security issues facing Australia. Every paper in the series is informed by consultation and reviewed by practitioner and academic experts. This paper is available here.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Dr Nathan Attrill and Dr Liz Buchanan join Dr Will Stoltz to unpack the evolving relationship between China and Russia and its potential impact on Australia.

Just before the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting came as Russian forces amassed on the border of Ukraine, creating a standoff with NATO. To explore what can be drawn from this leaders meeting — and the broader China-Russia relationship – Dr Nathan Attrill from The Australian National University and Dr Liz Buchanan from the Australian War College join Dr Will Stoltz on the National Security Podcast.

The views expressed in this podcast are those of the participants, and not of any organisation with which they are affiliated.

Dr Nathan Attrill is a China scholar with The Australian National University and was previously a Researcher with The Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s International Cyber Policy Centre. His research interests include domestic Chinese politics and public policy, Chinese Communist Party institutions and systems of influence, and Australia-China relations.

Dr Elizabeth Buchanan is Lecturer of Strategic Studies with Deakin University for the Defence and Strategic Studies Course at the Australian War College and a Fellow of the Modern War Institute at the United States Military Academy (West Point). Her research interests include Arctic and Antarctic geopolitics, energy security, Russian grand strategy, and strategic studies.

Dr William Stoltz is the Senior Adviser for Public Policy at the ANU National Security College (NSC). He is responsible for mobilising the College’s research and resident expertise to influence and inform current public policy debates.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, we’re sharing something special – a taste of the new Women in National Security (WiNS) mini-series, produced in collaboration with Accenture.

Join hosts Gai Brodtmann and Meg Tapia in lively conversations with Australia’s female national security leaders and rising stars. Each month, Gai and Meg give listeners an exclusive peek behind the national security curtain, exploring the careers, perspectives and leadership lessons of the women playing vital roles tackling our biggest national security challenges. Showcasing the influential women forging the future of our intelligence, defence and national security sectors, WiNS gives you an insider’s view into Australia’s national security community.

Gai Brodtmann is a member of the ANU National Security College (NSC)'s Futures Council, having previously served as a diplomat, defence consultant, Member of Parliament, Shadow Assistant Minister for Cyber Security and Defence and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence. She is currently a member of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute council, Defence Housing Australia board and Oceania Cyber Security Centre advisory board, and an occasional presenter and panellist at the NSC.

Meg Tapia has 16 years of experience in national security and foreign policy. She served as a diplomat in Papua New Guinea, Afghanistan, and Vanuatu. Currently, Meg is Principal Director for Defence and National Security at Accenture, bringing together the best people and technology to create positive, long-lasting value in Australia’s national security organisations.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and use #NatSecPod and #WiNSPodcast. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Mick Ryan, Katherine Mansted, Rory Medcalf and Will Stoltz discuss their initial reactions to the unfolding conflict in Ukraine.

Whether Kyiv endures Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion, or is overwhelmed, the lessons of this conflict will redefine global security for decades. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, former Commander of the Australian Defence College Major General (Rtd) Mick Ryan, Director of Cyber Intelligence at Cyber CX Katherine Mansted, Head of ANU National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf and Senior Adviser for Public Policy at ANU National Security College Dr Will Stoltz discuss their initial reactions to the unfolding conflict in Ukraine, foreshadow the work to come, and evaluate the potential consequences of this war in Europe.

This episode is the first instalment in a series of conversations on the National Security Podcast which will explore the enduring ramifications of the war in Ukraine. Future episodes will explore economic sanctions as a tool of statecraft, the implications for Australian strategic planning, and the impact on the security of the Indo-Pacific.

This program was recorded on Tuesday 1 March.

Major General (Rtd) Mick Ryan is author of War Transformed: The Future of Twenty-First Century Great Power Competition and Conflict and former Commander of the Australian Defence College.

Katherine Mansted is Senior Fellow in the Practice of National Security at the ANU National Security College and Director of Cyber Intelligence at Cyber CX.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than two decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

Dr William Stoltz is the Senior Adviser for Public Policy at ANU National Security College. He is responsible for mobilising the College’s research and resident expertise to inform current public policy debates.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, we are joined by Nina Davidson, Deputy Director-General Intelligence at the Office of National Intelligence, to bring you the first instalment of the Women in National Security mini-series, produced in collaboration with Accenture.

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, hosts Gai Brodtmann, National Security College Futures Council member, and Meg Tapia, Principal Director for Defence and National Security at Accenture, are joined by Nina Davidson, Deputy Director-General Intelligence at the Office of National Intelligence. In this candid conversation they explore the myths surrounding national security, reveal the national intelligence issues on Nina’s radar, and reflect on her career journey so far. 

Nina Davidson is Deputy Director-General Intelligence at the Office of National Intelligence (ONI). She joined ONI in October 2021 following six years as Head of Office at the Australian Government’s Productivity Commission.

Gai Brodtmann is a member of the ANU National Security College (NSC)'s Futures Council having previously served as a diplomat, defence consultant, Member of Parliament, Shadow Assistant Minister for Cyber Security and Defence and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence. 

Meg Tapia has 16 years of experience in national security and foreign policy. She served as a diplomat in Papua New Guinea, Afghanistan, and Vanuatu. Currently, Meg is Principal Director for Defence and National Security at Accenture.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Sir Lawrence Freedman joins Professor Rory Medcalf in conversation to discuss Russia’s war on Ukraine.

How could Russia’s war on Ukraine end? Is there a credible path to lasting peace? How concerned should the international community be about the nuclear dimension of this war? On this episode of the National Security Podcast, Professor Sir Lawrence Freedom from King’s College London joins Head of ANU National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf in conversation.

Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman is Emeritus Professor of War Studies, King's College London. He was Professor of War Studies from 1982 to 2014 and Vice-Principal from 2003 to 2013. Before joining King's he held research appointments at Nuffield College Oxford, the International Institute for Strategic Studies and the Royal Institute of International Affairs.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than two decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

Professor Freedman’s blog, which is mentioned in this episode, can be found here.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Helen Mitchell and Dirk van der Kley join Will Stoltz to examine the so-called unprecedented regime of economic sanctions targeting Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.

What are sanctions, and how do they work in practice? Which, if any, of the sanctions imposed on Russia are unprecedented, and will they have the desired impact? And how might economic statecraft be irrevocably changed following the conflict in Ukraine? Sir Roland Wilson Scholar Helen Mitchell and Research Fellow at ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance Dr Dirk van der Kley join Senior Fellow for Public Policy at ANU National Security College Dr Will Stoltz to examine the economic statecraft at play, discuss the prominence of sanctions in the crisis response, and evaluate how they fit into the long-term strategic planning of liberal-democratic countries, especially in relation to China’s objectives in Taiwan.

Helen Mitchell is a Sir Roland Wilson PhD Scholar at The Australian National University (ANU) Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis. She is also an economist and former diplomat.

Dr Dirk van der Kley is a Research Fellow at ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance (RegNet).

Dr William Stoltz is the Senior Adviser for Public Policy at ANU National Security College.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, investigative journalist Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop joins Will Stoltz to discuss his time reporting from the war in Ukraine and the importance of public interest journalism.

Has the role of war correspondents changed following one of the most broadcast conflicts in history? How do reporters avoid enabling disinformation campaigns? And are citizen journalists helping or hindering public understanding of the conflict in Ukraine? Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop has been reporting on Russia’s war on Ukraine for Australia’s national broadcaster. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, he joins Will Stoltz to discuss his recent experiences in Europe and the importance of public interest journalism.

Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop is a reporter with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)’s Investigations Unit. A former investigative reporter for the 7.30 program and police reporter for ABC News, Sean’s assignments have taken him to the Middle East, Africa, Asia and North America, and his investigations have appeared on ABC TV’s Four Corners.

Dr William Stoltz is the Senior Adviser for Public Policy at ANU National Security College. He is responsible for mobilising the College’s research and resident expertise to influence and inform current public policy debates.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, His Excellency the Hon George Brandis QC, Australia’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, joins Will Stoltz to discuss Australia’s relationship with the United Kingdom and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The UK-Australia relationship is at a high-water mark of trust and collaboration, cemented by the AUKUS Pact, the UK-Australia free trade agreement, and a united response to Russia’s war on Ukraine. But can the United Kingdom keep one eye on the Indo-Pacific while a crisis unfolds in Europe? And what comes next for cooperation between the two countries? In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Dr Will Stoltz speaks with His Excellency the Hon George Brandis QC at Australia House in London to discuss the High Commissioner’s assessment of Australia’s response to the invasion of Ukraine, his priorities as head of mission, and his passion for world affairs.

His Excellency the Hon George Brandis QC is Australia’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. A barrister by profession, he served as a Senator for Queensland in the Australian Parliament for 18 years.

Dr William Stoltz is the Senior Adviser for Public Policy at the ANU National Security College (NSC). He is responsible for mobilising the College’s research and resident expertise to influence and inform current public policy debates.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, we bring you the second instalment of the Women in National Security mini-series, produced in collaboration with Accenture. 

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, hosts Gai Brodtmann, National Security College Futures Council member, and Meg Tapia, Principal Director for Defence and National Security at Accenture, are joined by Air Vice-Marshal Catherine Roberts, the inaugural head of the Australian Defence Force’s new Space Command. They delve into what it means for Australia to have a Space Command, the importance of gender diversity in STEM, and Catherine’s advice for taking control of your own career. 

Air Vice-Marshal Catherine Roberts AO CSC is the inaugural Defence Space Commander. AVM Roberts joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1983 as a specialist in aerospace engineering at the Aircraft Research and Development Unit and has held more than 20 roles throughout her Air Force career.

Gai Brodtmann is a member of the ANU National Security College (NSC)'s Futures Council having previously served as a diplomat, defence consultant, Member of Parliament, Shadow Assistant Minister for Cyber Security and Defence and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence.

Meg Tapia has 16 years of experience in national security and foreign policy. She served as a diplomat in Papua New Guinea, Afghanistan, and Vanuatu. Currently, Meg is Principal Director for Defence and National Security at Accenture.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Tanvi Madan and Ben Herscovitch join Rory Medcalf in conversation to look at what impact the war on Ukraine might have on diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific.

How should India’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine be interpreted? What has China learned from Russia’s strategic miscalculations? And how will the war shift the diplomatic landscape in the Indo-Pacific? In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Tanvi Madan, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, and Ben Herscovitch, Research Fellow at ANU National Security College, join Professor Rory Medcalf to analyse the impact Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may have on diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific.

This discussion was recorded on Tuesday 29 March, before the reports emerged of atrocities committed by Russian troops in Bucha, Ukraine.

Tanvi Madan is a Senior Fellow in the Project on International Order and Strategy in the Foreign Policy program, and Director of The India Project at the Brookings Institution. Tanvi is also a member of the NSC Futures Council.

Benjamin Herscovitch is a Research Fellow at ANU National Security College and ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than two decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, James Mortensen and Anastasia Kapetas join Will Stoltz to explore the increasing threat of natural disasters in Australia and the role of the Australian Defence Force in responding to them.

In recent years, Australia has faced a series of devastating natural disasters – on the back of intense bushfires and cyclones, thousands of Australians are currently grappling with the impact of historic flooding. With these events happening more frequently, what threat does climate change pose to Australia’s national security? And is the Australian Defence Force properly prepared to deliver the disaster support it keeps being asked to provide? On this National Security Podcast, Lecturer at ANU National Security College Dr James Mortensen and National Security Editor at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute Anastasia Kapetas join Dr Will Stoltz to explore these issues.

Dr James Mortensen is a Lecturer at ANU National Security College where he currently teaches several postgraduate courses covering national security ethics as well as the intersection between the environment, the cyber domain, and emerging technologies with national security policymaking.

Anastasia Kapetas is National Security Editor of The Strategist at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Her research has explored the geopolitics of climate and security in the Indo-Pacific as well as policy options for assessing and adapting to the impacts of climate change.

Dr William Stoltz is the Senior Adviser for Public Policy at ANU National Security College responsible for mobilising the College’s research and resident expertise to influence and inform current public policy debates.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, the European Union and French ambassadors to Australia join Professor Rory Medcalf to discuss the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific ahead of the EU Indo-Pacific Forum, which will be hosted by ANU National Security College on 25 May 2022.

Why does the Indo-Pacific matter to the European Union? What is the significance of the European Union’s Indo-Pacific strategy? And how does the European Union see itself engaging in the Indo-Pacific in the future? The European Union’s Ambassador to Australia, His Excellency Dr Michael Pulch, and France’s Ambassador to Australia, His Excellency Jean-Pierre Thébault — representing the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union — join Head of ANU National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf to explore how the European Union is engaging with the strategic challenges and opportunities in the Indo-Pacific.

This conversation precedes the upcoming EU Indo-Pacific Forum – hosted by ANU National Security College on 25 May — which will foster the exchange of ideas about the European Union’s engagement in the region. This event will complement the Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, held in Paris in February 2022.

His Excellency Dr Michael Pulch is the European Union’s Ambassador to Australia.

His Excellency Jean-Pierre Thébault is France’s Ambassador to Australia.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than two decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, we bring you the third instalment of the Women in National Security mini-series, produced in collaboration with Accenture.

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, hosts Gai Brodtmann, National Security College Futures Council member, and Meg Tapia, Principal Director for Defence and National Security at Accenture, are joined by Head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) and Deputy Director-General of the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) Abigail Bradshaw CSC. Abigail explains the steps the ACSC has taken to achieve gender balance in their workforce and how they support working families. They also discuss her love of leadership and approach to helping others become amazing leaders themselves.

Abigail Bradshaw CSC is the Head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) and Deputy Director-General of the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD). She worked in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, most recently as the Deputy Coordinator of the National Bushfire Recovery Agency and prior to that as the head of the National Security Division.

Gai Brodtmann is a member of ANU National Security College (NSC)'s Futures Council, having previously served as a diplomat, defence consultant, Member of Parliament, Shadow Assistant Minister for Cyber Security and Defence and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence.

Meg Tapia has 16 years of experience in national security and foreign policy. She served as a diplomat in Papua New Guinea, Afghanistan, and Vanuatu. Currently, Meg is Principal Director for Defence and National Security at Accenture.

Find out more about the National Intelligence Community and National Security College Scholarships for Women, and careers at the Australian Signals Directorate and Australian Cyber Security Centre.

All episodes of the Women in National Security mini-series are available here.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Anna Powles and Henry Ivarature join Rory Medcalf to discuss the controversial Solomon Islands-China security deal and the major challenges it presents for Australia and its neighbours in the Pacific. 

The recently-signed Solomon Islands-China security deal raises many questions about sovereignty and the national interest – of Solomon Islands, Australia, and their neighbours in the region – as well as claims it could lead to a Chinese military base in the Pacific. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Defence and Security Studies, Massey University Dr Anna Powles and Pacific Fellow at ANU Australia Pacific Security College Dr Henry Ivarature join Head of ANU National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf to unpack these issues and more.

Dr Anna Powles is a Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Defence and Security Studies, Massey University. Her research in the Pacific is focused on how state and non-state actors are shaping security and the intersection of geopolitics and local security dynamics.

Dr Henry Ivarature is a Pacific Fellow at ANU Australia Pacific Security College. He has worked and travelled extensively in the Pacific Islands for over 28 years, doing research and writing about development issues, as well as a public servant.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than two decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Policy Adviser at ANU National Security College Felicity Millar investigates several national security policy issues with expert commentators in the lead up to the 2022 federal election.

With the 2022 federal election fast approaching, it’s time to assess the range of national security policies on offer to the electorate. In this episode, Felicity Millar is joined by four experts – Senior Lecturer at ANU Strategic and Defence Studies Centre Andrew Carr, Senior Policy Fellow at the Perth USAsia Centre Hayley Channer, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law at Bond University Danielle Ireland-Piper, and Director of Ethical Intelligence and former Director-General of Emergency Management Australia Mark Croswell – to explore the policies on offer in 2022 in four key areas: defence, domestic security, international partnerships, and disaster resilience. They identify areas of bipartisanship, note policy differences where they exist, and highlight areas of potential minor party and independent influence in national security policy-making. 

If you’d like more information on these policies, check out the ANU National Security College’s detailed National Security Election Snapshots.

Dr Andrew Carr is a Senior Lecturer in the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at The Australian National University (ANU). His research focuses on strategy, middle powers and Australian defence policy.

Hayley Channer is a Senior Policy Fellow at the Perth USAsia Centre. She produces analysis on foreign and defence policy in the Indo-Pacific, engages with key Australian Government agencies and other policy stakeholders, and builds and sustains the Centre’s domestic and international network.

Dr Danielle Ireland-Piper is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law at Bond University and serves as Co-Convenor of the Transnational, International and Comparative Law and Policy Network.

Mark Crosweller is Director of Ethical Intelligence, an ethical leadership consultancy, and former Director General of Emergency Management Australia. He led the National Resilience Taskforce for the Commonwealth Government of Australia.

Felicity Millar is the Executive Officer and Policy Adviser at ANU National Security College. She has previously held roles in the National Intelligence Community, the Australian Cyber Security Centre, and ANU.

ANU National Security College is independent in its activities, research, and editorial judgment, and does not take institutional or partisan positions on policy issues. The opinions offered are solely the views of our guests.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, we bring you the fourth instalment of the Women in National Security mini-series, produced in collaboration with Accenture. 

In her first-ever public interview in the role, Deputy Director-General of Capability and Corporate Management for the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) Catherine Burn joins Gai Brodtmann, National Security College Futures Council member, and Meg Tapia, Principal Director for Defence and National Security at Accenture for the fourth episode in the Women in National Security mini-series. They talk about the reality of Australian spies, the diverse range of recruits that ASIS are looking for, and Catherine’s unique career influences.

Catherine Burn was appointed ASIS's Deputy Director-General Capability and Corporate Management in April 2018. Prior to this, Catherine had a distinguished career with the New South Wales Police Force reaching the rank of Deputy Commissioner. In 2011, Catherine was announced as the Telstra Australian Business Woman of the year.

Gai Brodtmann is a member of ANU National Security College's Futures Council having previously served as a diplomat, defence consultant, Member of Parliament, Shadow Assistant Minister for Cyber Security and Defence and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence.

Meg Tapia has 16 years of experience in national security and foreign policy. She served as a diplomat in Papua New Guinea, Afghanistan, and Vanuatu. Currently, Meg is Principal Director for Defence and National Security at Accenture.

All episodes of the Women in National Security mini-series are available here.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Major General (retd) Duncan Lewis and Professor Caitlin Byrne join Professor Rory Medcalf to discuss the potential policy implications of Australia’s change in government.

The 2022 federal election has brought a significant change to Australia’s political landscape. The election of a progressive Labor government led by Anthony Albanese ends nine years of conservative Coalition rule. But what does this mean for Australia’s foreign and security policy settings? To make sense of this shift, Major General Duncan Lewis, former Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence Origination (ASIO), and Professor Caitlin Byrne, Director of the Griffith Asia Institute, join Professor Rory Medcalf in discussion.

Major General (retd) Duncan Lewis AO DSC CSC is Professor in the Practice of National Security at ANU National Security College. Prior to this appointment he served as Director-General of Security and Head of ASIO.

Professor Caitlin Byrne is Director, Griffith Asia Institute and Faculty Fellow of the University of Southern California's Centre for Public Diplomacy (CPD). She has worked across a range of senior leadership roles in government, industry and community with a focus on delivering change and reform.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than two decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Emily Hitchman and Dr William Stoltz join Professor Rory Medcalf to unpack what ‘secret statecraft’ means in the Australian context and why it should be studied more.

Call it intelligence, spying, or covert action, a whole realm of ‘secret’ statecraft operates out of the public eye in Australia, hidden by layers of classification, deniability, and secrecy. Yet — as the recent public address, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service, from Director-General Paul Symon highlighted — it’s becoming somewhat more transparent in the contemporary era. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, PhD scholar at ANU Strategic and Defence Studies Centre Emily Hitchman and Manager of Policy Engagement at ANU National Security College Dr William Stoltz join Professor Rory Medcalf to unpack what ‘secret statecraft’ means in the Australian context and why it deserves more attention from scholars and policymakers. They explore whether a reliance on the instruments of ‘secret statecraft’ make sense for Australia as a democratic middle-power, and if this form of statecraft operates within an existing social licence, or whether more needs to be done to build that license.

Emily Hitchman is a PhD scholar at ANU Strategic and Defence Studies Centre researching Australia’s use of the 'Neither Confirm Nor Deny' principle in the intelligence and security context. Emily has worked professionally across the national security and criminal justice public policy space, including in law enforcement and cyber policy.

Dr William A Stoltz is the Manager of Policy Engagement at ANU National Security College. He is a Visiting Fellow at the Robert Menzies Institute at the University of Melbourne, and an Associate Member of the Centre for the Study of Subversion, Unconventional Interventions and Terrorism at the University of Nottingham.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than two decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

For full show notes visit policyforum.net. We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Bridi Rice from the Development Intelligence Lab and Erol Yayboke from the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Will Stoltz to discuss the intersection of security and development issues in the Pacific region.

Recent events in the Pacific, including the signing of the new Solomon Islands-China security agreement and the regional tour of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, have placed development assistance at the forefront of strategic competition for the region’s future and raised questions about Australia’s current policy settings. With the United States trialing a new approach in Papua New Guinea through its Global Fragility Act, what lessons could Australia learn? What development challenges should Australia focus on in the Pacific? And is geostrategic competition sucking the oxygen from other, more pressing, challenges? Founder and CEO of the Development Intelligence Lab Bridi Rice and Senior Fellow in the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies Erol Yayboke join Policy Director at ANU National Security College Dr Will Stoltz to explore these questions and examine the intersection of development, conflict mitigation, and security for the Pacific. 

Bridi Rice is CEO of the Development Intelligence Lab and currently a Fulbright Visiting Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). At the Lab, Bridi manages agenda-setting research and high-level policy dialogue on critical issues shaping the future of Australian development engagement in the Indo-Pacific.

Erol Yayboke is a Senior Fellow with the International Security Program and director of the Project on Fragility and Mobility at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Dr William A Stoltz is Policy Director at ANU National Security College. He is a Visiting Fellow at the Robert Menzies Institute at the University of Melbourne, and an Associate Member of the Centre for the Study of Subversion, Unconventional Interventions and Terrorism (SUIT) at the University of Nottingham.

More information about the Global Fragility Act is available here and here.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Samuel Bashfield and Anthony Bergin join William Stoltz to discuss the importance and vulnerabilities of submarine cables.

In the Indo-Pacific, submarine cables carry over 95 per cent of international data traffic, including telephone and data communications. But they are vulnerable to a variety of environmental, accidental and malicious threats.

Samuel Bashfield and Dr Anthony Bergin, join Dr William Stoltz, to analyse the current challenges facing undersea cable infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific, and policy recommendations that could increase their resilience. 

Samuel Bashfield is a PhD candidate and Research Officer at the ANU National Security College. His research engages with Indian Ocean security issues, with a focus on the past, present and future of the Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory).

Dr Anthony Bergin is a Senior Fellow with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. For 20 years Dr Bergin served as an academic at the Australian Defence Force Academy. From 1991-2003 he was the Director of the Australian Defence Studies Centre.

Dr William A. Stoltz is Policy Director at the ANU National Security College. He is a Visiting Fellow at the Robert Menzies Institute at the University of Melbourne, and an Associate Member of the Centre for the Study of Subversion, Unconventional Interventions and Terrorism (SUIT) at the University of Nottingham.

Show notes

Options for safeguarding undersea critical infrastructure: Australia and Indo-Pacific submarine cables, Samuel Bashfield and Anthony Bergin, (2022)

The Deep-Sea Cables, Rudyard Kipling, (1893) 

We’d love to hear from you! Send your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. Tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Kate Clayton and Dom Dwyer join Will Stoltz to discuss how young Australians are seeking to influence policymakers and what can be expected of the next generation of leaders.

Young Australians in International Affairs (YAIA) and the Youth National Security Strategy (YNSS) are two organisations seeking to equip the next generation of security and foreign affairs decision-makers to lead in an uncertain world. Through distinctly different approaches they are also supporting amplifying the perspectives and concerns of young Australians in the policy discourses. Kate Clayton from Young Australians in International Affairs and Dom Dwyer from the Youth National Security Strategy join Will Stoltz to discuss how young Australians are seeking to influence policymakers and what can be expected of the next generation of leaders.

Kate Clayton is a Research Officer at La Trobe Asia and Chief Operations Officer at Young Australians in International Affairs. Her research looks at climate change, security, and geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific region.

Dom Dwyer is Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Youth National Security Strategy. He is currently completing honours research at The Australian National University.

Dr William A Stoltz is the Policy Director at the ANU National Security College.

Show notes | The following were mentioned during this episode:

State of the Service Report, Australian Public Service Commission, (2021)

Young Australians in International Affairs publications and events

Youth National Security Strategy’s work and latest strategy

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, we bring you the fifth instalment of the Women in National Security mini-series, produced in collaboration with Accenture. 

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, hosts Gai Brodtmann, National Security College Futures Council member, and Meg Tapia, Principal Director for Defence and National Security at Accenture, are joined by Julie-Ann Guivarra, Group Manager of the Strategic Policy Group in the National Indigenous Australians Agency. Julie-Ann talks us through her experience in rising to the challenges and expectations that come with being the first in many things, and shares with us her personal views on the recent changes to Indigenous policy.

Julie-Ann Guivarra is the Group Manager of the Strategic Policy Group in the National Indigenous Australians Agency. Julie-Ann was previously with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade where she served most recently as Australia’s Ambassador for Gender Equality and prior to this as Australia’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain, Andorra, and Equatorial Guinea.

Gai Brodtmann is a member of the National Security College Futures Council having previously served as a diplomat, defence consultant, Member of Parliament, Shadow Assistant Minister for Cyber Security and Defence and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence.

Meg Tapia has 16 years of experience in national security and foreign policy. She served as a diplomat in Papua New Guinea, Afghanistan, and Vanuatu. Currently, Meg is Principal Director for Defence and National Security at Accenture.

All episodes of the Women in National Security mini-series are available here.

Find full show notes at policyforum.net. We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Lisa Singh, CEO of the Australia India Institute, and Dr David Brewster, Senior Fellow at ANU National Security College, join Will Stoltz to discuss the challenges and opportunities for greater cooperation with India on international security issues.

India will play a pivotal role in shaping international security in the decades to come. There are challenges and opportunities for greater cooperation between India and other democratic states like Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. As the world adapts to the invasion of Ukraine and looks to potential conflicts that may arise elsewhere, we ask what practical steps Australia and other countries can do to ensure India fulfils its potential to secure and stabilise an uncertain world.

For more, see the College’s recent Policy Options Paper, 'New options for trilateral cooperation in the Indo-Pacific: Australia-India-United Kingdom'.  

Lisa Singh is CEO of the Australia India Institute and a former Senator for Tasmania.

Dr David Brewster is a Senior Fellow at the ANU National Security College.

Dr William A Stoltz is the Policy Director at the ANU National Security College.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Sir Roland Wilson Scholar and economist Helen Mitchell and Director of Research and Economics at the Australian Industry Group Jeffrey Wilson join National Security College Policy Director Will Stoltz to discuss how the global economy is reshaping international security.

It’s a turbulent time for the global economy, with food and fuel crises, straining global supply chains, bounding inflation, and — especially in Australia — acute workforce and population obstacles. To explore these trends, and how they’re affecting international security, Will Stolz is joined by Helen Mitchell and Jeffrey Wilson.

Helen Mitchell is a Sir Roland Wilson PhD Scholar at The Australian National University (ANU) Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis. She is also an economist and former diplomat.

Dr Jeffrey Wilson is the Director of Research and Economics at the Australian Industry Group.

Dr William A Stoltz is the Policy Director at ANU National Security College.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, we bring you the sixth instalment of the Women in National Security mini-series, produced in collaboration with Accenture.

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, hosts Gai Brodtmann, National Security College Futures Council member, and Meg Tapia, Principal Director for Defence and National Security at Accenture, are joined by Dr Elise Stephenson, ANU National Security College Fellow and Research Fellow at the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership. Drawing on recent data, Elise discusses the barriers for women entering and progressing within the national security domain, and outlines the systemic issues that stand in the way of gender equality.

Dr Elise Stephenson is an ANU National Security College Fellow and Research Fellow at the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership. Elise seeks to find critical junctures across industries and portfolios – all for the sake of research, practice, or policy interventions that can help to ensure equality in various aspects of international affairs.

Gai Brodtmann is a member of the ANU National Security College (NSC)'s Futures Council having previously served as a diplomat, defence consultant, Member of Parliament, Shadow Assistant Minister for Cyber Security and Defence and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence.

Meg Tapia has 16 years of experience in national security and foreign policy. She served as a diplomat in Papua New Guinea, Afghanistan, and Vanuatu. Currently, Meg is Principal Director for Defence and National Security at Accenture.

We’re giving away several free tickets to the WiNS Live event, taking place on the 10 November in Canberra! If you’re a woman who is new to — or interested in joining — the national security community, enter now: https://forms.office.com/r/U0fashVrLE

All episodes of the Women in National Security mini-series are available here.

Find full show notes at policyforum.net. We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Dr Mika Aaltola, Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, joins Rory Medcalf to shine a light on the distinctly Finnish way of safeguarding a small democracy’s national security in an unforgiving strategic environment.

A major consequence of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the historic decision by Finland and Sweden to join NATO. But Finland is no stranger to countering military aggression from Moscow. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Dr Mika Aaltola, Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA), joins Professor Rory Medcalf, Head of the National Security College, who recently visited Helsinki in his capacity as a member of the FIIA advisory council, to shine a light on the distinctly Finnish way of safeguarding a small democracy’s national security in an unforgiving strategic environment.

Dr Mika Aaltola is the Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs and has been a Visiting Fellow at Cambridge University, Le Centre de recherches internationals at Sciences Po, and Johns Hopkins University. His areas of expertise include the global role of the United States, dynamics of major power politics, democratic vulnerability, pandemic security, and Finnish foreign policy.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than two decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Professor Joanne Wallis and Adjunct Professor Ian Kemish AM join Nicola Rosenblum to discuss the future of Australian diplomacy in the Pacific.

It’s been a busy year for diplomacy in the Pacific, with visits to multiple countries by China’s Foreign Minster Wang Yi and Australia’s newly-minted Foreign Minister Penny Wong. Attention for the region heightened at the Pacific Islands Forum when the United States pledged to scale up its engagement in the region, including the establishment of new embassies. Given these recent events why has there been such intense diplomatic interest in the Pacific? Is the Pacific “family” metaphor useful when talking about and with the region? And what role does Australia have in strengthening regional unity? In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Professor of International Security at the University of Adelaide Joanne Wallis and former Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea Ian Kemish AM join Deputy Head of the ANU National Security College Nicola Rosenblum to discuss the future of diplomacy in the Pacific.

Joanne Wallis is Professor of International Security in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Adelaide. She is the author or editor of seven books, including Constitution making during State building and Pacific Power? Australia’s Strategy in the Pacific Islands.

Ian Kemish AM is an Adjunct Research Professor in History at The University of Queensland and author of The Consul: An insider account from Australia's diplomatic frontline. He was formerly Australia’s High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Ambassador to Germany, Head of the Prime Minister’s International Division and DFAT’s Southeast Asia Division.

Nicola Rosenblum is Deputy Head of the National Security College, on secondment from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). She has served as Australia’s High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam, as well as other diplomatic postings to Australia’s High Commission in Pakistan and Australia’s mission to the United Nations in Vienna.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Dr Huong Le Thu and Gatra Priyandita join Dr Will Stoltz to discuss how Southeast Asia’s technology and development needs intersect with geopolitics and great power competition in the region. 

How do nations in the region balance the conflict between immediate needs and those that are more long-term and strategic? Is regional leadership in South-East Asia changing? And if so, what is the role of ASEAN into the future? Principal Policy Fellow at the Perth USAsia Centre Dr Huong Le Thu and Gatra Priyandita from ANU Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs join ANU National Security College Policy Director Dr Will Stoltz to discuss how Southeast Asia’s technology and development needs are intersecting with geopolitics and great power competition in the region.

Gatra Priyandita is a PhD candidate at ANU Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs and an Analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. He recently co-authored China Inc. and Indonesia’s Technology Future, a Policy Options Paper published by the ANU National Security College.

Dr Huong Le Thu is Principal Policy Fellow at the Perth USAsia Centre and Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Southeast Asia Program. She speaks five languages and has published in four of them.

Dr William A Stoltz is the Policy Director at the ANU National Security College. He is responsible for mobilising the College’s research and resident expertise to influence and inform current public policy debates.

Find full show notes at policyforum.net. We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, we bring you the seventh instalment of the Women in National Security mini-series, produced in collaboration with Accenture.

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, hosts Gai Brodtmann, National Security College Futures Council member, and Meg Tapia, Principal Director for Defence and National Security at Accenture, are joined by Sophia Hamblin Wang, Chief Operating Officer for Mineral Carbonation International. Sophia provides a realistic and hopeful outlook for the state of Australia’s climate change issues, and shares how her upbringing in tropical Queensland and exposure to a range of natural disasters shaped her interest in carbon capture technology.

Sophia Hamblin Wang is a carbon technologist, circular economy expert, university lecturer and diversity advocate. She is the Chief Operating Officer of Mineral Carbonation International, a technology platform that transforms CO2 into building materials and other valuable industrial products.

Gai Brodtmann is a member of the ANU National Security College (NSC)’s Futures Council having previously served as a diplomat, defence consultant, Member of Parliament, Shadow Assistant Minister for Cyber Security and Defence and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence.

Meg Tapia has 16 years of experience in national security and foreign policy. She served as a diplomat in Papua New Guinea, Afghanistan, and Vanuatu. Currently, Meg is Principal Director for Defence and National Security at Accenture.

Full show notes at policyforum.net. We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, chair of the European Parliament’s China delegation Reinhard Bütikofer joins Professor Rory Medcalf to discuss how Europe, Germany, and Australia are approaching the China challenge.

In a fascinating conversation, Reinhard Bütikofer — a leading voice on Europe's national security stance — reflects on the China challenge. He outlines how European and German views of China are shifting, and lessons for the Indo-Pacific from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Bütikofer also describes the vital role Green Party voices have played in the shaping of German and European strategic policy.

Reinhard Bütikofer is one of the Co-Chairs of the European Green Party, and a Member of the European Parliament for the German Green Party (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen). He serves as the Chair of the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with China and sits on the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than two decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Nick Rasmussen, inaugural Executive Director of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism, and Kristy Campion, Lecturer of Terrorism Studies at Charles Sturt University, join Will Stoltz to unpack they ways terrorism and violent extremism have evolved since the 9/11 attacks, and how Australia and the United States are combatting these threats.

More than two decades on from the devastating attacks of September 11, how has terrorism changed? And with the rise of right-wing extremism, is the current practice of counterterrorism still fit for purpose? Nick Rasmussen, former head of the United States National Counterterrorism Center, and Dr Kristy Campion, terrorism studies lecturer, reflect on the impacts of historical terrorist attacks such as 9/11 and the Bali Bombings, discuss the ongoing evolution of terrorism and violent extremism, and explore how Australia and the United States are finding new ways to combat these threats.

Nick Rasmussen is the inaugural Executive Director of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT), and former Director of the United States National Counterterrorism Center.

Dr Kristy Campion is a Lecturer of Terrorism Studies with the Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security at Charles Sturt University.

Dr William A Stoltz is the Policy Director at ANU National Security College.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Director of the CSIRO National Artificial Intelligence Centre Stela Solar joins Olivia Shen and Dr Will Stoltz from ANU National Security College to discuss ethical artificial intelligence and the strategic implications of rising global competition in artificial intelligence development. 

Stela Solar – prominent Australian expert on artificial intelligence (AI) – joins Olivia Shen and Dr Will Stoltz from ANU National Security College to discuss the strategic implications of AI technology. From AI ‘data deserts’ to Chinese facial recognition technology, they reflect on the ethical questions raised by the global pursuit of the technology’s development. They discuss Australia’s position in the race to develop AI capabilities, the responsibilities of government in regulating the technology, and the opportunities AI presents for the future.

Olivia Shen is a Director in the Executive and Professional Development Program at ANU National Security College. With a decade of experience in national security and foreign policy roles in the Australian Government, in 2019 she was a Fulbright Scholar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington where her research focused on the ethics of artificial intelligence in national security. 

Stela Solar is the Director of the CSIRO National Artificial Intelligence Centre and former Global Director of Artificial Intelligence Solution Sales and Strategy at Microsoft. She is well-versed in artificial intelligence technology and is helping to bridge the chasm between innovation and commercialisation to create new opportunities for Australia. 

Dr William A Stoltz is the Policy Director at ANU National Security College. He is responsible for mobilising the College’s research and resident expertise to influence and inform current public policy debates. 

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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In this special episode of the National Security Podcast, we kick off a mini-series exploring the AUKUS technology-sharing arrangement, a year on from its announcement. 

The AUKUS technology-sharing arrangement – between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia – is set to, among other things, fundamentally change the nature of Australian sea power and introduce nuclear-powered submarines to the Royal Australian Navy. ANU National Security College has produced a podcast mini-series, a year on from the AUKUS announcement, exploring its background, implications, and the implementation challenges ahead – for Australia in particular. In the first episode of this series, recently retired Vice Admiral Michael Noonan – former Chief of the Royal Australian Navy – joins Professor Rory Medcalf. They discuss the strategic challenges that led to AUKUS, nuclear submarines, the role of sea power for Australia and more.

Vice Admiral Michael Noonan AO RAN (Retd) assumed command of the Royal Australian Navy in 2018 and retired in 2022.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than two decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, we bring you the eighth instalment of the Women in National Security mini-series, produced in collaboration with Accenture.

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, hosts Gai Brodtmann, National Security College Futures Council member, and Meg Tapia, Principal Director for Defence and National Security at Accenture, are joined by Lindy Cameron, Chief Executive Officer of the UK National Cyber Security Centre. As the first international guest on the WiNS mini-series, Lindy explains the need for the United Kingdom and Australia to share their experiences in dealing with cyber threats, and increase both nations’ capabilities. Lindy discusses her approach to partnering across government and industry, in an effort to enable citizens to participate confidently in the online world.

Lindy Cameron is Chief Executive Officer of the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre. She commenced in the role in 2020, following more than two decades of national security policy and crisis management experience.

Gai Brodtmann is a member of ANU National Security College's Futures Council having previously served as a diplomat, defence consultant, Member of Parliament, Shadow Assistant Minister for Cyber Security and Defence and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence.

Meg Tapia has 16 years of experience in national security and foreign policy. She served as a diplomat in Papua New Guinea, Afghanistan, and Vanuatu. Currently, Meg is Principal Director for Defence and National Security at Accenture.

This episode was recorded before the Optus data breach of September 2022.

We’re giving away several free tickets to the WiNS Live event, taking place on the 10 November in Canberra! If you’re a woman who is new to — or interested in joining — the national security community, enter now.

All episodes of the Women in National Security mini-series are available here.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Peter Khalil MP, Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, joins Rory Medcalf in conversation. 

What are the big strategic issues that will shape Australia’s future? How should Australia respond to more frequent challenges from authoritarian regimes? And what role should politics play in Australian national security policy-making? In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Head of ANU National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf is joined by Peter Khalil MP, a prominent voice on national security in the new parliament. They discuss his new role as Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, his personal journey into politics and the national security community, and the growing complexity of Australia’s security landscape.

Peter Khalil MP is Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security and Australian Co-Chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China. He is the Labor member of parliament for the federal seat of Wills.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than two decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Senior Fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute in Delhi Dr C Raja Mohan joins Professor Rory Medcalf to discuss India’s strategic direction.

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Dr C Raja Mohan, a longstanding and highly-repsected analyst, joins Professor Rory Medcalf to discuss India’s strategic direction. They discuss the future of India, its evolving relationship with the United States, China, Russia and Australia, and a South-Asian view of AUKUS. Dr Mohan’s visit to Australia has been made possible by the Asia Society Australia.

Dr C Raja Mohan is a Senior Fellow with the Asia Society Policy Institute in Delhi. He is a Visiting Research Professor at the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS), National University of Singapore.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than two decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, we bring you the ninth instalment of the Women in National Security mini-series, produced in collaboration with Accenture.

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, hosts Gai Brodtmann, National Security College Futures Council member, and Meg Tapia, Principal Director for Defence and National Security at Accenture, are joined by Dr Danielle Ireland-Piper, Associate Professor at ANU National Security College and Honorary Adjunct Associate Professor at Bond University. They explore whether legislation is keeping up with contemporary human rights issues arising from the exploration of space. Danielle also provides a legal perspective on a range of national security issues, including the delicate balance between national security secrecy and the need for transparency.

Dr Danielle Ireland-Piper is Associate Professor at ANU National Security College. Her teaching and research expertise includes constitutional, comparative, and international law, as well as the intersection between these areas of law and matters of national security law and policy.

Gai Brodtmann is a member of the ANU National Security College (NSC)'s Futures Council having previously served as a diplomat, defence consultant, Member of Parliament, Shadow Assistant Minister for Cyber Security and Defence and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence.

Meg Tapia has 16 years of experience in national security and foreign policy. She served as a diplomat in Papua New Guinea, Afghanistan, and Vanuatu. Currently, Meg is Principal Director for Defence and National Security at Accenture.

All episodes of the Women in National Security mini-series are available here.

For full show notes, visit policyforum.net. We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, outgoing Director-General of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service, Major General Paul Symon AO (Retd), joins Professor Rory Medcalf AM to reflect on his long career in the national security community.

The head of the Australian intelligence agency tasked with collecting human intelligence from around the world is preparing to retire. In a rare appearance, Major General Paul Symon AO (Retd) joins Professor Rory Medcalf AM in conversation. They discuss the increasing need for transparency from intelligence agencies, the evolving mission and capability needs of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS), Australia’s complex strategic circumstances, and whether the nation is adequately prepared in the event of a conflict.

Major General Paul Symon AO (Retd) is the Director-General of ASIS. Before leading the organisation, he had a highly successful military career, spanning 35 years and culminating in the rank of Major General.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than two decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Australia’s Minister for Cyber Security Clare O’Neil MP and the former head of Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre Ciaran Martin join Katherine Mansted in conversation.

The recent data breaches at Optus and Medibank remind us how valuable, yet vulnerable, Australians’ personal data is. The hacks — which are two of the worst in the country’s history — highlight the need for a rethink of the nation’s approach to cyber security. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Australia’s Minster for Cyber Security the Hon Clare O'Neil MP and former head of the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre Professor Ciaran Martin join Katherine Mansted in conversation. This episode was recorded at an event hosted by ANU National Security College, in partnership with CyberCX, on 9 November 2022.

The Hon Clare O’Neil MP is Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Cyber Security in the Australian Government. She Labor member for the federal seat of Hotham in Victoria.

Professor Ciaran Martin is the former Chief Executive of the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre and is a Professor of Practice in the Management of Public Organisations at the University of Oxford.

Katherine Mansted is a Senior Fellow in the Practice of National Security at ANU National Security College. She is also the Director of Cyber Intelligence at CyberCX.

Major General Duncan Lewis AO DSC CSC (Retd) is a Professor in the Practice of National Security at ANU National Security College. He concluded his 47-year career in the Australian Government as Director-General of the Australian Secret Intelligence Organisation.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode, Lisa Curtis — Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security — joins Will Stoltz and David Andrews from the ANU National Security College to discuss the Biden Administration’s new National Security Strategy.

A new national security strategy from Australia’s most important ally deserves close attention. What is a national security strategy in the American context? What are the key areas of continuity and change between this strategy and the document produced by the Trump Administration? How does the new strategy approach non-traditional security challenges such as climate change and COVID-19? In this episode, Lisa Curtis — Senior Fellow and Director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security — joins Will Stoltz and David Andrews from the ANU National Security College to discuss the Biden Administration’s National Security Strategy.

Lisa Curtis is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. She is a foreign policy and national security expert with over 20 years of service in the US government.

Dr William A Stoltz is the Policy Director at the ANU National Security College.

David Andrews is the Senior Policy Advisor at the ANU National Security College.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, we bring you the final instalment of the Women in National Security mini-series, produced in collaboration with Accenture.

To celebrate the final episode of the Women in National Security mini-series, the ANU National Security College hosted a networking event and live podcast recording with more than 250 women at the National Gallery of Australia. Our hosts Gai Brodtmann, National Security College Futures Council member, and Meg Tapia, Principal Director for Defence and National Security at Accenture, were joined by Deputy Director-General at the Office of National Intelligence Nina Davidson, Deputy-Director General of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service Catherine Burn, and Head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre Abigail Bradshaw. The panel answer audience questions, addressing issues of gender equality, leadership, and authenticity. Drawing on live opinion polling results at the event, Gai and Meg discuss personal heroes and the use of gender targets, among other topics.

Nina Davidson is Deputy Director-General Intelligence at the Office of National Intelligence (ONI).

Catherine Burn was appointed as the Australian Secret Intelligence Service's Deputy-Director General Capability & Corporate Management in April 2018.

Abigail Bradshaw CSC is the Head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) and Deputy Director-General of the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD).

Gai Brodtmann is a member of the ANU National Security College's Futures Council having previously served as a diplomat, defence consultant, Member of Parliament, Shadow Assistant Minister for Cyber Security and Defence, and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence.

Meg Tapia has 16 years of experience in national security and foreign policy. She served as a diplomat in Papua New Guinea, Afghanistan, and Vanuatu. Currently, Meg is Principal Director for Defence and National Security at Accenture.

All episodes of the Women in National Security mini-series are available here.

The Dr Margot McCarthy Scholarship for women in national security will be offered for the first time in 2023. This scholarship will provide women with financial aid in order to complete a Master of National Security Policy at The Australian National University. For more information, reach out to crawford.degrees@anu.edu.au.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Professor the Hon Gareth Evans, former Australian Foreign Minister and former Chancellor of The Australian National University, joins Professor Rory Medcalf to discuss repositioning Australia in a new geopolitical environment.

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Professor the Hon Gareth Evans – a longstanding and influential voice in Australian foreign and public policy – joins Professor Rory Medcalf in conversation. They discuss navigating the Australia-China and Australia-US relationships in an era of strategic competition, strengthening relations with Australia’s Indo-Pacific neighbours, the country’s credibility as a good international citizen, and the importance of diplomacy.

The Hon Gareth Evans AC KC FASSA FAIIA is a Distinguished Honorary Professor at The Australian National University (ANU), where he was Chancellor from 2010–19. He was a Cabinet Minister in the Hawke and Keating Labor Governments from 1983–96, in the posts of Attorney General, Minister for Resources and Energy, Minister for Transport and Communications and – from 1988–96 – Foreign Minister.

Professor Rory Medcalf AM is Head of ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than three decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, journalism and academia.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, ANU National Security College Senior Research Fellow Dr David Brewster and Ric Smith – former Australian Ambassador to China and Indonesia and Secretary of Defence – join Professor Rory Medcalf to explore what a deeper Australia-Bangladesh security relationship should look like.

As part of its Indo-Pacific strategy, Australia needs to broaden its engagement in South Asia. For at least a decade, Australia has rightly concentrated on its partnership with India, but it is now time to broaden that strategy to include other countries in that region. Bangladesh should be an important part of that new focus. With its thriving economy and a population of more than 160 million, it has the potential to become the next ‘Asian tiger’. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Dr David Brewster and former Australian Ambassador to China and Indonesia Ric Smith join Professor Rory Medcalf to discuss why Australia should develop its defence and security relationship with Bangladesh as part of broader political and economic engagement.

David has authored the College’s latest Policy Options Paper, New Indo-Pacific Partnership: Building Australia-Bangladesh Security Ties, and Ric is the author of a compelling working paper published by the ANU National Security College in 2016, Forgotten Friends: Australia, India and the Independence of Bangladesh.

Dr David Brewster is Senior Research Fellow at the ANU National Security College. His research focuses on security in India and the Indian Ocean region, and Indo-Pacific maritime affairs.

Richard C Smith AO PSM served in Australia’s diplomatic missions in India, Israel, the Philippines and Hawaii. He became Deputy Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 1992 and then Deputy Secretary of the Department of Defence in 1994. He served as Ambassador to China from 1996-2000 and as Ambassador to Indonesia in 2001-2002, before being appointed as Secretary of the Department of Defence in 2002.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at The Australian National University. His professional background involves more than two decades of experience across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.

We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or find us on Facebook. The National Security Podcast and Policy Forum Pod are available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, eminent Russian foreign policy scholar Professor Akihiro Iwashita joins Professor Rory Medcalf in conversation.

How does the history of conflict between Japan and Russia affect relations today? How has the Russian invasion of Ukraine impacted their relationship? And what strategic challenges does the China-Russia relationship present for Japan and the Indo-Pacific? In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Professor Akihiro Iwashita – an expert in Russian foreign policy towards China and Japan – joins Professor Rory Medcalf in conversation. They discuss Japan’s relationship with China and Russia and broader strategic challenges in the Indo-Pacific.

Akihiro Iwashita is a Professor at the Slavic-Eurasian Research Center at Hokkaido University.

Professor Rory Medcalf AM is Head of ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than three decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, journalism and academia.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, the Rt Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP, the United Kingdom's Minister of State for the Indo-Pacific, joins Professor Rory Medcalf in conversation.

How will the United Kingdom’s Integrated Review refresh affect Britain’s Indo-Pacific policy? What does AUKUS mean for the United Kingdom? And what’s the future of Australia-UK cooperation? In this episode of the National Security Podcast, the Rt Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP — who was recently appointed as Britain’s first Minister of State for the Indo-Pacific — joins Professor Rory Medcalf in conversation. They discuss the United Kingdom’s Integrated Review refresh and the country's subsequent tilt towards the Indo-Pacific, AUKUS, and Australia-UK relations.

The Rt Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP is the United Kingdom’s Minister of State for the Indo-Pacific. She has previously served as Secretary of State for International Trade and International Development.

Professor Rory Medcalf AM is Head of ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than three decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, journalism and academia.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Under the AUKUS agreement, Australia will be the first non-nuclear state to acquire nuclear propulsion technology. What impact could this have on the nation’s nuclear security standards? And how could it affect Australia’s standing as a non-proliferation player?

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Scott Roecker and Jessica Bufford from the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) join Professor Rory Medcalf in conversation.

They discuss global nuclear non-proliferation and arms control efforts, the increasingly challenging strategic environment this work is carried out within, and the current outlook for nuclear disarmament.

Scott Roecker is the Vice President for NTI’s Nuclear Materials Security Program. He previously served as the Director of the Office of Nuclear Material Removal at the National Nuclear Security Administration in the United States. 

Jessica Bufford is a Program Officer for NTI’s Nuclear Material Security team. She previously worked in the Division of Nuclear Security at the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Professor Rory Medcalf AM is Head of the ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than three decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, journalism and academia. 

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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In the final National Security Podcast episode of the year, some of the team from the ANU National Security College take stock of Australia’s security landscape in 2022. Dayle Stanley, Elise Stephenson, Rory Medcalf and Will Stoltz also discuss what they’ll be keeping an eye on in 2023, and the years to come.

Dayle Stanley is the Director of Strategy & Engagement at the ANU National Security College Futures Hub.

Dr Elise Stephenson is a Fellow at the ANU National Security College and the incoming Deputy Director at the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership.

Professor Rory Medcalf AM is Head of the ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than three decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, journalism and academia.

Dr William A Stoltz is the Policy Director at the ANU National Security College.

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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How can fiction influence national security policy and its development? What is the role of fiction in future scenario planning? How does reading fiction assist with developing empathy, and why is this important to the national security community?

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Danielle Ireland-Piper, Chris Uhlmann and John Birmingham join Dayle Stanley in conversation to discuss the role of fiction in national security and policy making.

Dr Danielle Ireland-Piper is Associate Professor at the ANU National Security College and an Honorary Adjunct Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law at Bond University.

Chris Uhlmann is an author and former journalist and broadcaster who was political editor for both the ABC and Nine News.  

John Birmingham is a former Defence researcher turned author and journalist. His work spans across genres including science fiction, alternative history and non-fiction.

Dayle Stanley is the Director of Strategy and Engagement at the Futures Hub at the ANU National Security College. 

Show notes:

• Blog post: Fiction and national security by Dr Danielle Ireland-Piper 
• ANU National Security College academic programs: find out more

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Sweden’s Ambassador to Australia His Excellency Mr Pontus Melander and Latvia’s Ambassador to Australia His Excellency Mr Marģers Krams join Dr Will Stoltz in conversation.

They discuss how their countries approach building national resilience in response to a range of complex conventional and hybrid threats. 

His Excellency Mr Pontus Melander is the Ambassador of Sweden to Australia

His Excellency Mr Marģers Krams is the Ambassador of Latvia to Australia

Dr William A Stoltz is the Policy Director at the ANU National Security College

Show notes:

ANU National Security College academic programs: find out more

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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Despite what you’d infer from the news articles, nuclear-powered submarines form just one part of the AUKUS Agreement. There is a whole other portion of the pact focused on other technological capabilities.

What is AUKUS pillar two? What kind of projects are underway under the auspices of this pillar? Are current export control regimes of AUKUS nations fit for purpose? And is expanding pillar two to bring in other countries a realistic goal? 

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Dr Miah Hammond-Errey and Ashley Townshend join David Andrews to discuss pillar two of the AUKUS partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. 

Dr Miah Hammond-Errey is the Director of the Emerging Technology Program at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. 

Ashley Townshend is Senior Fellow for Indo-Pacific Security at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the United States Studies Centre. 

David Andrews is Senior Policy Advisor at the ANU National Security College. 

Show notes: 

• ANU National Security College academic programs: find out more
• Recent polling by the United States Studies Center: US Midterms 2022: the stakes for Australia and the alliance 

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to NatSecPod@anu.edu.au. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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