Lowy Institute

In the first episode of this new series of The Director’s Chair, the Lowy Institute’s Executive Director Michael Fullilove is joined by respected Australian journalist Leigh Sales. They discuss Leigh’s experience as a foreign correspondent in Washington, the shifts in American society that led to the rise of Donald Trump, why she still believes that journalists should be impartial — and she shares her and reading and viewing recommendations. Leigh Sales is host of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Australian Story. She is a former host of the national broadcaster’s flagship current affairs program, 7.30, served as the ABC’s chief Washington correspondent and is the host of her own successful podcast called Chat 10 Looks 3. The Director’s Chair is a podcast by the Lowy Institute: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/ Twitter: @LowyInstitute @mfullilove Host: Michael Fullilove Producers: Josh Goding and Andrew Griffits Research: David Vallance See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, the Lowy Institute’s Research Director Hervé Lemahieu talks with Ryan Neelam, the Institute’s Director of the Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Program about the findings of the recently launched 2024 Global Diplomacy Index. What do diplomatic networks tell us about superpower rivalry, geopolitical competition, and a more multipolar world order? How do nations use diplomacy to build influence, and where are they targeting their investments? What does Australia’s relative underinvestment in diplomacy mean for its ability to advance its interests? In a broad-ranging discussion, Hervé and Ryan explore the often overlooked role of diplomacy in shaping the modern world. 2024 Global Diplomacy Index: https://globaldiplomacyindex.lowyinstitute.org/ 2024 Global Diplomacy Index – Key Findings Report: https://globaldiplomacyindex.lowyinstitute.org/key_findings America, take heed — China is winning the diplomacy race: Financial Times opinion piece by Ryan Neelam: https://www.ft.com/content/2a63a19b-1fed-4c1a-9f75-e09f5708a8c6 Australia’s ‘diplomatic deficit’ harms our global presence: Canberra Times opinion piece by Ryan Neelam and Hervé Lemahieu: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/publications/australia-s-diplomatic-deficit-harms-our-global-presence Five surprises from Lowy’s Global Diplomacy Index: Lowy Institute Interpreter article by Jack Sato:https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/five-surprises-lowy-s-global-diplomacy-index See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A conversation with Admiral John Aquilino on the increasing dangers in the Indo-Pacific, the bilateral relationship between Australia and the United States, and the importance of the AUKUS security partnership. Lowy Institute Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove moderated the discussion, which also featured questions from the audience. Admiral John Aquilino is the 26th Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, responsible for all US military activities in the Indo-Pacific, covering 36 nations, 14 time zones, and more than 50 per cent of the world's population. Aquilino graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1984 and earned his wings in August 1986. He served in numerous fighter squadrons, graduated from Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN), and completed Harvard Kennedy School's executive education program in national and international security. Prior to his assignment to US Indo-Pacific Command, Aquilino served as the 36th Commander of US Pacific Fleet. RECORDED: Tuesday 9 April 2024 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, the Lowy Institute’s Sam Roggeveen talks with his colleague, Research Fellow on Transnational Challenges Lydia Khalil, about her new research paper, Overcoming digital threats to democracy. The internet and social media are now our digital public square, yet these spaces are not governed that way. Lydia proposes that tech giants look to “deliberative democracy” practices — where small but representative groups of people make decisions after deliberating on issues in depth — to address issues of fairness and legitimacy in internet governance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special episode of Lowy Institute Conversations, Director of Research Hervé Lemahieu talks with three experts about the outcome of Indonesia's presidential election on 14 February 2024. Quick counts point to a landslide victory for Prabowo Subianto. What drove this result? Who is the 72-year-old Prabowo? And what kind of Indonesia can we expect under his presidency? Listen to the discussion with Professor Dewi Fortuna Anwar, Nonresident Fellow at the Lowy Institute, Dr Fakhridho (Ridho) Susrahadiansyah Bagus Pratama Susilo, Senior Analyst at Bower Group Asia, and Dr Abdul Rahman Yaacob, Research Fellow in the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Lowy Institute’s latest episode of Pacific Change Makers introduces a fresh and dynamic voice in Pacific affairs – Oliver Nobetau, the new FDC Pacific Fellow from Papua New Guinea. Oliver’s journey is as unique as it is inspiring. Born in Germany to a diplomatic family, with roots in both Bougainville and West New Britain, he brings a rich blend of international exposure and local understanding. Oliver’s involvement in key climate initiatives and significant security arrangements in Papua New Guinea, including the PNG-Australia Bilateral Security Agreement, offers listeners a window into the complex yet pivotal challenges facing the Pacific today. Oliver remembers flying into Honiara, Solomon Islands, on a six-seater plane alongside senior government officials in the immediate aftermath of the November 2021 unrest, “I remember vividly…there was smoke blowing in the air when we landed. There was nobody on the runway…so we just had to land and figure out where to park the plane.” One of the most poignant moments in the conversation is Oliver’s reflection on the personal impact of climate change: “The environment is constantly changing... swimming creeks are drying up, the fruit trees you would enjoy as a kid are no longer bearing the same.” This personal connection to environmental changes underscores the urgency of addressing climate challenge in the Pacific. As Oliver embarks on his year with the Lowy Institute, his focus on research around climate-induced migration and PNG’s social and security landscape promises to bring fresh perspectives and innovative solutions to the field. Tune in to this episode of Pacific Change Makers for personal reflections from Oliver Nobetau, FDC Pacific Research Fellow and one of PNG’s emerging leaders, on witnessing the January unrest in Port Moresby, meeting the PNG Prime Minister, and working on some of the most impactful and high-profile regional security issues in the Pacific today. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A conversation between chief foreign affairs columnist for the Financial Times Gideon Rachman and the Lowy Institute’s Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove AM. They discussed the wars, summits and elections that will shape the international agenda in 2024, as well as the decision-makers and presidential aspirants who are influencing world affairs. Gideon Rachman is chief foreign affairs columnist for the Financial Times and a Nonresident Fellow at the Lowy Institute. Known for his witty and authoritative analysis of global affairs, he is the author of multiple books including most recently The Age of the Strongman: How the Cult of the Leader Threatens Democracy Around the World. Gideon joined the FT after a 15-year career at The Economist, which included assignments as a foreign correspondent in Brussels, Washington, DC, and Bangkok. He is a former Lowy Institute Rothschild & Co Distinguished International Fellow and delivered the 2022 Lowy Institute Media Lecture. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we usher in the new year, the global economy is at a turning point. From confronting an economic development crisis and addressing the good-jobs dilemma, to navigating the climate transition and charting a course towards a more sustainable and equitable form of globalisation, 2024 promises to be an interesting year. In this episode of Development Futures, Alexandre Dayant, the Deputy Director of the Indo-Pacific Development Centre, talks with Harvard professor and economist Dani Rodrik about the challenges of globalisation and the intensification of geopolitics on the global economy. They discuss the role of redistributive domestic policies, the impact of US–China competition on the delivery of global public goods, and the risk of breakdown of the multilateral trade system. These are just a few of the topics covered in this wide-ranging conversation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Pacific Change Makers, Research Fellow at the Lowy Institute’s Pacific Islands Program Dr Jess Collins speaks with Dame Annette King about her role as New Zealand’s High Commissioner to Australia. At the end of last year and with just a few weeks left in the role, Dame Annette sat down with Dr Collins in Canberra to reflect on her five-year term as High Commissioner to Australia — a post she considers one of New Zealand’s most important. As Dame Annette notes, “Australia and New Zealand — there are no two closer countries on the planet.” They discussed Dame Anette’s priorities for the Trans-Tasman arrangement, building the family-like relationship with Australia, the Australia–Tuvalu deal, New Zealand’s unique and strong relationship with the Pacific, and her country’s relationship with China amid growing tensions in the region. In a wide-ranging discussion, they also touched on the Lowy Institute Poll, the war in Ukraine, New Zealand movies, cheese pies, and sport. Dame Annette King commenced duties as the New Zealand High Commissioner to Australia in December 2018 and concluded her assignment in December 2023. Prior to taking up this position, she served as Deputy Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party and Deputy Leader of the Opposition from 2008 to 2011 and from 2014 until 2017. She was a Senior Cabinet Minister in the Fourth and Fifth Labour Governments of New Zealand and was the MP for the Rongotai electorate in Wellington from 1996 to 2017. Dame Annette is New Zealand’s longest-serving female MP, with 30 years in parliament. Her portfolios included Health, Police, Transport, Justice, Immigration, Employment and States Services. Pacific Change Makers is a podcast from the Lowy Institute: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/ Twitter: @LowyInstitute @DrJessCollins @annettecanberra See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hon Anthony Albanese MP is the 31st Prime Minister of Australia. Since the election of his government in May 2022, Prime Minister Albanese has focused closely on issues of foreign policy, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Australia’s relations with allies and key regional partners. The Lowy Lecture is the Institute’s flagship event and one of the world’s leading lecture series, at which a prominent individual reflects on Australia and the world. Past Lecturers include German Chancellor Angela Merkel; UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson; US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan; Lowy Institute Chairman Sir Frank Lowy; and several Australian prime ministers including Prime Minister John Howard, who delivered the inaugural Lowy Lecture in 2005. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Lowy Institute. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Ukraine to the Middle East, we are confronted by serious challenges to peace and security. Meantime, the prospect of Donald Trump's return to the White House looms. Around the world there has been a startling rise in illiberalism. Fareed Zakaria joins Michael Fullilove on this episode of The Director’s Chair to discuss these issues, the state of the world today, and a life spent analysing world affairs. Fareed Zakaria is the host of Fareed Zakaria GPS on CNN, a columnist for The Washington Post, and a bestselling author. The Director’s Chair is a podcast by the Lowy Institute: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/ Twitter: @LowyInstitute @mfullilove @FareedZakaria Host: Michael Fullilove Producer: Darcy Milne Research: David Vallance See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James Marape, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, spoke about strengthening Papua New Guinea's economy, climate change, and PNG’s place in the world. After his remarks, the Prime Minister spoke in conversation with the Lowy Institute's Executive Director, Dr Michael Fullilove AM. James Marape has served as Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea since May 2019 and as a Member of Parliament representing the electorate of Tari-Pori Open in Hela Province since 2007. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many of the most economically efficient policies to reduce emissions, such as carbon pricing, have proven difficult to implement. In this episode of Development Futures, the Lowy Institute’s Indo-Pacific Development Centre Research Fellow Michelle Lyons speaks with Professor David Victor from UC San Diego on how to make climate policy work and ways to accelerate decarbonisation of the global economy. Their discussion includes the roles of carbon and offset markets in addressing climate change, opportunities for Australia and Pacific Island countries to accelerate climate action if their bid to co-host the 2026 UNFCCC Conference of the Parties is successful, and the importance of enhancing national institutional capacity when seeking to mitigate and adapt to climate change. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Michael Fullilove speaks with leading strategist and historian Eliot Cohen. They discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine, the intelligence failures that led to the 7 October attacks on Israel, the prospect of Trump returning to the White House, and why people who care about international politics should read Shakespeare. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To mark the launch of the latest Lowy Institute Paper, Modern Warfare: Lessons from Ukraine, we talk with the author, Sir Lawrence Freedman, about the Ukraine War. Join Lowy Institute analyst Sam Roggeveen for an in-depth discussion in which Sir Lawrence examines questions such as ‘Who is winning?’, ‘Will the West remain unified behind Ukraine?’, and ‘How does this war end?’. To buy Modern Warfare, visit the Penguin Books Australia website. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A policy address given by the Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Hon Chris Bowen. Chris Bowen entered Parliament in 2004 and has held a wide range of portfolios including serving as Treasurer, Minister for Human Services, Minister for Immigration and Minister for Financial Services. He served as Interim Leader of the Labor Party and Acting Leader of the Opposition following the 2013 Federal election and served as Shadow Treasurer. This November, the world's attention will be on the 28th United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP28) on climate change held in Dubai. As countries convene to agree on efforts to mitigate the consequences of climate change, questions arise: what are the implications for Australia and what role does Australia play? Minister Bowen will speak on the international dynamics affecting global climate action and how Australia’s ambition to become a Renewable Energy Superpower can help the world in the rapid transformation to reach net zero emissions. After his remarks, the Minister spoke in conversation with the Lowy Institute's Executive Director, Dr Michael Fullilove AM. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For 650 days, Sean Turnell was a prisoner of the military junta that has ruled Myanmar since 2021. Incarcerated in some of Myanmar’s most notorious prisons, isolated, ill-treated, and ultimately convicted in a sham trial of effectively being a spy, the descent from his role as chief economic adviser to Myanmar’s civilian government was a steep one. From helping to design policies to entrench democracy and help make Myanmar the last and best of the Asian ‘tigers’, his task became one of simple and desperate survival. In An Unlikely Prisoner, Sean recounts how he not only survived his lengthy incarceration but left with his sense of humour intact and his spirit unbroken. We were joined in conversation with the author, Dr Sean Turnell, moderated by Lowy Institute Research Director Hervé Lemahieu, with questions from the audience. Dr Sean Turnell is a Senior Fellow in the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute, covering developments in Myanmar, the wider region, and international economic issues. Prior to his appointment as chief economic adviser to Myanmar’s civilian government, he was a Professor of Economics at Macquarie University, and a senior analyst at the Reserve Bank of Australia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Progress depends on many choices, notably the ones we make about technology. The way in which we structure production and communication can either cater to the exclusive interests of a privileged few or lay the groundwork for widespread prosperity. In this episode of Development Futures, Alexandre Dayant, the Deputy Director of the Indo-Pacific Development Centre, talks with economist and author Daron Acemoglu of MIT about the challenge of shared prosperity and the policies that could bring about a more inclusive economy. They discuss the role institutions have in ensuring technologies benefit all, how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can reduce the gap between emerging and developed economies, and the role of foreign aid as a tool to reduce poverty. These are just a few of the topics covered in this wide-ranging discussion. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Pacific Change Makers, Director of the Lowy Institute’s Pacific Islands Program Dr Meg Keen speaks with Bougainville MP Geraldine Paul – businesswoman, advocate for women’s empowerment and a female minister in the Bougainville government. Ms Paul believes an independent Bougainville is a “win-win situation” benefiting the region and PNG if “we all come together”. The overwhelming majority in Bougainville support independence – not only at the recent referendum when 97 per cent voted in favour, but also since before PNG statehood. She acknowledges the concerns of Bougainville’s neighbours and the PNG national government, but sees the issues as hurdles, not barriers. She argues Bougainville has the human and natural resources to be successful. Even though many challenges lie ahead, the benefits are great and the independence goal achievable. Geraldine Paul is the Bougainville Minister for Primary Industries, Marine Resources and Forestry. She is one of five women elected to Bougainville’s parliament and a member of cabinet. Before joining politics, she worked to re-establish agricultural livelihoods and industries after the Bougainville conflict that saw many lives and livelihoods lost. She promotes women’s economic empowerment and community development as a member of the Bougainville Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Multilateral institutions and the global financial system are on a transformative journey aimed at confronting the dual challenge of climate change and sustainable development. This multifaceted agenda involves substantial improvements to the governance structures of multilateral development banks, the redefinition of objectives and targets, and the creation of innovative financial instruments to mobilise both public and private capital for investments in climate and development. However, the journey is far from over, and many questions remain unanswered. In this episode of Development Futures, Alexandre Dayant speaks with Clemence Landers, a senior policy fellow at the Center for Global Development. Together, they discuss ongoing reform efforts, explore innovative solutions to maximise the impact of MDBs, and analyse the implications of the US–China competition within the reform landscape. What steps can MDBs take to optimise their financial resources, and how can they navigate the potential trade-offs between climate and development financing? These are just a few of the questions covered in this wide-ranging discussion. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.