Events

Please join us for a conversation with one of Europe’s most respected statesmen, former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt.  
 
Hosted by Lowy Institute Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove, this conversation will examine topics such as the state of the European Union after Brexit and COVID-19, Sweden’s controversial approach to controlling the pandemic, and the transatlantic alliance as America’s presidential election approaches and Angela Merkel’s term draws to a close.

Once-in-a-century levels of disruption for the world economy as a result of COVID-19 have wrought their impact on the traditionally strong economic links between PNG and Australia. Shutdowns, travel bans and the potential of a public health crisis in both countries have sidelined the two-way traffic between our two countries. As both PNG and Australia start to ease the restrictions that have marked the first phase of the coronavirus response, how is business faring? How can people on both sides of the PNG-Australia relationship be ready to rebuild the ties between our two countries and prepare for recovery?

Join us for a conversation with two long-serving and distinguished former Australian foreign ministers, Julie Bishop and Gareth Evans. They will discuss Australia’s response to COVID-19, relations with China, the government’s call for an international inquiry on the origins of the pandemic, the world order after COVID-19, and the future of international education in Australia. Hosted by Lowy Institute Executive Director Michael Fullilove, this Lowy Institute Live event will include questions from the audience.
 

China has expelled a record number of foreign journalists in recent months, mostly Americans, but also a number of Australians. Although the expulsions have been part of a tit-for-tat battle between Washington and Beijing over the status of journalists in both countries, they also reflect a tougher attitude to foreign criticism by Beijing, and a more uncompromising foreign policy generally.

The biggest geopolitical rivalry of the 21st century has just been jolted into a new period of uncertainty and risk by the coronavirus pandemic. Join Australia’s leading authority on US foreign policy, Dr Michael Fullilove, and senior China analyst, Richard McGregor, as they examine the implications of this global health and economic emergency for the most important international relationship of our time. Lowy Institute Director of Research Alex Oliver will chair this first-ever Lowy Institute Live Event, which will be live-streamed and include audience questions.

Due to the changing COVID-19 situation we have decided to postpone this event.

In one of the hottest Australian summers on record, bushfires on an unprecedented scale ravaged the east and south coasts of Australia in 2019–20. Images of the fires, and the human, biological, and environmental damage they caused, appeared as front-page news around the world. The international prominence of the fires has put Australia’s climate change policies in the global spotlight in the lead-up to the UN climate change conference to be held in Glasgow in November 2020.
 
Join the Lowy Institute’s Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove together with Laura Tingle, Innes Willox, and Patrick Suckling for a discussion of the impact of the fires on Australia’s international reputation, climate stance, and domestic policy.
 

Due to the changing COVID-19 situation we have decided to postpone this event.

Since 2017, the Chinese government has detained more than a million people from the far west Xinjiang region, most of them ethnic Uyghur Muslims, in internment camps and prisons. This targeting of ethnic and religious groups on the grounds of anti-terrorism has seen detainees forced to denounce their Islamic faith and swear allegiance to the ruling communist party. Thousands of Uyghurs have also been conscripted to work in factories across China, many making global brand-name products, such as Nike. Australian citizens and permanent residents are among those detained in the camps.

Join the Lowy Institute’s Natasha Kassam for a panel discussion on Xinjiang and its implications for Australia and the world. The panel will feature Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, China reporter for Axios in Washington; Dr James Leibold, Associate Professor at La Trobe University; and Nurgul Sawut, Oceania Board Director of the Campaign for Uyghurs.

Due to the changing COVID-19 situation we have decided to postpone this event.

Re-elected last year by an increased margin, Indonesian President Joko Widodo has offered an ambitious vision for his final term in office. He has promised to push through business-friendly reforms, revamp the ailing education system, and even build a new capital city in the jungles of Kalimantan.
 
However, the road ahead for Jokowi is challenging, with stagnating economic growth and big questions about his ability to implement tough reforms when his cabinet is packed with vested interests. Civil society activists are also increasingly concerned about the trajectory of democracy, with the powers of the respected Corruption Eradication Commission weakened and proposals afoot to abolish direct elections for local leaders.
 
Join Wijayanto Samirin, economic adviser to the governor of Jakarta, and Ben Bland, Director of the Lowy Institute’s Southeast Asia Program, to discuss the outlook for the economy, the state of democracy, and Indonesia’s place in the world.

Due to the changing COVID-19 situation we have decided to postpone this event.

Please join the Lowy Institute for a conversation with two rising stars of Australian politics, Peter Khalil MP and Dave Sharma MP. The conversation will be moderated by the Institute’s director of research, Alex Oliver.

Due to the changing COVID-19 situation we have decided to postpone this event.

Re-elected last year by an increased margin, Indonesian President Joko Widodo has offered an ambitious vision for his final term in office. He has promised to push through business-friendly reforms, revamp the ailing education system, and even build a new capital city in the jungles of Kalimantan.
 
However, the road ahead for Jokowi is challenging, with stagnating economic growth and big questions about his ability to implement tough reforms when his cabinet is packed with vested interests. Civil society activists are also increasingly concerned about the trajectory of democracy, with the powers of the respected Corruption Eradication Commission weakened and proposals afoot to abolish direct elections for local leaders.
 
Join Wijayanto Samirin, economic adviser to the governor of Jakarta, and Ben Bland, Director of the Lowy Institute’s Southeast Asia Program, to discuss the outlook for the economy, the state of democracy, and Indonesia’s place in the world.

Due to the changing COVID-19 situation we have decided to postpone this event.

Re-elected last year by an increased margin, Indonesian President Joko Widodo has offered an ambitious vision for his final term in office. He has promised to push through business-friendly reforms, revamp the ailing education system, and even build a new capital city in the jungles of Kalimantan.
 
However, the road ahead for Jokowi is challenging, with stagnating economic growth and big questions about his ability to implement tough reforms when his cabinet is packed with vested interests. Civil society activists are also increasingly concerned about the trajectory of democracy, with the powers of the respected Corruption Eradication Commission weakened and proposals afoot to abolish direct elections for local leaders.
 
Join Wijayanto Samirin, economic adviser to the governor of Jakarta, and Ben Bland, Director of the Lowy Institute’s Southeast Asia Program, to discuss the outlook for the economy, the state of democracy, and Indonesia’s place in the world.

Today Iraqis find themselves caught in an array of competing forces. Their country is a battleground for foreign actors, from militias to major powers. Their domestic politics are increasingly violent as the state reacts brutally to popular demands for better governance and accountability. Yet we rarely hear Iraqi perspectives on these turbulent events.

Join us for a conversation between one of the Middle East’s leading young political analysts, Hafsa Halawa, and Lowy Institute Nonresident Fellow Anthony Bubalo, who will discuss how Iraqis see the future of peace and politics in their country and the wider region.

Richard McGregor will discuss how the Chinese political system works and how it has been remoulded under Xi Jinping, as he pushes tighter political controls in China, and a more assertive foreign policy abroad. In particular, he will describe in detail the inner workings and power dynamics of the communist party.

The term ‘Indo-Pacific’ has gained wide use in recent years, including among the leaders of Australia, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, and the United States. But what does it really mean? The name of a region is as much symbolic as physical – and can be a mental map that guides the decisions of leaders and the narrative of international order, war, and peace.

The Lowy Institute is pleased to host the Sydney launch of a new book by Rory Medcalf, Contest for the Indo-Pacific, which weaves together history, geopolitics, cartography, military strategy, economics, games, and propaganda to examine the rising tensions in the region and address the question of how China’s dominance can be restrained without war.
 

Dr James Renwick CSC SC is Australia’s Independent National Security Legislation Monitor. In 2019, he was tasked by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security to review the controversial Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Act 2018 (Cth). As Dr Renwick moves to finalise his report of the review, he will discuss possible models for reconciling the legitimate interests of individuals, organisations, and business, and intelligence, police and integrity agencies.

In celebration of International Women’s Day and in conjunction with the NGV, you are invited to a special event including a complimentary viewing of Shirin Neshat: Dreamers, followed by a panel discussion.

Last year saw a surge of civil unrest across the globe so widespread that 2019 has been dubbed “the year of the street protestor”.

In places as diverse as Hong Kong, Chile, the United States, the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe, people came together for a variety of causes and grievances. These included demands for economic, racial, and gender equality; the preservation of democracy against a growing authoritarian tide; confronting climate change; opposing corruption; and addressing migration and refugee issues.