Lowy Institute

On the anniversary of the Fukushima disaster, the Lowy Institute convened a panel on 7 March 2012 to discuss how Japan's government, society and economy have responded to the tragedy, and whether its effects will continue to shape Japan's internal and external policies into the future. The panellists were Manuel Panagiotopoulos, Professor Jenny Corbett, Greg Earl and Dr Michael Fullilove (moderator).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The NTI Nuclear Materials Security Index is a ground-breaking project to publicly benchmark nuclear materials security conditions on a country-by-country basis. The Index, prepared with the Economist Intelligence Unit with guidance from international experts, was created to spark an international discussion about priorities required to strengthen security, and encourage governments to take actions to reduce risks. On 5 March 2012, the Lowy Institute held a special briefing about the NTI Nuclear Materials Security Index followed by a Q&A session with co-lead of the NTI Index project, Deepti Choubey, the NTI Senior Director for Nuclear and Bio-Security. Lowy Institute Visiting Fellow John Carlson, an expert panellist for the Index, acted as discussant.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On 29 March 2012, in the Lowy Lecture Series, Professor Alan Dupont launched his a new Lowy Institute Policy Brief, 'Inflection Point: The Australian Defence Force after Afghanistan', which suggests that as the ADF transitions from involvement in the Afghanistan conflict the risks of failing to adjust and adapt to new security circumstances are especially high.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The issue of refugees and asylum-seekers provokes heated public debate in many countries around the world, including in Australia. On 14 February 2012, in an address in the Lowy Institute's Distinguished Speaker Series, The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, examined emerging developments and trends in forced displacement around the world and the complex, inter-related factors which cause people to flee their homes in search of safety, security and protection. He gave his vision as to how States, working with UNHCR and the United Nations, can more effectively address the humanitarian protection and human security imperatives of forced displacement in ways that also respond to States' legitimate concerns about their own security and that of their people.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Scientists, and experts more generally, have choices about the roles that they play in today's political debates on topics such as global warming, genetically modified foods, and food and drug safety, just to name a few. On Tuesday 7 February 2012, in the Lowy Lecture Series, Professor in Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado, Roger Pielke, discussed how we can understand these choices, their theoretical and empirical bases, what considerations are important to think about when deciding, and the consequences for the individual scientist and the broader scientific enterprise.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the Lowy Lecture on 14 December 2011, Dr Khalid Koser reviewed and assessed the Australian government's efforts to reduce unauthorised boat arrivals over the last year. He provided a roadmap to more effective policy over the next year, drawing on lessons learned from European experiences of reducing flows of asylum seekers and irregular migrants.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the Lowy Lecture on 2 November 2011, Dr Albert Palazzo from the Australian Army's Directorate of Research and Analysis contrasted the US and Australia's success in achieving their strategic objectives in going to war with Iraq. He argued that in Iraq the United States failed to achieve its purpose in going to war, but by contrast the war proved a victory for Australia – an outcome determined by the two countries' different strategic objectives. He assessed how Australia, as a minor coalition partner, orchestrated this success, and whether it was worthwhile.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On 17 and 18 October 2011, the Lowy Institute hosted the inaugural India-China Workshop, an informal dialogue bringing together Australian, Indian, Chinese and Singaporean experts. At the public concluding event, a new Lowy Institute Analysis, 'The Dangers of Denial', on the nuclear dimension of India-China relations, was launched by its authors and discussed by two Workshop participants.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a lecture on 12 October 2011 in the Lowy Institute's distinguished Speaker Series, the Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG, Member of the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) of the Commonwealth, described the work and forthcoming report of the EPG on the Future of the Commonwealth. The report of the twelve-member group, chaired by Tun Abdullah Badawi (former Prime Minister of Malaysia) will be considered at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Perth in October 2011.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Tuesday 11 October 2011, as part of the Lowy Institute's Distinguished Speaker Series, Mr Peter Baxter, Director General of AusAID, discussed Australia's aid program and the critical role of development aid in an increasingly interconnected global community. Mr Baxter answered the critics of the Australian aid program, some of whom argue for a scaling back of our aid and development activities. Not so, says the Director General, who made a compelling case for the escalation of Australia's aid commitments and charted the way forward for a stronger and more effective aid program.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.