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NOVEMBER 2018
SPEECH
US and Australian strategy in the Indo-Pacific
The United States Studies Centre was pleased to host the Shadow Minister for Defence the Hon. Richard Marles MP for an address on US and Australian strategy in the Indo-Pacific.
Speaking to a packed room at Corrs Westgarth Chambers in Sydney, the Labor member for Corio stressed the importance of the US-Australian alliance as a means to foster positive collaboration between Australia and its neighbours in the region. To
this end, he recommended continuing to develop Australia's defence industry, to increase the presence of the US Marine rotation in Darwin and to further pursue projects similar to the joint-expansion of the Lombrum naval base on Manus Island. All of this would serve to bring the region together, he said, if it is done in a manner that respects the wants and needs of the Pacific nations it affects.
The Indo-Pacific is an area where Australia has unique insights to offer, the shadow minister said, and Australia should be "stepping up and taking its place as a mutual partner with the United States in the Alliance and a partner which has the capacity to lead when we need to."
The full transcript of the address can be found here.
SPECIAL REPORT
Wisdom and will? American military strategy in the Indo-Pacific
The USSC's Foreign Policy and Defence Program released a new report on American military power in the Indo-Pacific authored by David Ochmanek, a senior international/defense researcher at RAND Corporation and a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Development.
The report 'Wisdom and will? American military strategy in the Indo-Pacific' found that the United States has the ability to sustain a favourable balance of power in Asia, but risks failing to do so on its current trajectory. Ochmanek identified practical steps the US military could take to improve its capabilities and posture; and warns that a loss of confidence in America’s capacity to project power in the region could undermine the alliances that have kept the peace for so long.
The report and its suggestion that the recent fiscal policies of the Trump administration will hinder the United States' efforts to curtail Chinese military influence in the Indo-Pacific was covered in-depth on Radio National and in The Sydney Morning Herald.
STUDENTS AND ALUMNI
Keep in touch for exclusive career development opportunities
USSC students and alumni will have received an email this week requesting them to update their details. Throughout the year, the Centre offers a number of events and professional development opportunities exclusive to alumni. If you haven’t done so yet, please help us out by completing this form so that we know you’re eligible.
As the first of a series of exclusive career development opportunities, we are offering spaces at the Learn@Lunch forum, which this month focuses on innovation, and how to effectively implement it throughout your career in the most meaningful and resource-effective ways. Find out more here.
REPORT
An open door: How globalised are the Australian and US economies?
The USSC's Trade and Investment Program released a report examining the levels of openness in Australia and the US and suggested that a reduction in economic dynamism, not rampant globalisation, has been the key driver behind the success of recent populist campaigns.
“It’s important to put the openness and international connectedness of the Australian economy into historical and comparative perspective. Understanding these trends is important for public perceptions of globalisation and how these perceptions inform public policy,” report author and
director of the Centre's Trade and Investment Program Dr Stephen Kirchner said.
Dr Kirchner wrote an extended essay on the findings of his report for The Australian Financial Review.
CENTRE NEWS
2020Vision podcast launched
The Centre now has a podcast! From January next year Vision2020 will feature experts, friends of the Centre and political insiders as we track the political landscape in the United States in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election. The pilot, hosted hosted by Drew Sheldrick, featured Centre experts Charles Edel and Gorana Grgic, both discussing the implications of the midterms results. You can listen to it here.
Midterm madness
The Centre held a string of events in the lead-up to the most-discussed midterm elections in decades. Centre experts participated in a high-level briefing in Canberra, a student focused event on campus at the University of Sydney and a live taping of the midterms special for the popular ABC show 'Planet America'. A series of explainer articles on issues like gerrymandering, vote mobilisation, the women running in the midterms and political donations were all published on the Centre's website along with visiting fellow Bruce Wolpe's weekly blog 'Midterm Matters'. On the day of the elections, the USSC boardroom was transformed into a temporary election analysis hub as the Centre's staff and experts drifted in and out during the day to watch the vote unfold.
The Debate Papers Series: the Belt and Road initiative
The latest instalment in the USSC's Debate Papers series asked whether the United States should be concerned about China's immense global infrastructure investment under the Belt and Road Initiative. The USSC's Dr Elizabeth Ingleson argued the 'no' case, while David Brewster from the ANU's National Security College argued the 'yes'. You can read the full debate here.
Susan Glasser and Peter Baker visit the USSC
Renowned Washington columnist and staff writer at the New Yorker Magazine Susan Glasser and The New York Times' Chief White House Correspondent Peter Baker joined the USSC for a fascinating roundtable discussion about the political landscape in Washington. The Centre's experts and associates held a rigorous and insightful Q&A over the course of the morning.
STUDENT NEWS
SYDMUN conference
The annual Sydney Model United Nations (SYDMUN) conference is being co-hosted by the USSC and the University of Sydney. From 30 November to 4 December students are invited to hear from world-class speakers on careers in international relations, develop negotiation and diplomacy skills through debates and make new friends from around the country. The former President of East Timor, His Excellency Jose Ramos-Horta will give the keynote address. You can find more information here.
Thanksgiving dinner
Students, staff and friends of the USSC joined together to celebrate Thanksgiving in traditional style with an enormous feast. Turkey, mashed potato, apple and pumpkin pie were all in abundance along with a healthy serving of frivolity and thanks for a wonderful year.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Planet America special: The Midterms | The USSC partnered with ABC's Planet America for a special live panel dissecting the results of the midterms. Watch the full event
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United States Studies Centre
Institute Building H03
University of Sydney NSW 2006
