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July 2021
New faces at the Centre
Three distinguished professionals have joined the United States Studies Centre (USSC) team this month. Edward Palmisano has taken the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO), Jane Hardy as a Senior Visiting Fellow and Frank Smith as Non-Resident Fellow. They bring a wealth of experience to the Centre, with a different strategic focus for each.
All three share a keen insight into strategic relationships. Ambassador Hardy joins the Centre on secondment from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade after serving as Consul-General for Australia in Honolulu, having played a critical role in the foreign policy rebalance towards the Indo-Pacific. Professor Frank Smith works on the cutting edge of where technology meets cybersecurity and is Director of the Cyber and Innovation Policy Institute at the US Naval War College.
After an extensive search for a COO, the Centre is delighted to have appointed Edward Palmisano. His broad professional experience has ranged from representing Australia in the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade discussions to supporting the Brahimi review of UN peace operations through his role with US think tank the Henry L. Stimson Center.
As the Centre gears up for commemorating 70 years of the ANZUS Treaty, it is a wonderful reminder to see the breadth and depth of geostrategic ties between our countries. The calibre of these new additions to our team set the Centre up well to continue to play a leading role in addressing the evolving issues we face on the strategic horizon.
THE ALLIANCE AT 70
As we approach the 70th anniversary of the signing of the ANZUS Treaty on 1 September and the 20th anniversary of the terror attacks in the United States of September 11, the reminder of what our nations have been through, and how we are better together, remains stronger than ever. To celebrate, the USSC, in collaboration with the American Australian Association Ltd and the Perth USAsia Centre are delighted to announce three major initiatives.
Alliance Dinner
The Alliance Dinner will be held in the Great Hall at Parliament House in Canberra on 29 November. Attendees will include senior business, political, academic and community leaders. This large-scale production will be a fitting celebration of the US-Australia relationship with VIPs and entertainment featuring addresses from dignitaries and video vignettes to celebrate the alliance.
The Alliance at 70
A commemorative publication, The Alliance at 70, will be launched at the Alliance Dinner. It is a coffee-table book and digital companion that will bring together leading voices on the history and breadth of the US-Australia relationship. The volume includes contributions from: former President George W Bush, former Prime Minister John Howard, former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Ambassador Arthur Sinodinos and former Ambassador John Berry as well as Paul Hogan and Rob Sitch.
The Alliance at 70 Digital Hub
The Alliance at 70 Digital Hub will be an educator and student version of the book, ensuring the content reaches a large, lay audience. With production values matching the compelling style of the printed volume, the website will provide a superior user experience through interactive storytelling, engaging and informative content and the latest digital technologies. It will be search engine-optimised, accessible and responsive.
For more information on any of these activities, please register your interest through the button below.
CENTRE NEWS
Taxing times for US investment in Australia
In 2020 Australia experienced the most significant outflow of US direct investment in 15 years according to the latest report from the United States Studies Centre (USSC).
In Australia-US bilateral investment in 2020: Taxing times, USSC Trade and Investment Program Director Dr Stephen Kirchner reveals that US investment in Australia recorded its third consecutive year of decline, with Australia accumulating nearly A$150 billion of losses in US investment. Australia has fallen short in attracting US capital compared to peer economies, even prior to the onset of the pandemic in 2020.
Op-eds from Dr Kirchner were published in The Mandarin, the Australian Institute of International Affairs and The 46th.
Join our team
We are currently hiring two positions for our Foreign Policy and Defence Team:
Research Fellow, Foreign Policy and Defence Program
This position offers a unique opportunity for a mid-career researcher and/or policy professional to apply and advance their substantive expertise, policy acumen, analytical skills and project management abilities as part of a dynamic team; and contribute to Australia’s policy debate on regional strategic, defence and foreign policy issues. DOWNLOAD THE POSITION DESCRIPTION
Research Associate, Foreign Policy and Defence Program
This position offers a unique opportunity for an early career researcher and/or policy professional to develop their applied research, project management and outreach skills as part of a dynamic team; and to deepen subject matter expertise in foreign policy and defence. DOWNLOAD THE POSITION DESCRIPTION
Apply for this position by emailing your expression of interest and supporting documents to: ussc.fpd@sydney.edu.au.
Applications close midnight 1 August 2021
Welcome back Gorana, farewell Elliott
The Centre is delighted to welcome back Lecturer in US Politics and Foreign Policy Dr Gorana Grgic after completing her six-month fellowship with NATO in Rome. During this time she published a number of papers including NATO and the out-of-area conundrum through the NATO Defense College. She also spearheaded the NATO Talk Series in conjunction with the USSC.
As the Centre welcomes back Gorana, we also farewell Research Associate Elliott Brennan. After three years with the Centre, he is applying his expertise in cybersecurity to work as a security analyst. He was the author of one of the Centre's most popular reports from 2020, Coronavirus and Protest: How has COVID-19 changed the face of American activism?, wrote op-eds for SMH, The Guardian and ABC and spearheaded Centre webinars on disinformation and social activism.
Register for US in the World in Semester 2
US in the World: Policies and Strategies (USSC2601) is the USSC’s flagship foreign policy unit and will be a highly interactive exploration of some of the most pressing issues in the US foreign policy agenda; with foreign policy at the heart of so many of the events that have unfolded in 2020 and 2021, there’s certainly a lot to unpack.
From managing power relations with China, to analysing the impact that climate change and cyber warfare are having on the conduct of American foreign affairs, you’ll have the opportunity to examine the dramatic political and economic changes taking place in America today that will shape the lives in Australia and around the world for years to come. This is a chance to study with Dr Gorana Grgic following her fellowship with the NATO Defense College. Learn more here
In the news
Australia seeks to block China with stake in Pacific mobile networks
Non-Resident Senior Fellow Dr John Lee spoke with the Wall Street Journal about the potential deal, explaining that the move to outbid China as a potential buyer was fuelled by security concerns. READ MORE HERE
Scott Morrison accelerates plan for $1bn missile industry
The Australian reports that the Morrison government has moved to accelerate the creation of a $1bn domestic missile production project, issuing a call for industry and academic partners. The article quotes USSC director of foreign policy and defence Ashley Townshend. READ MORE HERE
Secret embassy cables cast the Bob Hawke legend in a different light
The Guardian reports that, according to a new paper by Federation University’s Cameron Coventry, former Australian PM Bob Hawke regularly informed for the United States when he was a unionist. The article quotes USSC non-resident senior fellow Stephen Loosley. READ MORE HERE
Evolving evangelicals
Speaking on ABC Radio’s Late Night Live program, Associate Professor David Smith explained that recent report findings from the US-based Public Religion Research Institute weren’t focusing on people’s religious beliefs or practices, but instead
their religious identity. LISTEN HERE
USSC IMHO
Reflections on the 245th anniversary of the US Independence Day as well as emerging challenges in this century were a focus of USSC experts this past month. Recent legal action has also brought former president Trump back into the news Here are a selection of recent op-eds and journal articles written by our team:
- Dealing with authoritarian regimes is oldest challenge in American history by Charles Edel. Published by The Hill.
- Ideology and the foreign policy of Barack Obama by Brendon O'Connor and Daniel Cooper. Published by Presidential Studies Quarterly.
- Silence of the Trump: Why the ex-president's class action lawsuit is doomed by Bruce Wolpe. Published by The Canberra Times.
- Staying ahead in global tech leadership by Jennifer Jackett. Published in The Interpreter.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Webinar replays
The latest episodes of our NATO Expert Talks and US Politics and Policy Web Series are now available on our YouTube channel. Catch up on our webinar replays through the USSC Live podcast and on YouTube. Here are some of the greatest hits from recent webinars:
- Key players in the Biden administration ft. Bruce Wolpe, Victoria Cooper and Jared Mondschein
- NATO Expert Talks | Outcomes of the NATO Brussels Summit ft. James Mackey and Gorana Grgic
- US Politics and Policy Series | June edition ft. Annelise Nielsen, Gordon Flake and Simon Jackman
- Climate and energy in the US and Australia: Politics, policies and implications for the alliance ft. Peta Ashworth, Ryan Heath and Jared Mondschein
- US Politics and Policy Series | July edition ft. Victoria Farrar-Myers, Dr Valerie Hudson, Gordon Flake and Simon Jackman
Make sure to SUBSCRIBE to the USSC YouTube channel to get notifications as soon as new videos are uploaded.
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United States Studies Centre
Institute Building H03
University of Sydney NSW 2006
