September 2023

Alliance anniversaries

September is always a month filled with Australia-US alliance symbolism. The month begins with the anniversary of the 1951 ANZUS Treaty on 1 September, and then we are reminded of the first (and only) time the treaty was invoked – when Australia pledged its support to the United States following the terrorist attacks of September 11. Twenty years later, in 2021, a new anniversary was added, with the announcement of AUKUS. With these significant touchpoints, it is no surprise there was a lot of activity at the United States Studies Centre (USSC) this month.

As much as the USSC was busy welcoming guests such as the McCain Institute National Security and Counterterrorism Fellows or hosting the Times Higher Education AUKUS breakfast roundtable, the Centre was also active in Canberra this month. We hosted our annual Alliance Dinner with key government stakeholders including the High Commissioner of the United Kingdom, Ambassador of Japan, Ambassador of Korea and the Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States, along with the USSC Board, and returned the following week for our latest Defence Industry Roundtable.

Next month will be filled with preparations for the inaugural Sydney International Strategy Forum, USSC's crisis simulation and the first meeting of the Women in the Alliance Network. We are pleased to welcome Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia the Hon. Madeleine King MP and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator the Hon. Simon Birmingham as additional keynote speakers at the forum. We will be joined by leaders from the United States, Japan and Australia for what will be a great day of debate and discussion. A limited number of seats are still available, so make sure to order now to ensure you don’t miss out. We hope to see you there!

NEWS

Last day to apply for Women in the Alliance Network

Tomorrow is the last day to submit an application to join the inaugural Women in the Alliance Network. The Women in the Alliance initiative is designed to amplify the presence of women working in and around the US-Australia relationship, especially as both countries seek to improve cooperation with one another.

The network will be an exclusive group of female professionals working in industries relevant to the US-Australia alliance that will meet quarterly for closed-door round tables with experts, professional and career development and issue-based workshops. If you or someone you know may be interested, send an expression of interest and CV to ussc.fpd@sydney.edu.au by 30 September 2023.

AUKUS breakfast roundtable hosted alongside Times Higher Education World Academic Summit

This week, the United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney and University of Nottingham hosted a special breakfast: AUKUS research and innovation: Universities, knowledge diplomacy and the Australia, US, UK relationship. The roundtable coincided with the Times Higher Education World Academic Summit, hosted by the University of Sydney and followed on from discussions between UK and Australian government officials, academic and industry leaders about opportunities for deeper scientific collaboration presented by AUKUS Pillar II.

University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Mark Scott AO and University of Nottingham Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Shearer West hosted this roundtable discussion attended by senior diplomats from the UK and US missions to Australia, senior Australian Government officials, industry and university leaders from all three countries. USSC Director of Foreign Policy and Defence Prof. Peter Dean chaired the event.

Annual Alliance Dinner held in Canberra

On 21 September, USSC hosted its annual Alliance Dinner in Canberra. The Board was joined by government officials and executives, including the High Commissioner of the United Kingdom, Ambassador of Japan, Ambassador of Korea and Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States. A senior government official from the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet shared an inside perspective on the Quad, AUKUS and opportunities for greater collaboration in the region.

USSC experts share roadmap for IPEF

The Biden administration is aiming to secure an “early harvest agreement” on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) ahead of the APEC Leaders’ Summit on 14-16 November. As the final negotiations are underway, USSC released two key publications outlining the main hurdles to locking in a substantive agreement between members across the region.

In An economic pillar to round out US strategy in Asia: IPEF and Australia's interests, Director of Economic Security Hayley Channer, Director of Research Jared Mondschein and Research Editor Victoria Cooper outline Australia’s interests in lieu of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Topping the list of Australia’s IPEF priorities are diversifying critical mineral supply chains and securing a digital trade agreement.

USSC Research Associate Samuel Garrett offers a US perspective in the brief What options are on the table for IPEF?. The brief provides a matrix of policy options for the future agreement, as well as an assessment of their likelihood and feasibility. Technical assistance for supply chains, upskilling initiatives and educational exchanges are clear areas with broad support and precedent, but TPP-like pharmaceutical agreements under the trade pillar looks like a non-starter.

An economic pillar to round out US strategy in Asia: IPEF and Australia's interests and What options are on the table for IPEF? are now available online.

Defence Industry Roundtables tackle DSR

This week, USSC hosted its latest Defence Industry Roundtable. This edition featured senior executives from the Department of Defence engaging in a discussion with a cross-section of representatives from across the Australian defence industrial community on the implications of the Defence Strategic Review (DSR) for the Department’s approach to Australian national defence industry and technology policy. The roundtable was hosted by USSC Director of Foreign Policy and Defence Prof. Peter Dean and it was the second in a series of three Defence Industry Roundtables focussing on energising Australia’s sovereign defence industrial capabilities in the wake of the Defence Strategic Review.

Read the outcomes report from Defence Industry Roundtable Series 1 on export controls here.

Festivities at annual Student Prize Dinner

Open to all current and past USSC students and American Studies majors, the USSC Student Prize Dinner was held this past Thursday, 21 September at The Rose Hotel, Chippendale.

The evening was an opportunity to celebrate our highest achieving USSC students, and the prizes were presented by our very own Dr Aaron Nyerges, a senior lecturer in American Studies and the current Academic Director at the USSC. The evening also featured the first drag performance for the student cohort.

USSC sends our sincere congratulations all of our student prize winners, and we look forward to seeing everyone next year.

New report shares deterrence insights from US-Australia dialogue

The US-Australia Indo-Pacific Deterrence Dialogue convened more than 40 American and Australian practitioners and experts for a frank conversation focused on generating practical insights on, and recommendations for, the US-Australia alliance’s approach to collective deterrence, force posture integration, extended nuclear deterrence and strategic interaction with China.

Following this year’s dialogue, USSC published a report summarising the key themes of the discussion. Report authors USSC Non-Resident Senior Fellow Ashley Townshend and Pacific Forum President and CEO David Santoro note, “Strengthening independent and collective efforts to deter Chinese aggression is now the organising principle of strategic policy in both Canberra and Washington.” In Collective deterrence and the prospect of major conflict they share a synopsis of the US-Australia discussion across collective deterrence; force posture and planning; extended nuclear deterrence and China’s strategic calculus.

Sydney International Strategy Forum | New speakers added

USSC is excited to announce the addition of new keynote speakers and panellists to its inaugural Sydney International Strategy Forum on 1 November 2023.

ADDITIONAL KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

ADDITIONAL PANELLISTS

USSC perspectives

Two years after the announcement of AUKUS there is increasing public debate and increasing political commitments. USSC experts weighed in on AUKUS, international relations and the latest in US politics this month.

• AUKUS sparks a revolution in Labor defence policy by Prof. Peter Dean and the Hon. Kim Beazley AC, first published in The Strategist.
• Five lessons from the Kim-Putin summit by Dr Michael Green, first published in Korea JoongAng Daily.
• America’s leaders are older than they’ve ever been. Why didn’t the founding fathers foresee this as a problem? by Jared Mondschein, first published on The Conversation.
• If Trump will win anyway, why debate? by Victoria Cooper.

EVENTS

UPSCALE report launch

We are excited to launch a new United States Studies Centre (USSC) major report – UPSCALE: Using Private Sector Capital for the Alliance.

Drawing lessons from the US experience, this report tackles the pressing issue of how to finance Australia's national security capabilities. It includes policy recommendations to address the challenges faced by Australian small and medium enterprise, private equity and venture capital, and government.

USSC CEO, Dr Michael J. Green, will host the event featuring a keynote address by Mr Doug Beck, dialling in virtually from the United States. Mr Beck is the Director of the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), part of the US Department of Defense. The DIU targets the adoption of commercial technology for military purposes. Mr Beck was previously Vice President at Apple and is a Captain in the US Navy Reserve.

Following the keynote address, join ABC's defence correspondent, Mr Andrew Greene, for a discussion and Q&A with UPSCALE report authors, Ms Hayley Channer and Dr John Kunkel.  

WHERE
Dawes Point Rooms, Pier One Sydney Harbour,
11 Hickson Road Walsh Bay, NSW 2000

WHEN
SYDNEY | 6 October 2023, 8.30am - 10am AEDT
Working breakfast provided between 08.30 - 09.00, with the keynote to commence at 09.00 sharp. 

COST
Free, but spaces are strictly limited

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Videos and podcasts

The latest recordings from our webinars are available on our YouTube channel and USSC Live podcast. Find all of the Centre’s podcast recordings here.

• PODCAST | USSC Briefing Room | Inside the White House on 9/11 with Dr Michael Green and Mari Koeck. LISTEN HERE
• PODCAST | Technology and Security (TS) podcast | The Christchurch Call, AI in art, elections and disinformation with Canva’s Kara Hinesley and Dr Miah Hammond-Errey. LISTEN HERE
• PODCAST | USSC Briefing Room | Launch of Women in the Alliance with Melissa McIntosh MP, Leila Smith, Geraldine Doogue and Victoria Cooper. LISTEN HERE
• PODCAST | The Asia Chessboard | India's strategic evolution with C. Raja Mohan, Dr Michael Green and Jude Blanchette. LISTEN HERE
• PODCAST | USSC Briefing Room | Deterrence dialogue returns to DC with Prof. Peter Dean, Alice Nason and Mari Koeck. LISTEN HERE

ARE YOU GETTING "THE 46TH"?

"The 46th" is our weekly wrap of US politics and policy news, analysis and events. Get it delivered straight to your inbox every Wednesday!
Sign up now

Manage your email preferences  |  Forward this email to a friend

United States Studies Centre
Institute Building H03
University of Sydney NSW 2006

​www.ussc.edu.au  |  us-studies@sydney.edu.au