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JULY 2024
Strengthening Australia-Japan-US ties
As the Olympics kicked off in Paris, the United States Studies Centre (USSC) at the University of Sydney hosted an opening ceremony of our own. On Monday, we welcomed our inaugural Japan Australia Dialogue and Exchange for Next Generation Fellows (JADE Fellows) with an opening ceremony featuring remarks from USSC CEO Dr Michael Green and Japan Foundation President Mr Shinya Kurosawa. The JADE Fellowships are two parallel and interrelated programs between the USSC and the Japan Foundation to strengthen connections between Japanese and Australian policy experts through cross-cultural exchanges, research, writing and mentorship. We welcomed three Japanese and four Australian fellows. The fellows will travel to Japan in February 2025.
In between a month full of roundtables and events, the USSC continued to lead the way on analysis of the US election with our experts in both Australia and on the ground in the United States. CEO Dr Michael Green was in Washington DC for most of the month in meetings with key players both inside and outside of government. Senior Lecturer in US Politics and Foreign Policy Dr Gorana Grgić attended the NATO Summit in DC and was on the ground as real-time conversations unfolded around President Joe Biden’s public appearances. USSC Non-Resident Senior Fellows Bruce Wolpe and Lester Munson were two of the most prolific voices in the media following former president Trump, Biden and now Vice President Kamala Harris as she carries the campaign forward.
While no other month is likely to have as many twists and turns as July did, the tempo will only speed up as the eyes of the world look to the United States to see what the election will mean for allies and partners around the globe.
CONFERENCE
Sydney International Strategy Forum 2024
The future of American leadership and a contested Asia
On 20 November 2024 — two weeks after the US election — the United States Studies Centre will host the second Sydney International Strategy Forum. The theme for this year is The future of American leadership and a contested Asia.
More details on the speakers and agenda for the Sydney International Strategy Forum 2024 coming soon.
Election watch 2024
98 days to the US presidential election
This month was the most dramatic in the campaign so far. From the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump to President Biden's withdrawal and Vice President Harris' ascendancy, these twists and turns unfolded hourly. USSC had more than 3,000 media mentions in Australia alone over the past month.
Trump assassination attempt
- OP-ED | Trump 2024, the living martyr, is at his zenith and looks unstoppable by Bruce Wolpe
- OP-ED | Donald Trump's shooting might feel 'unprecedented,' but attempts to assassinate US presidents are more common than we realise by Jared Mondschein
- PODCAST | USSC Briefing Room | From strongman to living martyr: How Trump’s assassination attempt changes his image with Dr Yancey Orr and Mari Koeck
Biden's withdrawal
- OP-ED | Joe Biden’s withdrawal gives Democrats a fighting chance by Dr Michael Green
- INTERVIEW | Biden explains decision to quit 2024 race with Jared Mondschein
- INTERVIEW | Biden out of presidential race with Victoria Cooper
Kamala Harris
- EXPLAINER | What would a Kamala Harris presidency mean for Australia? by Ava Kalinauskas, Samuel Garrett and Annabel Bendavid
- INTERVIEW | Who could be Kamala Harris' vice-presidential pick? Here are the top names with Associate Prof. David Smith
- INTERVIEW | A remarkable new dynamic has emerged in the US election: Kamala Harris can win with Bruce Wolpe
JD Vance
- EXPLAINER | JD Vance: What Australians should know about Trump's running mate by Ava Kalinauskas and Samuel Garrett
- VIDEO | "If 'America First' is what it's about...this doesn't bode well for the future of US foreign policy" with Dr Gorana Grgić
- INTERVIEW | JD Vance: From bestselling author to VP nominee with Lester Munson
Looking for a US election expert? Contact us on ussc.media@sydney.edu.au.
NEWS
Prof. Susan Ariel Aaronson joins USSC as visiting fellow
USSC hosted Professor Susan Ariel Aaronson of George Washington University as a visiting fellow with the Emerging Technology program this month. She joined closed-door meetings and briefings in Sydney and Canberra on the future of technology policy in Washington DC and beyond, especially around AI regulation, digital trade and “connected vehicles.” On 10 July she was the featured speaker at USSC public forum Governing AI: How are governments engaging with generative AI.
Prof. Aaronson published an op-ed on AI in InnovationAus.com.
USSC hosts Indiana delegation with Governor Eric Holcomb
On Wednesday, 24 July, the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney (USSC) hosted an exclusive roundtable with Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb. Amid the historic 2022 Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS & Science Act, the discussion focused on US sub-national responses to federal policies with global reach, including industrial policy, the clean energy transition, and strategic technologies. The event included representatives from the Australian Department of Treasury, Australian Department of Industry, Science and Resources, Clean Energy Finance Corporation, Investment NSW, and the University of Technology.
For students | Join the US Presidential Study Tour: An unmissable opportunity!
Embark on a two-week adventure through American democracy in late October with our US Presidential Study Tour in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. In partnership with the University of Southern California, this unique experience is open to both undergraduate and postgraduate students at the University of Sydney.
Highlights:
- Exclusive lectures: Learn from top experts in American politics, culture and society.
- Engage with influential figures: Connect with policymakers, diplomats, and leaders.
- Explore iconic sites: Visit the White House, Capitol Hill and so much more.
Cost includes accommodation, daily breakfast, local transportation in the USA, and University of Sydney insurance.
Don't miss this unique opportunity to gain deeper insight into US politics, society and culture. Apply by Friday, August 2nd, and be part of this unforgettable experience! For more information, visit our website.
We look forward to receiving your application!
RNC recap with Chas Licciardello and Kim Hoggard
Former president Donald Trump scored a series of political wins in July. From the Supreme Court immunity ruling to his official acceptance of the Republican nomination at the Republican National Convention, Donald Trump solidified his sway within the party. The assassination attempt became a campaign-defining moment and it quickly shifted the trajectory of the race. To unpack the rapidly evolving state of play in Trump’s candidacy, USSC hosted a special Election Watch 2024 event In Trump they trust: Reflections on the Republican National Convention. The event featured Planet America’s Chas Licciardello, former Assistant Press Secretary for President Ronald Reagan Kim Hoggard, and USSC Director of Research Jared Mondschein, in a conversation moderated by USSC Director of Engagement and Impact Mari Koeck.
Clean energy supply chain roundtable
In July, the Centre hosted the latest roundtable in the climate change series. The focus for this discussion was Australian and US clean energy supply chains for a clean energy future. This was the second in a series of five closed-door roundtables with climate and industry leaders, researchers and government policymakers. Participants discussed ways to deepen cooperation and investment between Australia and the United States on the clean energy transition and climate as part of the ‘third pillar’ of the Australia-US alliance. The next roundtables in the series will cover:
- Green hydrogen and regulatory harmonisation
- Climate adaptation and the Pacific
- Technology transfer and innovation
USSC perspectives
At the start of the month it looked like the US presidential election was a 2020 redux. By the end of the month Kamala Harris replaced Joe Biden on the Democratic ticket and former president Trump survived an assassination attempt. USSC experts analysed these developments and wider global trends this month.
- Don’t underestimate Kamala Harris as the 2024 Democrat nominee by Ava Kalinauskas. First published in the Australian Financial Review.
- The Trump assassination attempt has upended the US election race. How will both parties react now? by Lester Munson. First published in The Conversation.
- Harris, Trump and the fight for America’s soul by Bruce Wolpe. First published in the Sydney Morning Herald.
- The end of superpower conflict was ‘a fantasy era.’ The West underestimated Russia and China – the cold wars are back by Prof. Peter Dean. First published in The Conversation.
- ‘I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine’: what a JD Vance vice presidency could mean for the world by Ava Kalinauskas and Samuel Garrett. First published in The Conversation.
EVENT
Election Watch 2024 | New Cold Wars in a year like no other
As the United States heads towards one of the most consequential elections in its history, US allies and partners around the world are watching intense strategic competition play out between the United States and China. Against the background of the 2024 US presidential election, questions abound over the future of US leadership at home and abroad.
Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist David Sanger was one of the few journalists selected to ask President Biden a question in his press conference following the NATO Summit in Washington DC and has reported on Washington during the last seven US presidential administrations. His latest book, New Cold Wars: China’s Rise, Russia’s Invasion, and America’s Struggle to Defend the West, considers America’s global position in this pivotal time.
What might the 2024 election mean for global powers? What is the future of US-China relations? What should Australians be watching for in 2024?
To answer these questions, please join us for a live event with New York Times White House and National Security Correspondent David Sanger, in conversation with United States Studies Centre CEO Dr Michael Green.
TYPE
Public event
WHERE
Holme Building, Science Rd, The University of Sydney
WHEN
Monday, 5 August, 6-7:30pm AEST
COST
Free, but registration is essential
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. You can now listen to USSC Briefing Room on YouTube.
- EVENT | Election Watch 2024 | Reflections on the Republican National Convention with Chas Licciardello, Kim Hoggard, Jared Mondschein and Mari Koeck
- PODCAST | USSC Briefing Room | The Harris 2024 Campaign is official: DC insiders on what's next with Bruce Wolpe, Lester Munson and Victoria Cooper
- PODCAST | USSC Briefing Room | From strongman to living martyr: How Trump’s assassination attempt changes his image with Dr Yancey Orr and Mari Koeck
- EVENT | Governing AI: How are governments engaging with generative AI? with Susan Ariel Aaronson and Hayley Channer
- PODCAST | The Asia Chessboard | NATO and the Indo-Pacific with Benedetta Berti, Dr Michael Green and Jude Blanchette
- EVENT | AUKUS, allies and partners with Dr Zack Cooper, Prof. Peter Dean, Ms Jennifer Parker and Prof. Alessio Patalano
- PODCAST | USSC Briefing Room | Trump’s immune. It is so ordered featuring Chas Licciardello with Mari Koeck
- PODCAST | USSC Briefing Room | The NATO Summit in the shadow of Trump, Biden and Vance with Dr Gorana Grgić and Mari Koeck
- PODCAST | USSC Briefing Room | Why Trump and Biden? How the US system led to their selection with Prof. Raymond La Raja and Jared Mondschein
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United States Studies
Centre
Institute Building H03
University of Sydney NSW 2006
