FEBRUARY 2024

A leap year to remember

Only two months into the year and already the United States Studies Centre (USSC) is in full swing with a full slate for the rest of the year. Campus is buzzing with student activity, we’ve been welcoming dignitaries from around the world and Election Watch 2024 is already nearing the crescendo of primary season.

But amidst the publishing, teaching and election analysis we want to highlight the launch of our 1.5-day economic security conference on 19-20 June: Economic security in a turbulent world. This is the first of its kind in Australia and we are excited to announce headlining speakers, including:

• Alan Beattie | Senior Trade Writer, Financial Times
• Dr Elizabeth Economy | Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution at Stanford University and former Senior Advisor on China to US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo
• Dr Kazuto Suzuki | Director of the Institute of Geoeconomics, International House of Japan and Advisor to the Japanese Government Cabinet Office
• The Hon. Mathias Cormann (virtual participant) | Secretary-General, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

The conference is made possible by support from the Australian Government and our major partners, including the Minerals Council of Australia and the Asia Natural Gas & Energy Association.

Tickets are strictly limited, but we are offering an early bird discount until 31 March. To enquire about purchasing a table or becoming a partner of the conference, please contact Evelyn Richards at evelyn.richards@sydney.edu.au. We hope to see you there.

Election watch 2024

249 days to the US presidential election

Super Tuesday and President Biden's State of the Union address are both next week. As the primaries and politics heat up, USSC is ramping up its coverage of the 2024 US presidential election.

Publications

• COMMENTARY | Should world leaders worry about another Trump presidency? by Lester Munson
• TRACKER | Tariffs, travel bans and firing bureaucrats: What’s in store for a second Trump term? by Ava Kalinauskas and Samuel Garrett
• PODCAST | USSC Briefing Room | Is Biden in the ‘Danger Zone’? with Bruce Wolpe and Mari Koeck
• COMMENTARY | Has Donald Trump peaked? Let’s take a closer look at his numbers by Bruce Wolpe

Events

• UPCOMING | Super Week with Planet America's Chas Licciardello​ REGISTER HERE
• REPLAY | Election Watch 2024: Trump v. Biden redux?

Key dates

• 5 March: Super Tuesday
• 7 March: State of the Union
• 4 June: Last Republican primaries
• 15-18 July: Republican National Convention in Milwaukee
• 19-22 August: Democratic National Convention in Chicago
• 16 September: First presidential debate
• 25 September: VP debate
• 1 October: Second presidential debate
• 9 October: Third presidential debate
• 5 November: Election Day

Looking for a US election expert? Contact us on ussc.media@sydney.edu.au.

NEWS

Quad fellows roundtable

USSC Research Editor Victoria Cooper has been a Quad fellow with the World Learning “Leaders Lead On-Demand Program” exchange for rising think tank opinion leaders from Quad countries. This month, the exchange came to Australia and USSC hosted them for a discussion around the future of Quad cooperation.

Cooper also hosted a Quad fellow from each country for an episode of the USSC Briefing Room: Four Quad think tank experts walk into the briefing room… Listen here.

What does ‘economic security’ mean to Australia in 2024?

Unprecedented economic security efforts by Australia’s Indo-Pacific partners have stoked new efforts to define economic security and respond to global economic challenges within Australia. A new brief by the Economic Security team addresses what these efforts might look like in the year ahead.  

In What does ‘economic security’ mean to Australia in 2024? lead authors USSC Director of Economic Security Hayley Channer and Research Associate Georgia Edmonstone capture the current trends economic security challenges and possible responses arising from a track two dialogue with Australia’s leading economic thinkers hosted by the USSC in late 2023. 

New AUKUS explainer

The passage of the US Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in December 2023 is, perhaps, the clearest indicator of bipartisan support for AUKUS in Congress because it provides an essential pathway to transfer the technology needed for the Virginia-class submarines from the United States to Australia. However, congressional budget battles threaten the appropriations bill that would fund the implementation of this new law.

USSC Research Fellow Tom Corben and Research Associate Alice Nason break down what's at stake for AUKUS in their new explainer: Are Biden and Congress playing chicken with AUKUS?

Assessing the environmental damage to the South China Sea and what next roundtable

This month, USSC hosted a roundtable featuring experts from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative and US Consulate Sydney along with experts from the Griffith Asia Institute, UTS Climate, Society and Environment Research Centre and ANU College of Asia and the Pacific.

Discussion looked at the decline of the maritime environment in the South China Sea due to increased fishing, dredging and land fill as different countries seek to strengthen their claim to the land. The CSIS Deep blue scars: Environmental threats to the South China Sea report is available here.

Get ready for the return of the USSC - UCLA Study Abroad program!

Following the resounding success of its inaugural season in 2023, the UCLA Study Abroad program is back, offering University of Sydney undergrads a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the vibrant academic culture of the number one public university in the United States. An adventure not to be missed, with prestigious scholarships like the Hon. John Olsen Scholarship Award 2024 for an American Studies student, along with a host of merit and equity-based awards. There's never been a more exciting time to explore the United States! Learn more here.

USSC perspectives

As we approach the one-year anniversary of the release of the Optimal Pathway report for AUKUS Pillar I and Australia's Defence Strategic Review both are back in the spotlight. USSC experts continue to be a leading voice on AUKUS analysis and the US election.

• AUKUS has become a case study in generational politics by Prof. Peter Dean and Alice Nason. First published in The Australian.
• What would it take for Biden to step aside? by Bruce Wolpe. First published in the Sydney Morning Herald.
• Unlocking AUKUS Pillar II will need more than BAU by Dr Miah Hammond-Errey and Tom Barrett. First published in InnovationAus.
• US Indo-Pacific allies and partners must remain in the spotlight by Alice Nason. First published in the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs.
• Navy overhaul: Focus on enhanced lethality and speed by Prof. Peter Dean. First published in The Australian.

EVENT

Election Watch 2024: Super Week with Planet America's Chas Licciardello​

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 | Is Biden in the 'Danger Zone' with Bruce Wolpe and Mari Koeck.
• PODCAST | The Asia Chessboard | Australia’s economic future in a shifting geo-economic landscape with Dr John Kunkel and Dr Michael Green.
• PODCAST | USSC Briefing Room | Four Quad think tank experts walk into the briefing room… with Lucas Meyers, Dr Gaurav Saini, Dr Shu Uchida and Victoria Cooper.

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University of Sydney NSW 2006

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