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April 2022
New CEO, Alliance Dinner and SOTUS report
March marked a series of major milestones for the United States Studies Centre (USSC) including the appointment of a new CEO, a special US-Australia Alliance Dinner at Australia Parliament House, and the launch of our flagship State of the United States (SOTUS) report in Canberra.
The USSC farewelled outgoing CEO Professor Simon Jackman. In his six years as CEO, Prof. Jackman helped the Centre tackle key national interest questions through an expanded research program, increased the size and standing of the academic program, grew the Centre’s intellectual vibrancy and increased the Centre’s financial sustainability.
Following Prof. Jackman's departure, the USSC appointed world-renowned Indo-Pacific expert Dr Michael J. Green as its new Chief Executive Officer. USSC Chairman Mark Baillie said Dr Green’s appointment would help extend the Centre’s reach to US policymakers, which would, in turn, continue to build on the Australia-US alliance.
The Alliance Dinner on 28 March was a major event in the capital attracting senior politicians, government staff and businesspeople, and featured comments from Prime Minister Scott Morrison and US President Joe Biden saluting the 70th anniversary of the ANZUS Treaty. A highlight of the evening was lighting up Parliament House with the Australian and US flags as a symbolic gesture to show the continuity of the ANZUS spirit.
On 16 March, the Centre published its flagship SOTUS report, a review of the political, economic and policy developments in the US of vital relevance to Australian national interests. The report revealed that not since the Second World War had Australia found itself so proximate to shifts in national power and capability, nor with as much at stake.
Alliance Dinner celebrates ANZUS 70th anniversary
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and US President Joe Biden spoke about the relationship between Australia and the United States at a dinner at Parliament House on 28 March commemorating the 70th anniversary of the ANZUS Treaty hosted by the United States Studies Centre in association with the American Australian Association Ltd and Perth USAsia Centre.
“It is an alliance forged in war and deepened in peace - constructed on our shared liberal democratic values and our common destiny. For seven decades it has been the foundation stone of our national security,” Mr Morrison said.
In a video message conveyed by Dr Kurt Campbell, National Security Council Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, President Biden told the Alliance Dinner: “As allies, the United States and Australia are working shoulder to shoulder to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific, promote clean energy technology, combat climate change, strengthen supply chain resilience, and defend our shared values against authoritarian challenges.”
NEWS
New CEO Dr Michael Green's vision for the USSC
The Centre’s newly appointed CEO Dr Michael Green said his vision for the USSC was to reach a broader audience and play a more active role in shaping the foreign policy agenda. “One of our missions is to get Americans thinking more about Australia and in different ways in terms of opportunities and understanding Australian voices,” Dr Green said.
“We will be more focused on agenda-shaping not just analysis and understanding. The Centre has an advantage in this because we have comprehensive coverage in the trade, economics and defence, which all relate to each other. The way you shape the agenda is through the power of convening on issues that reflect the business sector, of civil society of scholars of national security experts.”
The Australian and the Australian Financial Review announced his appointment.
Success for our second State of the United States report
“We must reach back to the Depression or the civil war to find periods of US history where the country has been more divided,” former USSC CEO Professor Simon Jackman told attendees at our flagship event State of the United States: Biden agenda in the balance in Canberra on 16 March.
Prof. Jackman shared from our second State of the United States report and highlighted Americans’ growing dissatisfaction with their democracy, “Only half of Americans are satisfied with their democracy while four out of five Australians are satisfied with theirs,” he said. "With Australia’s interests so aligned with a democratic and liberal America, findings such as these have significant implications for the future of the US-Australian alliance," he added.
Key speakers at the event included Defence Minister Peter Dutton, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong, Shadow Defence Minister Brendan O’Conner, and US Congressman and Friends of Australia Caucus Co-Chair Joe Courtney (D-CT). Minster Dutton told the conference it was important to be “clear” about the challenges posed by both Russia and China, echoing US President Joe Biden, who called the “contest between autocracy and democracy” as the “defining challenge of our time.”
A highlight of the event was our special panels, which discussed the shifting political and social foundations of US leadership, threats to and opportunities for US economic and technological advantages and position in the Indo-Pacific.
Panellists included Austrade Chief Economist Heather Cotching, The Sydney Morning Herald Political and International Editor Peter Hartcher, Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Dr Tanvi Madan, The Treasury Chief Advisor International, Macroeconomic Group Dr Jim Hagan, Perth USAsia Centre Research Director Dr Jeffrey Wilson, International Economy Director Dr Stephen Kirchner, Research Fellow Dr Peter K. Lee and Foreign Policy and Defence Program Director Ashley Townshend.
Our landmark report was covered by The Australian Financial Review, The Australian, The Guardian, The Canberra Times, ABC TV’s Afternoon Briefing and more.
Research fellowship for Dr Peter K. Lee
Dr Peter K. Lee, research fellow in the Foreign Policy and Defence Program, has received a Korea Foundation research fellowship hosted by the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute. Peter is undertaking a policy project on “Korea-Australia Middle Power Collaboration” from March 2022 to May 2023. His research focuses on Korea-Australia relations, middle powers and security cooperation .
Welcome Patrick and Paulo, farewell Sarah
Patrick Whiteley has joined the Centre as the new Media and Publishing Manager. Patrick has extensive journalism experience having worked for The Australian, The Daily Telegraph as well as a strong media management background with NSW government agencies. He recently served as media advisor in the Office of the NSW Planning and Public Spaces Minister.
Paulo Olivares joins the USSC team as our new Student Recruitment and Mobility Coordinator. Paulo brings more than 10 years of experience in international education and student recruitment and mobility as he was the manager of a student recruitment agency in South America working with Australian and New Zealand Universities, as well as having held positions in Student Recruitment and International Work Integrated Learning at the University of Sydney.
The USSC wishes Sarah Hamilton all the best in the future as she leaves the Centre after more than a year of service. Sarah quickly proved integral to both our 2021 and 2022 SOTUS publications and her weekly “Behind the Numbers” feature in the 46th quickly became a popular piece of this report. Sarah also proved to be an exceptional co-manager of our interns, and this is even more remarkable considering this was her first-ever full-time job out of university.
First award of the Small Grants Program
Dr Jingdong Yuan with the University of Sydney is the Centre's first successful Small Grants Program recipient for his research project titled “Transatlantic challenges in managing Chinese technology competition: Implications and policy options for Australia”. The Centre has established the Small Grants Program to support shorter, tightly focused research projects aligned with the Centre’s research strategy. Applications for research projects are open through 30 June 2022. Learn more here
US War on Drugs
Starting with the US War on Drugs, this OLE unit offered by the University of Sydney introduces the cultural, political, health and economic issues of the international illegal drug trade. It advances an understanding of the global commodity chains, migrations, political decisions, and cultural meanings that imbue drug production, distribution, and consumption. Students will also gain an understanding of transnational policy, public health, cultural connections, underground economies, and the consequences of legalised narcotic consumption. Students will study cultural texts such as hip hop and HBO TV, and ethnographic research on Afghan poppy farmers, Peruvian coca field workers, and non-violent offenders in American prisons. This unit will run in Semester 2, 2022. Learn more here
In the news
The appointment of the Centre's new CEO, Dr Michael Green (pictured above), our Alliance Dinner celebrating the 70th anniversary of ANZUS and our flagship SOTUS report were extensively covered in the media.
Ukraine fallout will have profound fallout for Asia
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the biggest disruption to the international order since the 9/11 terror attacks, with huge implications for the Indo-Pacific, as “Asia’s future is being defined in Ukraine right now”, Dr Mike Green, the newly appointed chief executive of the USSC, told The Australian. READ MORE HERE
Biden acclaims “essential ANZUS”
US President Joe Biden told leading figures in politics, business and defence at a special USSC event at Parliament House that the Australia-US alliance was not only a historical document but essential to strengthening Indo-Pacific security into the future, The Australian reported. READ MORE HERE
‘Career China hawk’ slams unrealistic decoupling talk
Australia’s political and policy debates about China are more forward-looking and nuanced than anything happening in Washington, former Bush administration official and newly-appointed chief executive of the USSC, Dr Michael Green, told the Australian Financial Review. READ MORE HERE
Power of democracies around the world coming together over Ukraine
Dr Michael Green says the US-led consensus has been “incredibly important” in pushing back against Russia in the Ukrainian conflict. "... I’ve heard nothing but praise from allies for how they’ve (the United States) organised the free world, the international community, to cut costs on Vladimir Putin,” Dr Green told Sky News Australia. READ MORE HERE
Biden administration at a turning point as US working-age population collapses
Despite enjoying a dramatic rebound from the pandemic downturn, returning activity to pre-crisis levels, weak population growth is weighing on the Biden administration’s ability to “deliver on its promises at home and to project US power and influence abroad”, Dr Stephen Kirchner, Director of International Economy told the Australian Financial Review. READ MORE HERE
USSC perspectives
Our flagship annual report State of the United States - Biden agenda in the balance, was the focus of a number of commentaries by USSC experts, who reflected on US division and isolation, the US defence strategy in the Indo-Pacific and the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
- America more divided than at any time since
the civil war by Professor Simon Jackman first published in The Australian
- Fancy Footwork: Biden’s two-step approach to Indo-Pacific allies by Tom Corben and Dr Peter K. Lee first published in The Diplomat
- Will Biden’s Indo-Pacific strategy survive the war in Ukraine? By Ashley Townshend and Tom Corben first published in The Strategist
- South Korea’s bind between North Korea and US China strategy by Dr Peter K. Lee first published in the East Asia Forum
- Sanctions are the least bad option against Putin's aggression by Dr Stephen Kirchner first published in the Australian Financial Review
- This exploding outrage confirms second cold war by Stephen Loosley AM first published in The Australian
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Event replays
The latest videos from our webinars and events are available on our YouTube channel. Catch up on these events through the USSC Live podcast and on YouTube. Here are some of the greatest hits from recent webinars and events:
- US President Biden sends message of support for ANZUS read by Dr Kurt Campbell, National Security Council Coordinator for Indo Pacific Affairs.
- Prime Minister Morrison shares keynote remarks about the alliance at the Alliance Dinner.
Celebrating the 70th anniversary of ANZUS a message by Australian Ambassador to the US Arthur Sinodinos AO to the Alliance Dinner.
Alliance Dinner closing remarks shared by incoming USSC CEO Dr. Michael J. Green.
- Is Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a turning point for US allies or just NATO? with Stephen Loosley AM and Dr Gorana Grgic in conversation with Mari Koeck.
- Preview of Biden’s first State of the Union address with Dr David Smith, Bruce Wolpe and Victoria Cooper in conversation with Professor Simon Jackman.
- NATO expert talk series: NATO and the challenges to the rules-based international order Dr Gorana Grgic talks with Nicola de Santis, Head Engagements Section, NATO Public Diplomacy Division.
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
