30 April 2026

April proved to be another eventful month for US politics and foreign policy. From the critical exchanges between President Trump and the Pope after Easter to the shooting at the White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday, United States Studies Centre experts have been busy providing timely analysis for these fast-moving events. You may have seen our experts on nearly every news channel in Australia and many outlets internationally as well.

Each semester, we welcome students as interns to work with the different programs at the Centre, learning about everything from research practices to business operations. This semester we have welcomed our largest intern cohort and it could not have come at a better time with the high level of demand for analysis and insights.

Senior Lecturer Dr Kathryn Robison heads up our internship program and still found time to co-publish a brief looking at the important role Australia can play in space exploration, something once again brought to international attention thanks to NASA’s Artemis II mission.

Our explainers and podcasts this month covered the impact of President Trump’s 'Liberation Day' tariffs one year later, the future of data centres and the impact on Australia, the US 2026 National Defense Budget and Australia-Taiwan relations.

This week, we learned who President Trump’s pick is to succeed Caroline Kennedy as Ambassador to Australia. Former Congressman from Virginia Dave Brat got the nod. Originally an economist, he is someone who some of our experts have been following for years. We have shared some initial reactions below, but stay tuned for more analysis on the person who can play a vital role in the next phase of US-Australia relations.

Spotlight

Dave Brat nominated as next US Ambassador to Australia

This week, President Trump released a list of nominations for federally appointed positions. Dave Brat, his choice to serve as US Ambassador to Australia, topped that list. Dave Brat is an economist and former conservative congressman from Virginia, who worked at Liberty University following his time in Congress.

USSC Chairman and former Australian Ambassador to the United States the Hon. Arthur Sinodinos AO responded to the announcement, saying, “The President’s nomination of Dave Brat is welcome news for the relationship, he has the ear of the President and his understanding of politics, economics and business will be useful I navigating the relationship and identifying new areas of cooperation.”

USSC CEO Dr Michael Green noted the significant opportunity Brat’s appointment could present, “Erika Olsen has been an excellent chargé d’affairs but in the US system there is a special advantage being able to work with a political appointee who has strong connections with the party in power and in Brat’s case with the Congress. Brat’s background as an academic is also new for Australia and we hope he will be interested in engaging with our students.”

A number of USSC experts have been closely following the nomination news. Their analysis has been featured in: SBS, The Nightly, The Conversation and  The West Australian.

News

Student film screening

USSC Academic Director Dr Rodney Taveira hosted a special student film screening this month to watch Best Picture winning film: One Battle After Another. At the end of the movie, Rodney was joined by American Studies Honours students and Film Studies Associate Professor Bruce Isaacs to lead a discussion and Q&A after the movie. They explored the question: Why is there no socialism in the United States?

The film and discussion align with the curriculum for the second-year unit American Dreams, which Rodney coordinates.

Announcing two new non-resident fellows

We welcomed two new non-resident fellows this month, award-winning journalist Michael Miller and Asia policy expert Melanie Kilby.

Michael was the inaugural Sydney Bureau Chief for The Washington Post, covering all of Australia and many countries in the region for the masthead. He is currently Pacific Editor at the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), one of the largest investigative journalism organisations in the world.

Melanie is Associate Vice President in The Asia Group’s Australia practice. She has worked extensively on foreign policy and intelligence both in and out of government, including working for the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Office of National Intelligence.

Both experts bring a depth of knowledge and lived-experience that helps shape the foreign policy dialogue in Australia and the Indo-Pacific.

New Teacher Professional Development Series launches in May

Starting next month, the USSC is launching a four-part NESA recognised webinar series for NSW secondary teachers. The professional development webinars will examine some of the most pressing civic, political and social issues in 2026:

• 26 May | How is US political polarisation impacting Australian life?
• 11 August | Chat GPT and the pushback against expertise
• 8 September | Private life, public world: what privacy means in 2026
• 5 November | US midterm elections in focus: how they work and why they matter to Australia

Each one-hour session is delivered online and designed to be classroom‑relevant without becoming a syllabus workshop. Teachers will gain a clear framing of each issue, an understanding of the Australian context where it matters, and practical approaches for discussing these topics with students.

The series is delivered by the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, a NESA-recognised professional development provider, and is supported by the Australian National University’s National Security College.

Teachers can self‑log participation as professional development. All sessions are recorded.

Roundtable with Maitri Fellow

This month we welcomed Australia India Institute Maitri Fellow Preeti Mudliar for a roundtable briefing with USSC researchers. Preeti shared her research for her current book manuscript, “Authenticating Citizenship: Prive Lives of Digital Public Infrastructures” about how India’s Aadhaar digital ID system mediates access to food security. She was accompanied by the Hon. Lisa Singh, CEO of the Australia India Institute.

Recent content from us

Student opportunities and awards

Join our US Midterms Study Tour 

University of Sydney students have the opportunity to experience the US midterm elections firsthand as they unfold in Washington, DC and Philadelphia this November. 

Across two weeks of academic sessions, policy‑focused site visits and on‑the‑ground engagement, students taking part in the US Midterms Study Tour will explore how US elections influence government, public policy, media, diplomacy, democracy and America’s role in the world. Open to undergraduate and postgraduate students from all faculties, the tour offers academic credit upon successful completion. Scholarships are available, and eligible students may also access OS‑HELP loans. 

Swap the Sydney winter for the LA summer 

Open to undergraduate University of Sydney students from all faculties, this six‑week program lets you spend your winter break studying at UCLA and living on campus in the heart of Los Angeles. Earn University of Sydney credit by completing two UCLA courses, while soaking up iconic LA culture as the city gears up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Scholarships are available, along with OS-HELP loans for eligible students. Applications close soon, with places strictly limited. 

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