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December 2022
A year in review
In his Moscow State University Address, delivered on the 31st of May 1988, then-US President Ronald Reagan identified one plank of what set apart the ideology of the West and the Soviet bloc. Freedom, he said, "is the right to question and change the established way of doing things." It is in this spirit of robust enquiry that we wrap up what has been a very significant year for the United States Studies Centre (USSC).
As the year ends, the Centre's mission, as a national resource that builds the public’s awareness of the dynamics shaping America and their implications for Australia — while seeking innovative policy solutions for the alliance - has never been more important.
The fallout from this shocking Capitol riots of January 6 2021 continues as, just this week, former President Trump was referred to the Department of Justice. Now, 2022 ends with a fresh debate on the role the United States will play in the global order, particularly the Indo-Pacific, with partners like Australia and Japan. Despite questions about whether isolationist sentiments might return in the United States' foreign policy, the United States continues to provide a critical role as authoritarianism emerges around the world.
Support for alliances in the Indo-Pacific is strong and bipartisan according to USSC surveys, but as I noted in September this year for Quarterly Essay, what Australia should do with its influence is continue shaping American strategy towards China.
Indeed, how Australia should engage with China is a question for all Australians. And is reflected in our recent landmark US midterms 2022 polling report. This is a major research product from the USSC this year and it finds almost half of Australians support sending military aid to help defend Taiwan.
This year has also been a period of growth for the Centre as we welcomed new members for our high-performing team. Notably, we have appointed three new program directors: Professor Peter Dean for Foreign Policy and Defence, Miah Hammond-Errey for Emerging Technology and Hayley Channer for Economic Security.
The academic team has also had a particularly strong year, with a record number of students going through the American Studies program this year. It was also great to see such a good turnout for our 2022 US midterms watch party and trivia night student event, hosted by Associate Professor David Smith.
Our vision for the USSC in 2023 will be for the Centre to reach a broader audience and play a more active role in not just providing analysis, but in shaping Australia’s foreign policy agenda. This is reflected in the addition and expansion of our Economic Security, Emerging Technology, and Foreign Policy and Defence programs to tackle challenges that reflect the important challenges facing Australia’s policy landscape.
From the Prime Minister and Minister of Defence to leading experts like the German Marshall Fund’s Bonnie Glaser on Taiwan, we had the privilege of welcoming many dignitaries through our doors this year. In 2023 we look forward to welcoming a wide range of distinguished guests to help advance the dialogue on issues critical to the alliance.
As an American moving to Australia, I have felt a very warm welcome here, which I think reflects the same friendship that undergirds our alliance – an even more important asset in the face of shared strategic challenges.
Sincerely,
Dr Michael Green
CEO, United States Studies Centre
2022 HIGHLIGHTS
Event highlights
A number of significant events happened over the course of 2022 for the Centre. They included:
US midterms 2022 - we hosted a special US midterms event featuring The New York Times' Jane Coaston, ABC's Political commentator Annabel Crabb, and the Centre's CEO Dr Michael Green.
The alliance at 70 dinner - to commemorate just over 70 years since the signing of the ANZUS treaty, the Centre hosted a dinner in Canberra that was attended by a number of high-profile guests.
The Centre launched its second annual publication, State of the United States: Biden's agenda in the balance with a conference featuring the Minister for Defence, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and Shadow Minister for Defence.
The Centre hosted a special event featuring Bonnie Glaser in conversation with USSC CEO Dr Michael Green to discuss Is a 2023 Taiwan invasion imminent or implausible?
The Centre launched Dr Michael Green’s new book Line of Advantage: Japan’s Grand Strategy in the Era of Abe Shinzō .
American Studies
American studies had a big year with a record number of students enrolled, almost 1,900! A couple of major events also marked the year:
USSC midterm watch party and trivia night - The final student event for the 2022 academic year, the USSC midterms watch party and trivia night, was a real highlight as far as student events go this year. Held on 9 November at the Marlborough Hotel, Newtown and hosted by Associate Professor David Smith, it was a very fun evening analysing US politics over free food and drinks.
American Studies student prizes dinner - A night of networking, food & drinks, giveaways, and where we honoured our highest achieving American Studies major students.
USyd Welcome Week Semester Two - From prize-winning roulette wheels to free merchandise to a fun photo booth for creating long-lasting memories to learning something new, and much more, the USSC stall at the USyd Welcome Fest had something for everyone.
Publications
The last 12 months was a busy time for the Centre with a number of high-impact reports produced by our experts. Some highlights include:
US midterms 2022: The stakes for Australia and the alliance - Research Director Jared Mondschein and Research Associate Victoria Cooper compared survey results in Australia, the United States and Japan on topics from AUKUS to the biggest issues facing Congress.
Laying the foundations for AUKUS: Strengthening Australia's high-tech ecosystem in support of advanced capabilities - USSC Non-Resident Fellow Jennifer Jackett examines how in a more hostile Indo-Pacific, maintaining a leading edge in advanced capabilities will be a decisive factor in the ability of AUKUS partners to offset the risks of a technologically sophisticated adversary.
Many hands: Australia-US contributions to Southeast Asian maritime security resilience - USSC Research Fellow Dr Peter Lee was the lead author and worked with experts from Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam to identify opportunities for maritime security collaboration in Southeast Asia.
Dedication or distraction in Indo-Pacific diplomacy? - At the start of the Summit season, USSC Research Associate Alice Nason released a report comparing the Biden administration’s diplomacy track record to those of former presidents Trump and Obama.
Commentary
US midterm results are a net plus for national security - Dr Michael Green, Foreign Policy
Australia and the US are firm friends on defence, now let's turn that into world-beating climate action - Professor Peter J. Dean, The Conversation
Trump remains a winner where it really matters - Victoria Cooper, Australian Financial Review
Ukraine conflict keeps NATO's focus close to home - Dr Gorana Grgic, The Australian Financial Review
Magic of Camelot comes to Australia - Stephen Loosley, The Australian
The real China hands: What Washington can learn from its Asian allies - Dr Michael Green, Foreign Affairs
Event replays
The last year was a busy one for our webinar series. If you missed one, you can catch up on these events through the USSC Live podcast and on YouTube. Here are a few of the latest replays:
- What does the new Congress mean for Australia? with Louis Lauter, a former Legislative Affairs official with the US Department of Defense and Vice President of Beacon Global Strategies and USSC's Dr Michael Green.
- US Midterms 2022: The stakes for Australia and the alliance the Centre launched this publication at a special event in Canberra.
- Many Hands: Australia-US contributions to Southeast Asian maritime security resilience with Andi Supriyanto (Universitas Indonesia), Professor Renato Cruz De Castro (De La Salle University), Dr Collin Koh (RSIS, Nanyang Technological University) and Dr Lan-Anh Nguyen (Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam), in conversation with USSC Research Fellow Dr Peter K. Lee.
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United States Studies
Centre
Institute Building H03
University of Sydney NSW 2006
