No images? Click here JUNE 2024A month of firstsThe impact of President Biden's performance in today's debate will not be clear in polling for several days but democratic analysts are starting to hit alarm bells about the implications for his campaign. As the aftermath of the first presidential debate continues to unfold, the reality of a second Trump or Biden term in the White House feels much nearer. As shown in the United States Studies Centre (USSC)'s Red book | Blue book, on many alliance issues from trade to AUKUS, outcomes for US allies and partners will be largely the same regardless of whether Republicans or Democrats win in November. To drive forward the conversation on some of the fastest evolving geopolitical issues, USSC convened government and corporate leaders from across the region for its Economic security in a turbulent world conference, the first of its kind in Australia this month. The conference featured five heads of Australian Government departments and agencies; current and former US departments of State and Energy officials; the Secretary-General of the OECD; Chairman of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation; international corporate leaders and economists; and Australian parliamentarians. It was a tour de force that did not just grapple with the convergence of economics and national security, but shifted the dialogue. As the debate evolved in real time, solutions emerged with a sense of coalescing around next steps for allies and partners in this area. The conference was covered by major media outlets including The Australian, The Australian Financial Review and The Canberra Times. If you were unable to attend, all recordings will be available on our YouTube page soon. If that was not enough, this month we also hosted the first 1.5 track trilateral between Australia, Japan and Korea, the Indian Ocean Strategy Dialogue in Canberra and a NextGen workshop in Sydney. The pace has been fast, but this is matched by a sense of urgency. Progress on these issues cannot wait and where there is momentum, the USSC will continue to play its role in providing analysis of America, insights for Australia and solutions for the alliance. Election watch 2024 131 days to the US presidential electionWith the first debate completed, the felony convictions of both former president Trump and Hunter Biden are already fading into the background. As the election approaches, the USSC continues to navigate this unprecedented election cycle with analysis of what to expect from a Trump 2.0 or Biden 2.0 White House. Analysis
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Looking for a US election expert? Contact us on ussc.media@sydney.edu.au. NEWS ![]() USSC hosts first Australia-Korea-Japan Track 1.5 DialogueRepresentatives of both government and research institutes across Australia, Korea and Japan convened at the University of Sydney in June for their first-ever track 1.5 dialogue. Australian Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Tim Watts MP addressed the gathering and panel discussions looked at risks and opportunities around collaboration across defence, economics and regional development. This event was made possible by funding from the Australian Government, Australia-Korea Foundation and Australia-Japan Foundation. Experts debate AUKUS Optimal PathwayThe Australian Government has an ambitious, complex plan to field nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs) by the early 2030s, but is it feasible? In the latest instalment of its Debate Papers series, the USSC invited two leading thinkers on maritime strategy to debate whether the AUKUS Optimal Pathway is the best way forward to realise Australia’s strategic interests. For: Dr Richard Dunley, a senior lecturer at UNSW Canberra, argues that the Optimal Pathway chosen by the Australian Government is the best of the few options available to Australia. Against: Dr Elizabeth Buchanan, an expert associate of the Australian National University National Security College, argues that, though nuclear-powered submarines are the right choice for Australia, Canberra should scrap plans to build its own SSN-AUKUS submarine. Read The Debate Papers: Is Australia’s AUKUS submarine pathway really ‘optimal’? Applications for Semester 2 internships now openAmerican Studies students can now apply for a Semester 2 internship with the USSC. As an intern at the USSC, you have the unique opportunity to contribute to ground-breaking research and immerse yourself in projects that shape the dialogue on US-Australian relations, foreign policy, and global issues. Under the guidance of Senior Lecturer Dr Rodney Taveira, our student internship program seamlessly integrates academic knowledge with hands-on experience. Undergraduate students complete USSC3703: US Studies Internship, and postgraduate students complete USSC6205: Internship Project. Applications will close at 11:59pm AEST on Wednesday, 3 July 2024. You will be required to submit a cover letter, CV and academic transcript here. ![]() Australian strategy in the Indian OceanUSSC hosted another track 1.5 dialogue in Canberra, this time focused on Australian strategy in the Indian Ocean. Representatives from the Department of Defence and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade joined researchers from Australia, India and the United States to consider the strategic importance of the Indian Ocean, Australian interests and operational planning. The dialogue considered a working paper by Dr Arzan Tarapore from Stanford University titled, “Engaging with reality in the Indian Ocean,” which will be published later this year. This work is supported by a grant from the Australian Department of Defence. Latest multipolarity report focuses on India and the QuadThe latest report in USSC’s Indo-Pacific strategic futures: Multipolarity, alignment dynamics and collective defence series focuses on India’s growing security cooperation with the Quad amid heightened regional tensions. Dr Prakash Gopal from the University of Wollongong explores the possibility of developing a collective deterrence and defence framework within the Quad to buttress Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific. His report concludes with policy considerations for India’s Quad partners, including:
This report was featured in Nikkei Asia. First NextGen MasterclassYesterday, USSC held its first NextGen Masterclass. This is the first in a series for the new NextGen initiative, which reaches up-and-coming researchers on alliance issues and connects them with leading international thinkers for specialised training and career-building opportunities. This event featured sessions with Dr Zack Cooper, Senior Fellow with the American Enterprise Institute and Prof. Alessio Patalano, Professor of War and Strategy in East Asia at King’s College London, in addition to USSC and National Security College experts. The NextGen program is made possible with support from the US Department of State. USSC perspectivesWith the US election in focus, USSC experts took a deeper look at into the implications of a second Biden or Trump term for the United States' relationship with Australia and the trade agenda.
EVENT Governing AI: How are governments engaging with generative AI?Generative artificial intelligence has dominated headlines across the world for the past two years. Popular models include OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini and image generators like Midjourney. However, generative AI sits at the intersection of several cross-cutting issues – from data governance and privacy to innovative capacity – that impact businesses, government and society at large. As a result, governments are tackling this challenge from very different directions. Why are governments so keen to develop generative AI and foundation models? What are governments doing to encourage generative AI? How might that backfire? What controls could be put on the data used to train AI? To answer these questions and many more, the Emerging Technology Program at the USSC is pleased to host Professor Susan Ariel Aaronson, Research Professor from George Washington University and Director of the Digital Trade and Governance Hub. Susan is also co-principal investigator with the NSF-NIST (National Science Foundation and National Institute of Standards and Technology) Institute for Trustworthy AI in Law & Society, TRAILS, where she leads research on data and AI governance. Hosting the discussion will be Hayley Channer, USSC Director of Economic Security. Hayley has a diverse background having worked as an Australian Government official, Ministerial adviser, think tank analyst, and represented global non-profit organisations. Professor Susan Ariel Aaronson’s trip is made possible by the generous support of the US Department of State TYPE WHERE WHEN COST IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Videos and podcastsThe 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.
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