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Masterclass: Making Indonesian Foreign Policy with Professor Dewi Fortuna Anwar
24
Sep
Masterclass: Making Indonesian Foreign Policy with Professor Dewi Fortuna Anwar

Professor Dewi Fortuna Anwar - Indonesia's foreign policy scholars and practitioners.

Sep 24, 2026 14:00 - Sep 24, 2026 16:00
The Ashburton Room, Forrest Hall, Crawley Western Australia
Building AI Sovereignty in a Disrupted World
24
Sep
Building AI Sovereignty in a Disrupted World

Hon. Chris Picton MP - Minister for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Economy, Professor Rodrigo Praino and Dr Mel McDowall.

Sep 24, 2026 17:30 - Sep 24, 2026 19:00
Flinders at Festival Plaza, Adelaide South Australia, in-person only
Middle East Geopolitics: Drivers of conflict and where to from here?
29
Sep
Middle East Geopolitics: Drivers of conflict and where to from here?

Dr. Jessica Genauer - Associate Professor in International Relations at UNSW

Sep 29, 2026 18:00 - Sep 29, 2026 19:30
Glover Cottages, Millers Point New South Wales, in-person only
AIIA ACT Branch 2026 Annual General Meeting
30
Sep
AIIA ACT Branch 2026 Annual General Meeting

For financial AIIA (ACT) members only

Sep 30, 2026 18:00 - Sep 30, 2026 19:15
32 Thesiger Ct Thesiger Court 32 Deakin Australian Capital Territory Australia
Australia and the UN Security Council: A Seat at the Table?
01
Oct
Australia and the UN Security Council: A Seat at the Table?

Gary Quinlan AO FAIIA - AIIA National President and former Australian Ambassador to the United Nations

Oct 1, 2026 18:00 - Oct 1, 2026 19:00
AIIA ACT Hybrid Event, 32 Thesiger Ct
Driving Three Kings – A personal memoir of diplomacy that traces Tonga’s evolving relationship with Australia
06
Oct
Driving Three Kings – A personal memoir of diplomacy that traces Tonga’s evolving relationship with Australia

Louise S. R. Waterhouse - Honorary Consul-General for the Kingdom of Tonga in Australia

Oct 6, 2026 18:00 - Oct 6, 2026 19:00
AIIA QLD Hybrid Event, Hemmants List Centre
Hungarian Lawyers Association: AI and the Practice of Law
07
Oct
Hungarian Lawyers Association: AI and the Practice of Law

Gergo Bacskai - Technology Executive and Applied AI Engineer
Julian Hetyey AsJ - Associate Judge in the Supreme Court of Victoria
Rob Jackson - Principal of Rob Jackson Legal Pty Ltd

Oct 7, 2026 18:00 - Oct 7, 2026 19:00
Location Level 13, 356 Collins Street 356 Collins Street Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia, in-person only
AIIA National Conference 2026
16
Nov
AIIA National Conference 2026
Nov 16, 2026 09:00 - Nov 16, 2026 17:00
Hyatt Hotel, Canberra
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Video and Audio

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Ep. 191: Tim Watts MP on AI sovereignty, safety and Australia’s choices
Podcast
22 Apr 2026
Ep. 191: Tim Watts MP on AI sovereignty, safety and Australia’s choices
Play this Episode
Australia-US Relations Under Trump | Kevin Rudd | AIIA ACT Branch Annual Dinner
Video, Youtube
24 Sep 2026
Australia-US Relations Under Trump | Kevin Rudd | AIIA ACT Branch Annual Dinner
Play this Episode
Australia-Pacific Reset | Indo-Pacific Briefing
Video, Youtube
09 Sep 2026
Australia-Pacific Reset | Indo-Pacific Briefing
Play this Episode
A New Era for Australia–EU Relations | Jason Collins | AIIA ACT Branch
Video, Youtube
24 Sep 2026
A New Era for Australia–EU Relations | Jason Collins | AIIA ACT Branch
Play this Episode
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AIIA National Conference 2026

Register Now!

This year’s conference will take place at the Hyatt Canberra on November 16. Earlybird discounts on registration are now available!

Conference
Register
2025 Highlights

Australian Outlook

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Artificial Intelligence Is Built From Human Knowledge and Should Serve Humanity
Analysis
24 Sep 2026
Artificial Intelligence Is Built From Human Knowledge and Should Serve Humanity
By Dr Shannon Brincat
AI governance needs more than safety rules. Treating its knowledge base and benefits as the common heritage of humankind offers a practical way to protect epistemic diversity and prevent a
Taiwan Should Test Cross-Strait Restraint, Not Take It on Trust
Fresh perspectives
24 Sep 2026
Taiwan Should Test Cross-Strait Restraint, Not Take It on Trust
By Percy Yixuanchen Yu
Cooperation across the Taiwan Strait can deliver real benefits while confrontation continues. Publicly testing specific commitments would help Taiwan preserve useful engagement, recognise its limits and decide when to expand
A Stronger State, a Weaker Country: Five Years of Taliban Rule
Fresh perspectives
24 Sep 2026
A Stronger State, a Weaker Country: Five Years of Taliban Rule
By Muhammad Amir
Five years after taking Kabul, the Taliban have proved more capable of governing than almost anyone predicted. The trouble is that the state they are strengthening is drawing down the
Book Review: Strategy Amidst Indifference. Australia and the Indian Ocean Islands
Reading room
24 Sep 2026
Book Review: Strategy Amidst Indifference. Australia and the Indian Ocean Islands
By Professor James Cotton FAIIA
From graphite mining in Madagascar to illegal fishing off Heard Island, Australia’s stakes in the Indian Ocean islands have been growing, with almost no presence there. Ashton Robinson’s timely study
Türkiye Joins Artemis but is Building its Own Road to the Moon
Analysis
22 Sep 2026
Türkiye Joins Artemis but is Building its Own Road to the Moon
By Prof Richard de Grijs
Türkiye’s decision to join the US-led Artemis Accords comes just as its first home-grown lunar spacecraft enters testing. Rather than signalling a geopolitical realignment, the move fits Ankara’s wider strategy
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Publications

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Publications
12 Mar 2026
Tides of Memory: Cultural Storytelling and Disaster Resilience in the Indo-Pacific
Authored by Rebekah Baynard-Smith, Illustrated by Rohit Rao
Australia in World Affairs
15 Nov 2024
Australia in World Affairs 2016-2020: A return to great power rivalry
Baogang He, David Hundt, Danielle Chubb (eds)
Diplomatic History
22 Nov 2023
Let’s Dance: A History of LGBTIQ Staff in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Rhonda Piggott
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AIIA News

Kevin Rudd to Headline AIIA ACT Branch Dinner
ACT Branch, Special Events
04 Aug 2026
Kevin Rudd to Headline AIIA ACT Branch Dinner

CANBERRA–The Australian Institute of International Affairs ACT Branch will welcome former prime minister, foreign minister and Australian ambassador to the United States the Hon Dr Kevin Rudd AC as guest […]

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AIIA Fellows
03 Aug 2026
Vale Garry Woodard AO FAIIA, Former AIIA National President

The Australian Institute of International Affairs mourns the death of Charles Garrard “Garry” Woodard AO FAIIA, distinguished diplomat, scholar and former National President of the Institute. Woodard served at the […]

AIIA Victoria Study Tour Deepens Engagement with Sri Lanka
International Interaction, Study Tours, Victoria
19 Jul 2026
AIIA Victoria Study Tour Deepens Engagement with Sri Lanka

COLOMBO—A delegation from the Australian Institute of International Affairs Victoria has completed a study tour of Sri Lanka, meeting political leaders, policymakers, diplomats, economists, academics and industry representatives to gain […]

Major AIIA-Japan Foundation Network Explores Disaster Resilience in Fiji and New Zealand
Indo-Pacific Cooperation Network, Projects and Study Tours
02 Jul 2026
Major AIIA-Japan Foundation Network Explores Disaster Resilience in Fiji and New Zealand

SUVA, NADI, CHRISTCHURCH AND WELLINGTON—The third cohort of the Indo-Pacific Cooperation Network has completed a study tour through Fiji and New Zealand, examining how governments, communities, scientists, emergency managers and […]

AIIA at Major Central and Eastern Europe Security Conference
AIIA CEO, International Interaction
29 May 2026
AIIA at Major Central and Eastern Europe Security Conference

PRAGUE–Australian Institute of International Affairs Chief Executive Officer Dr Bryce Wakefield attended the GLOBSEC 2026 Forum last week, joining political leaders, policymakers, military officials, and strategic thinkers from across Europe […]

AIIA Welcomes Gary Quinlan as National President as Heather Smith Retires
AIIA National President
04 May 2026
AIIA Welcomes Gary Quinlan as National President as Heather Smith Retires

CANBERRA—The Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA) marks a leadership transition this month, with Gary Quinlan AO FAIIA assuming the role of national president as Dr Heather Smith PSM FAIIA […]

AIIA at ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific Working Group Conference in Bali
International Interaction
11 Mar 2026
AIIA at ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific Working Group Conference in Bali

BALI–Dr Bryce Wakefield, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA), has once again contributed to regional policy discussions at the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) […]

IPCN 2026 Cohort Completes Japan Study Tour on Disaster Resilience
Indo-Pacific Cooperation Network, Projects and Study Tours
10 Mar 2026
IPCN 2026 Cohort Completes Japan Study Tour on Disaster Resilience

TOKYO, ISHINOMAKI, MINAMISANRIKU, KOBE, and KYOTO–The 2026 cohort of the Australian Institute of International Affairs–The Japan Foundation Indo-Pacific Cooperation Network (IPCN) has completed the first stage of its program with […]

AIIA in the Media

19 August 2026
The Australian: Anthony Albanese inks security and economic deal with Vietnam
Australian Institute of International Affairs chief executive Bryce Wakefield said the visit “isn’t a dramatic realignment by Vietnam” but that “it does show that Australia and Vietnam increasingly see the regional strategic environment in similar terms, particularly on maritime security and the need to resist coercion”. “The main takeaway is how the relationship is becoming more practical and institutionalised, including through defence exercises, law-enforcement co-operation and regular high-level contact,” he said. “The fact that visits like this no longer need a flashy deliverable is itself a sign of how much more mature and normalised Australia’s regional diplomacy has become.”
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18 August 2026
news.com.au: ‘Very concerned’: Australia breaks with Donald Trump on North Korea
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has shown some flexibility by green-lighting intelligence deployments in the Middle East, but Australian Institute of International Affairs chief executive Bryce Wakefield cautioned against reading too much into it. “Although what constitutes a ‘survival-threatening situation’ remains a bit up in the air at the moment, Takaichi’s willingness to contemplate limited SDF deployments to the Middle East does not suggest that Japan’s constitutional constraints have fallen away,” he told NewsWire. “When Trump pressed her over the Strait of Hormuz, she explicitly invoked the legal and constitutional limits on what Japan could do.”
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18 August 2026
The Courier-Mail: Albanese rejects calls to apologise over Japan melon podcast remarks
Australian Institute of International Affairs chief executive Bryce Wakefield said if “we take the leaked diplomatic communication and ambassador Suzuki’s comments at face value, Japan does not appear to regard this as a diplomatic problem”. “Albanese’s detractors are entitled to criticise his conduct,” he said, adding that “they are on much shakier ground if they present that criticism as evidence of Japanese diplomatic offence”.
Go to source
16 August 2026
The Nightly: Shinzo Abe adviser blasts Anthony Albanese over crude joke about Japanese PM’s melon gift
“Albanese’s comments were poorly considered, but the Australia–Japan relationship under his government has moved well beyond warm rhetoric and strategic intent into a much denser, more practical partnership across defence, security and regional diplomacy,” AIIA CEO Dr Bryce Wakefield said. “An off-colour joke on a podcast is not going to derail a relationship of that depth. Whatever his critics might wish, this has gained no real traction in Japan and is unlikely to resonate beyond a narrow Australian audience already predisposed to dislike the Prime Minister.”
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9 July 2026
NewsX (India): Bryce Wakefield on Modi Visit: India-Australia Ties Need Action, Not Just Words
Watch AIIA CEO Dr Bryce Wakefield discuss Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Australia, including the proposed uranium supply arrangement, CECA negotiations, defence cooperation, maritime security, supply chains, education, and the future of India-Australia strategic ties.
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23 June 2026
GLOBSEC: Indo-Pacific Power Plays
Watch a video podcast with AIIA CEO Dr Bryce Wakefield in discussion with Roger Hilton, Media Presenter and Research Fellow at GLOBSEC
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27 May 2026
ABC Global Roaming: Springtime in Prague: Why is Europe feeling optimistic?
At a leading European security and policy conference in Prague, Latika buttonholes one of Australia's top political scientists to interrogate an unusually upbeat, even optimistic, mood. Is it that Europe's leaders are getting used to dealing with Donald Trump? Or could it be Ukraine fending off the Russians, with increasing success? The answer is worth a listen.
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20 May 2026
Australia off G7 invite list as French President Emmanuel Macron snubs Anthony Albanese
Bryce Wakefield, CEO of the Australian Institute for International Affairs said the difference in Mr Macron’s position then and now was notable. “Australia’s absence is striking because Canberra had effectively become a regular invitee to recent G7 summits alongside countries like India and South Korea, reflecting its growing role in Indo-Pacific strategy and economic security,” he said. "Given the summit’s focus on critical minerals and online child safety, two issues where Australia sees itself as a policy leader, the omission is diplomatically awkward. "Critics may well interpret this as a sign that Macron has lingering doubts about Australia after France was dumped for AUKUS. The bigger question, however, is whether the trans-Atlantic powers are losing focus on the Indo-Pacific.”
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11 May 2026
The Australian: Anthony Albanese set to attend G7 in France
Australian Institute of International Affairs chief executive Bryce Wakefield said an in-person meeting with Mr Trump could be a hazardous undertaking, particularly given the crisis in the Middle East... Dr Wakefield said the US’s major allies had responded in their own way to Mr Trump’s “confrontational approach to foreign policy”. “In the Indo-Pacific, Canada’s Prime Minister (Mark) Carney has tended to confront Trump directly, Japan’s (Prime Minister Sanae) Takaichi has cautiously embraced Trump, while Australia’s Albanese has largely tried to stay off Trump’s radar,” Dr Wakefield said. “That is a wise approach. The challenge for Canberra is to remain in Washington’s good graces without drawing attention to its discomfort with the current US position in the Middle East.”
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5 May 2026
The Nightly: Anthony Albanese hosts Sanae Takaichi in Canberra as Australia-Japan deals criticised as weak
Bryce Wakefield, CEO of the Australian Institute for International Affairs who has lived in Japan and is fluent in Japanese, said Ms Takaichi’s trip appeared time to coincide with Japan’s week of national holidays known as Golden Week. “Takaichi’s visit was more about convenience and relationship management than coming up with anything new. It’s the typical mode of diplomacy favored by Japanese politicians at this time of year, when a series of national holidays at home gives them space to travel abroad,” Dr Wakefield told The Nightly.
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17 April 2026
The Nightly: France to back EU-Australia trade deal saying brutal global shifts forced the mindset change
Bryce Wakefield, CEO of the Australian Institute for International Affairs, welcomed the change in France’s influential position... “If France cannot build domestic support for prioritising the strategic value of cooperation with like-minded partners over narrower sectoral pressures, its ambitions for greater global influence will remain out of reach. This shift in attitude is therefore as good for France as it is for Australia.”
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