Tasmania

Tasmania Branch Membership

AIIA Tasmania is a membership based institute, which brings together people and organisations with an interest in international affairs. We provide our members with an independent forum that allows them to interact in an open and impartial environment with business leaders, academics, diplomats, the media, non-governmental organisations, policy makers and researchers. Members participate in meetings, panel discussions, and seminars to discuss and debate the major foreign policy issues of our time. ‘Premium Individual’ and ‘Corporate/Institutional’ membership categories include a print subscription to the prestigious quarterly publication, “Australian Journal of International Affairs”, and enjoy access to the various AIIA programs.

Membership fees are currently GST free. The AIIA Tasmanian Branch is not required to register for GST.

To RENEW your membership, please login to your AIIA account here (click). If you are having issues logging in, please contact our branch secretary tas.secretary@internationalaffairs.org.au.

AIIA Tasmania Council

For any general enquiries, please contact the branch secretary on tas.secretary@internationalaffairs.org.au

The AIIA Tasmanian Branch report for November 2024- October 2025 covers an active year with many highlights. The Branch has clearly fulfilled its mission to provide a forum for discussion and engagement international affairs. Membership has remained healthy with the Council working to ensure that membership continues to grow. I wish to acknowledge Sir Guy Green, long term member and supporter of this Branch who died in July 2025. As Governor of Tasmania Sir Guy was Branch patron. In addition to his extensive contribution to Tasmania and Australia, Sir Guy retained an active interest in the Branch and attended Branch events.

The Branch instituted its first master class program for TCE and University undergraduate students on Australian national security led by Professor Rory Medcalf and Antarctic geopolitics led by Dr Tony Press, Professor Jeff McGee and Dr Ind Hodgson-Johnston. It is planned to make this an annual event.

In addition to Plimsoll Lecture and the Branch’s Flagship event the Government House Lecture, a range of events were held. We were fortunate to be able to host the Ambassador of China to Australia, the Ambassador of Indonesia, the Ambassador Georgia and the High Commissioner of Canada. A slightly different event was screening of the film The Correspondent and the opportunity to listen to Peter Greste and Richard Roxburgh on the making of the film based on Peter Greste’s book on his imprisonment in Egypt. Peter Greste also spoke on media freedom and current challenges for reporters. Professor Tim McCormack spoke on the challenges to international humanitarian law arising from tor the conflicts in Gaza at an event organised by the Friends of Palestine and supported by the Branch.

Security and managing international affairs in a time of global turbulence was a common theme for many of the presentations to the Branch. These issues were highlighted in both the Government House Lecture delivered by Mr Michael (Mike) Noyes, Deputy Director-General of Security ASIO, in November 2024 and in the2025 Sir James Plimsoll Lecture from Professor Roy Medcalf of the National Security College. Professor Medcalf used the Plimsoll lecture to encourage a discussion within the Australian community of what security means to us. This theme was also addressed in several presentations from speakers addressing Australia-India defence linkages maritime security, Antarctica and climate change.
At the national level the Branch had a small but active role at the 2024 National Conference. 2025 saw Zara Kiimptors retire as National Vice President. Zara was a strong supporter of the Tasmanian Branch, and we are fortunate that she will remain engaged with the AIIA.

The work of the Branch Council members has also been significant. I wish to thank Professor James Chin and Dr Stephen Phipps as Vice Presidents, Dr Geoff Heriot as Branch Secretary and Ed Kremzer as Treasurer. James Chin and John Hayton facilitated communication with members. I thank, too, Kim Boyer, Immediate Past President for her support and counsel. As I stepped into the role as President.
I would like to record the Branch’s thanks to the Tasmanian office of DFAT and to Ms Ruth Baird, Director and Sarah-Jane Sheehy for their support to ours program I wish to acknowledge, particularly, Ruth Baird’s strong supporter of the Branch and on behalf of the Branch I wish her well in her new position as Deputy High Commissioner to Sri Lanka.

I also wish to thank the University of Tasmania, and particularly Vice-Chancellor Professor Rufus Black and Professor Nicholas Farrelly, Pro-Vice Chancellor Southern Tasmania, for their support of the Branch’s program.

Professor Marcus Haward
October 2025

12 November 2024: Government House Lecture, Michael (Mike) Noyes, Deputy Director-General of Security, ASIO.

18 November 2024: Prof Gordon Flake, USAsia Centre University of Western Australia, “The US Election – Review”.

9 December 2024: Piotr Rakowski Consul-General of Poland (Sydney).

13 December 2024: Mrs Rui Gao, Political Counsellor, Chinese Embassy to Australia.

15 February 2025 Professors Zaj?czkowski and Aryal “EU and Rule-Based Order after the War in Ukraine” (Polish Club)

25 February 2025: Prof Greta Pecl AM, University of Tasmania, “Climate change in Tasmania and beyond: impacts, adaptation and communication”.

27 February 2025: HE Xiao Qian, Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China, “Join Hands in a Changing World for Greater Progress in China-Australia Relations”

14 and 15 April 2025: Peter Greste, Screening of The Correspondent and moderated Q and A.

1 May 2025: Prof Akiho Shibata, University of Kobe, “Japan and Antarctic Treaty System”.

22 May 2025: Plimsoll Lecture Prof Rory Metcalfe AM FAIIA, NSC ANU “Australian Resilience and Preparedness in the New World Disorder”

21 May 2025: Tokuro Furuya, Consul -General of Japan (meeting with Marcus Haward).

21 May 2025: Student master class (UTAS and TCE students) Prof Rory Metcalfe, Dr Tony Press AO FAIIA, Dr Indi Hodgson Johnston and Professor Jeffrey McGee.

3 June 2025: Melanie Harris Austrade “Indigenous enterprises and trade”.

6 June 2025: Ms Saratsanun Unonopporn, Member House of Representatives and Chair of House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Parliament of Thailand (meeting with Marcus Haward, James Chin, and Geoff Heriot).

17 June 2025: HE Dr Siswo Pramono, Ambassador of Indonesia to Australia, “Australia-Indonesia Relations After the Election”.

26 June 2025: Kim Heriot-Darragh, Australia India Institute, “India and Pakistan in crisis: Lessons for Canberra’s Evolving Defence Relationship with New Delhi”

29 July 2025: Professor Bec Strating FAIIA, LaTrobe University, “Dealing with Uncertainty: Reconsidering Australia’s Security in Maritime Asia”

27 August 2025: HE Beka Dvali Ambassador of Georgia to Australia, “Weathering Geopolitical Storms in the Age of Uncertainty: Perspectives from Georgia”

16 September 2025: HE Dr Julie Sunday (High Commissioner of Canada to Australis, “From Hobart to Halifax: Strengthening Canada-Australia Ties in Uncertain Times

24 September Prof Tim McCormack “Never Again! The Abomination of Genocide in Gaza”. Meeting organised by Friends of Palestine.

14 October: Dr David Morris (Chief Executive Officer, Australia China Business Council (Tasmania). “A New Era of Risk?”

28 October Dr Christopher Heard (DPAC Government of Tasmania).