After a fairly quiet couple of months, the next three months are jammed with a spring growth in events.  The dot points below outline the opportunities ahead.

Before that, a big thank you to Dr David Agnew, Executive Secretary of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and AIIA Council member Harriet Baillie.  Their ‘in conversation’ event, on CCAMLR’s role in the Conservation of Antarctic and Southern Ocean Ecosystems on August 15 at CCAMLR was well received and I very much regret missing it.

Here is what lies ahead:-

• The Plimsoll Lecture with Prof Sean Turnell, (economic adviser to Aung San Suu Kyi, released earlier this year from prison in Myanmar) on September 7 at 5.30 for 6pm at the Stanley Burbury Theatre, UTAS. Prof Turnell will talk through his experiences and insights in Held Hostage: National Values, Diplomacy and Friendship. This promises to be a very special event and if you haven’t registered the link is AIIA Tas Plimsoll Lecture.

• The Law School has invited our members to an intriguing event there on Thursday September 14 at 1pm. University of Cambridge academic Dr Ricky Lee will discuss Contemporary Legal Challenges to the Utilisation and Exploitation of Space Resources. There is no need to register.

• On September 21, we will be hosting Dr Ruth Adler, a former diplomat and climate change economist, who will discuss The Green Climate Fund as a Mechanism for Climate Action and Justice: Will the GCF Realise the Goals of the Paris Agreement? If you haven’t registered yet, here is the link Adler Climate.  There will be drinks and nibbles from 5.30pm in the Harvard Room at UTAS.

• October 11 has been confirmed as the date for our joint event with CALE on indigenous sovereignty. Three days out from the referendum this will be an important discussion led by Tasmanian academic Jacob Frehn with a forum of international scholars on line.  The event will be a hybrid one, but in person at IMAS, with drinks and nibbles from 5.30.   There will be more information about the event and speakers, together with a registration link, later this month.

• Our AGM date and speaker are also confirmed: the head of the DFAT office in Tasmania, Ruth Baird will be our guest on October 17 at the Harvard Rooms at UTas.

• In late October/early November the final joint event with CALE on nuclear disarmament will be presented by a local and interstate panel; more on this, together with final date, venue and registration to come.

• The Government House annual lecture will be presented by former Australian Ambassador to the US, Hon Arthur Sinodinos, on November 20. Arthur will be discussing the geopolitics of a rapidly changing Indo Pacific, with a focus on US role in the region, emerging new partnerships, perspectives on the upcoming US presidential election and the impact of the war in Ukraine.  Details and registrations will be sent out in mid to late October.

• For those interested in the AIIA National Conference, it will be held a little later this year—on November 13—at the Hotel Realm in Canberra. Details and registration are on the AIIA National website National Conference.

Apologies to members who have been inconvenienced in renewing memberships; we are still coming to terms nationally with the challenges of our new IT member platform. Hopefully this will be enhanced by the development of a new website, due to come on line either late this year or early next year. We will be having an input from Tasmania on user perspectives, which will be helpful!

I look forward to catching up with you at one or more of our events.

Kim Boyer

September 5, 2023