Only when an opposition group brings down Kim Jong-un will reform and opening up of North Korea become possible... Professor Cal Jian, Fudan University It could be up to two or three years before it ...

In the year 2000 the United Nations General Assembly agreed to work towards a set of Millenium Development Goals by 2015.  The year 2015 is now nearing and debate is beginning about what the MDGs have achieved to date, as well as what should ...

The presentation will commence at 5.50pm.  The first of the 2012 AIIAV Global Issues Series.  After several years of major economic and political upheavals, many believe the world is again on ...

The United States has now fully restored diplomatic relations with Myanmar, following the release of significant political prisoners.

The Australian casualty toll in Afghanistan is rising. Polls say that 60 per cent of Australians think our troops should come home now. But the Federal Government says our Diggers will be in Afghanistan until 2014. Should we stay or should we go? This is ...

Dr Alison Broinowski, Academic, Journalist, Writer and former Diplomat, has written extensively on the politics of the Asia-Pacific region, and provided numerous commentaries on its politics in various areas of the media.In addition to this work, Dr ...

The presentation will commence at 5.50pm.   The Australian uranium industry has had a chequered history, with continuing political restrictions on aspects of exploration, mining and export.  The ALP’s recent decision ...

Of all the developments that will attract significant attention in 2012 the Russian presidential election - which Vladimir Putin, currently prime minister after two presidential terms, hopes to regain the top spot in the Kremlin will be one of the ...

Mr Palagummi Sainath is the Rural Affairs Editor of 'The Hindu' and the website, 'India Together'. He has reported powerfully on rural poverty, social problems in India and the impact of globalization on that country. His valuable insights will be of ...

 "More tears are shed over answered prayers than over unanswered ones” (Saint Teresa)  Dr Sally Totman will kick start our 2012 program with a talk on 1 February on the prospects for the Arab ...

In less than three years, the international Coalition’s combat forces will have left Afghanistan.  In the lead up to that departure at the end of ...

We shall begin our 2012 season on Sunday, January 29 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales where two of our most distinguished members, Professor Jocelyn Chey, AO, and Dr Stephen Fitzgerald, Australia’s first ...

This talk and dinner follow on from the AGM. Members who attend the AGM may attend any or all of the events on this night.. Our guest speaker, Keith Gardner, is the State Director, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and a member of SA Branch. ...

The AGM is open to all financial members of the AIIA (SA Branch).The purpose of the AGM is: To receive from the Committee a report and statement of accounts for the ywae 201o-2011 To elect the officersb of the Branch and ...

Professor K.S. Nathan is the Director, Centre for American Studies [KAMERA] and Centre of Malaysian and International Studies [KMAS], National University of Malaysia [UKM].The Discipline of Politics of the University of Adelaide is jointly hosting this ...

***PLEASE CONTACT THE INSTITUTE FOR BOOKINGS***  You are warmly invited to join us for the final event on the Institute’s 2011 calendar, our traditional pre-Christmas Luncheon.  We are delighted this year to have ...

Join us in wrapping up yet another year with the annual AIIA Christmas party with the Director of the Art Gallery of WA, Stefano Carboni. Art museums, or public art galleries as they are usually referred to in Australia, have become complex ...

This is our final meeting for 2011, in a year that has been dominated by discussion about asylum seekers and refugees.  At this meeting, our focus will not be on boat people or people smugglers - or the jostling over policy between ...

The adoption of Resolution 1973 in March this year, authorizing intervention in Libya, represented the first time that the UN Security Council had authorized military intervention in a functioning and non-consenting sovereign state for the purpose of ...

Elephants in the Room – A Perspective on

The Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA) is proud to announce the national launch of 'Middle Power Dreaming: 2006 -2010', the latest book in its series 'Australia in World Affairs'.  Starting in 1950, the series provides a ...

Event details to follow in 2012. 

The media coverage of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, better known as CHOGM, was below its normally poor levels, despite the fact the Commonwealth of Nations represents 54 independent countries, two billion people and one ...

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd will be the  guest of honour at the Australian Institute of International Affairs annual Charteris Dinner to be held at Tattersalls Club in Sydney on November ...

Michael O'Connell, the Commissioner for Victims Rights South Australia, will launch this book in the Common Room of Kathleen Lumley College of the University of Adelaide. Parking is plentiful in Mackinnon Parade and entry can be made through the gates at ...

Despite a strong commitment to and initiatives by Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to improve the historically poor bilateral relationship between India and Pakistan, progress remains slow and incremental.  India also has concerns ...

The AIIA Victoria 2011 Annual General Meeting will be held on: Date:   Thursday 17th November Time:   5pm Venue: Dyason House, 124 Jolimont Road, East ...

A recent series of articles in 'The Age' shocked readers with a graphic depiction of life in Papua New Guinea, Australia's former colony.  Accompanying photographs showed images ranging from severely malnourished children battling TB and ...

The question of refugees and asylum seekers is a current political topic in Australia. Our November meeting gives us chance to consider and discuss the issues, and hear from a young woman who has settled in Australia as a ...

Over a recent 25-year period, energy consumption in the Asian region grew at an annual rate of 4.5 per cent, greatly exceeding the world average of 1.9 per cent. Both China and India have energy growth rates well above the Asian average. China has ...

In late October members of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), accompanied by officials from Defence and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, will be in Beijing for the annual Track1.5 strategic dialogue between Australia and China. ...

Australia is a founding member of the United Nations and has been a member of the Security Council of several different occasions since 1945. It was last a member of the Council in 1986-87 and is now seeking a place on the Council for 2013-14. Dr Trood ...

An ACCESS event open to all In partnership with the Global Dialogue Foundation. Citizen Diplomacy is an emerging concept that aims at empowering ordinary citizens to strengthen inter-cultural ties, raise awareness and promote worldwide ...

Day 1: 9.30 Registration 10.30: Welcome 11.00 Keynote Address: Professor Patrick Sookhdeo 12.15 Lunch 1.40 Panel 1: 'Governing Information: Rights and Responsibilities'. Chair: Sal Humphreys with Richard Bingham, Ralph ...

United Nations Day Dinner hosted by the UNAA ACT branch and AIIA ACT Branch You are invited to dinner in Canberra on UN Day:  Australia’s unique perspective at the United ...

POSTPONED:  THIS EVENT WITH THE UNITED STATES CONSUL GENERAL IN SYDNEY, Niels Marquardt, HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL 2012

As political turmoil overtakes one part of the Islamic world after another, one country stands out as a success story: Indonesia.  After decades of authoritarian rule, the world's most populous Muslim nation has transformed itself into a ...

NOTE: Postponed from 9 August. Greg Sheridan, The Australian's foreign editor, is the most influential foreign affairs analyst in Australian journalism.

From World War II to Afghanistan television pictures are etched in our minds of stretcher bearers and paramedics wearing Red Cross badges moving across the line of fire to rescue the wounded and move them into ambulances or ...

An ACCESS event open to all:  ‘A woman multiplies the impact of an investment in her future by extending benefits to the world around her’ [USAID].  Therefore whether the goal is to reduce poverty and hunger; improve health or ...

A conversation with David MacLennan, DFAT's Man in Perth David MacLennan's term as Head of the WA State Office of the Department of Foreign Affairs finishes soon - he has been posted as Head of the Political section of the ...

The Prime Minister has commissioned a white paper from Ken Henry on the changes in Asia and their impact on Australia.

In the lead up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Perth latter this month, the AIIA ACT and Royal Commonwealth Society/Commonwealth Roundtable are pleased to present a joint event looking at challenges and issues facing the ...

PLEASE CONTACT THE INSTITUTE DIRECT FOR BOOKINGS We have pleasure in inviting you to join us ...

Public diplomacy has been touted in recent years as a diplomat's tool of choice - engaging with wide public audiences to enhance national reputation and progress foreign policy outcomes. By its very nature, public diplomacy challenges the ...

Please join us for a briefing on CHOGM by Mr Daniel Slope, the Minister and Deputy Head of Mission, in the Australian Embassy, Berlin. This is a free event.

An ACCESS event open to all.    Phosphate is essential to the production of our food and is used extensively in Australian agriculture. The main source for most of our superphosphate fertiliser is phosphate rock from the Bou Craa ...

With Peter Khalil, Adjunct Associate Professor at the Centre for International Security Studies at Sydney University    The 2011 pro-democracy demonstrations across the Middle East and North ...

In 2000 an Australian ...

Prof. Geoff Raby brings a unique perspective to understanding China, based on his most recent experience as Australia’s Ambassador in Beijing and before that as Australia’s chief trade negotiator.  Drawing on his depth of experience, this is ...

The popular quiz with an international twist returns. Make sure you attend this fun event!  

Come and select your new council. There are ten candidates for six seats, as outlined in the notice below.  

Turkey, according to George Friedman, author of two recent books The Next 100 Years and The Next Decade, is set to become a significant global power. The European Union is being ...

How does the world see Australia? Do we live up to our self-image as the sun-blessed, relaxed, friendly and confident country, or does the world see us in an altogether different light?  Are we, as portrayed a decade ago by the American author ...

Fear and Envy: Reflections on the Media and the State Mr Bruce Grant

Legislation for Australia's clean energy future is expected to be introduced into Parliament in the week commencing 12 September. Bond University Adjunct Professor Damien Lockie will present members of the AIIA and guests with a comparative analysis of ...

The earthquake and tsunami that devastated much of north-west Japan on 11 March this year also crippled all six reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.  The dramatic series of cascading events at the plant were widely reported, ...

Roger Gyles, chairman of TIA, and Michael Ahrens, executive director, will lead a discussion on the issues confronting Australians in the context of globalization and the severe impact of corruption in many countries in the ...

For centuries, pirates have captured the imagination of people everywhere.  But the recent gangs of daring, ragtag pirates off the coast of Somalia, hijacking the crew and passengers of huge ships for ransom, have brought the scourge of piracy ...

A joint event with Monash University to discuss the challenges presented to democratic states by neo-jihadism around the globe. Terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on September 11, 2001, launched the ill-named global war on terror and ...

The Asian security landscape is changing at a dramatic rate as China ventures into blue water capability, the Korean peninsula remains as tense as ever and Southeast Asian nations are developing their own military capability commensurate with their ...

Includes Premier Adelaide Screening of Clive Porabou's "Saving Our Land": People Power against the Mining Companies with Money Power (30 minute documentary about mining in Bougainville). Special Guest: Neil E Gillespie, Chief Executive Officer, ...

A fast-evolving India is following closely on the heels of China in the ranks of Asia's new powers, extending its economic, political, military and cultural influence across the region, and inspiring confidence in its future.  All this means that ...

The must attend event of the year.  Registration essential.  The ICC was created to provide inspiration and ...

Mr. T.N.Ninan is the Chairman and Chief Editor of Business Standard, one of India's leading business newspapers. As  the fomer editor of The Economic Times and recipient of the BD Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism and ...

The 2011 AIIA National President’s Forum on the Topic “India 2020” will be held in Perth from 23 to 26 August 2011Tuesday 23 August – Open Forum and Discussion with Forum participants. From 6pm at The Laurence Wilson Art Gallery, ...

REGISTRATION CLOSED 19/08/11         With acclaimed journalist and documentary film maker John Pilger  ...

  India’s emergence as a significant political and economic global power has had wide-

BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL The Victoria State Office of the  Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in ...

AIIA ACT Branch Annual General MeetingThursday 18 August 2011, at 12.30pm, Stephen House, 32 Thesiger Court, Deakin ACT   Dear member,The AIIA ACT Branch Annual ...

No nation in Latin America has been more interesting or more perplexing to outsiders these past few years than Venezuela under its larger-than-life President Hugo Chavez. His so-named Bolivarian revolution, fuelled by oil, has sought to serve ...

Presented by  Professor Richard Rigby & Colin Chapman During the days of what was called the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, China's chairman Mao Zedong used regularly to insist "we will recapture Taiwan". Later, ...

This event is the second free public lecture of the Fulbright Symposium – Australia-US Relations and the Rise of China. China’s ...

Australia’s newest diplomatic relationship: The current status and future directions of Australia-South Sudan diplomacy

   Fulbright Symposium 'Australia-US Relations and the ...

Suddenly, the fear of a second GFC is spooking investors around the world.  How will this affect the future economic development of the Pacific region? Few would be better placed to provide us with the answers than our guest, Gavin ...

Join us for this unique opportunity to tour the studios of Radio Australia and to gain an insight into its operations, including how it puts together programs and presents the news.  The visit will be hosted by the Chief Executive of Radio ...

Meet a World Authority on Nuclear Weapons, Hans M Kristensen   The threat of nuclear war is seldom in the headlines, but it always with us. The prospect of a nuclear holocaust was ever present in the Cold War, but has now receded as Russia ...

At a time when China’s military rise is threatening to recast the balance of power in Australia’s region, the nation’s security and defence policy is under severe pressure on several fronts. The 2009 Defence White Paper which was framed ...

AIIA Member Dr Kenneth Chern will look at the Japanese domestic and international response to its tsunami and nuclear disasters and the longer term impact on its economy and social and political structures.  Among the major question for the rest of ...

Foreign policy is one area of government where most issues are bipartisan, as both sides of politics present a united front in pursuit of Australia’s national interest abroad.

Current Challenges for the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service

No part of the world seems more mysterious or forbidding than West Africa.  Australians think of it as a region of equatorial extremes, of being beset by poverty, disease and conflict.  We reflect on the dismal colonial period including the ...

ABC’s 4 Corners programme has recently screened the acclaimed documentary, Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields from Channel 4 in Britain.  The program forensically investigates allegations that up to 40,000 Tamil ...

Free public event     The ACCESS Network of the Australian Institute of International Affairs Victoria (AIIAV) invites you to a discussion of this contentious issue. In the wake of the 2011 ...

The ongoing debt crisis in Greece, Portugal and Ireland has raised concerns at Europe’s ability to cope with its problems.  At stake is the very survival of the European Union (EU) and, more particularly, the future of the ...

The 2011 Sir James Plimsoll Lecture will be presented by  

Registration is essential for this event.  Please register online using this form as soon as possible.  When Harris Terrace capacity is exceeded, we will try ...

Europe continues to draw attention for a variety of reasons. The economy is one, and perhaps the most pressing for now. However, there are other, more systemic issues at hand as the security landscape evolves, NATO's relevance is questioned, immigration ...

Australia India relations have been through some rough times in the past few years. Despite the two nations possessing a lot in common, the relationship has lacked the substance that Australia’s other dealings in Asia seem to enjoy. While ...

Climate Change: Can the International Community Respond in Time?Howard Bamsey ...

An ACCESS event open to all and held in partnership with the African Think Tank ACCESS, the youth network of the AIIAV, invites you to the second of two events examining the critical issues facing a part of the world that is suffering much ...

Dennis Haskell will argue for the importance of literature as a guide to a nation's cultural and social identity, even though it goes largely ignored in the general media and in political discussions. When Les Murray writes (in a poem set in Western ...

Since the beginning of 2011 the world has witnessed popular uprisings against long-standing regimes in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). To date this ...

Vietnam was at war for almost all of the 20th century. But after humiliating the French and the United States, ...

Since the beginning of 2011 the world has witnessed popular uprisings against long-standing regimes in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). To date this has resulted in the toppling of the Tunisian president Ben Ali and Egyptian president Hosni ...

Uprisings against governments in one country after another are consuming the Middle East, with growing violence and casualties as authoritarian rulers seek to stay in power.  Iran's earlier 'Green Revolution' has been crushed for now with a ...

Guest Speakers:  Professor Nick Bisley, Politics & International Relations, La Trobe University;  Dr Paul Monk, Austhink Consulting;  Mr Rowan Callick, editor, ...

There has been much talk of late about how China’s rise will affect international relations. Two big ideas dominate this ...

H.E. Mr Sam Gerovich Ambassador to ...

Event cancelled Cost:  $12       Teachers free     Limited seating      Bookings essential     Individual bookings ...

Australia and the Republic of Korea (also known as South Korea) are strong economic, political and strategic partners with common values and interests in a key part of our region. Economic relations, in particular, are complementary and ...

Today we live in the information age where the power of information and its supporting technology has transformed the way we think, act and live. There are very ...

You are cordially invited to the presentation of 2011 Peter Nygh Hague Conference Internship to Melissa Hanks. The award will be presented by John McCarthy AO FAIIA, National President of the AIIA, at a function at Allens Arthur Robinson, ...

Following our presentation to Jim of his richly deserved AIIA Fellow's Award, Jim will give a controversial presentation arguing that the American alliance increases risks to Australia's long term regional ...

Osama bin Laden's death was a big if belated achievement for the US, but how much significance should we attach to it?  The al-Qaeda leader's ideas retain wide currency and he could be converted into martyrdom.  Yet it could be argued that ...

The Australian Institute of International Affairs is proud to welcome Mr Sam Gerovich, Australian Ambassador to Republic of Korea (and Mongolia), to speak on “Australian Interests on the Korean Peninsula and in Mongolia”.

Terrorism in Indonesia has as of recent dropped off the radar—in Australia at least—given the lack of recent high profile incidents. But what goes largely unnoticed by the public  are the comprehensive ...

Cost:  $12    Teachers free     Limited seating      Bookings essential     Individual bookings ...

Ms Ann Schodde is President and CEO of the US Center for Citizen Diplomacy. Ms Schodde will discuss "The Power of Citizen Diplomacy" with Drs. Benito Cao and Tiziana Torresi of the School of History and Politics of the University of Adelaide.

Register for this event using the online registration form or by posting in or faxing a

Vietnam has undergone profound social and economic transformation since the doldrum years following the ending of the Vietnam War in 1975.  By almost any measure Vietnamese are much better off than previously. The visit took place between ...

On July 1, Poland takes up the presidency of the European Union. In picking up the baton from France for the second half of this year, Polish ...

Recent events in the Middle East highlight the reality that energy supply security is a key element in the global energy system.  The interruption of the oil flow from Libya and the instability characterising EU-Algerian energy trade have raised ...

The AIIA is a co-sponsor of the launch of  the 5th issue of the Global Peace Index which will be held at the Hedley Bull Building at the Australian National University on Thursday 26 May 2011 from 5:30 - 7:00 pm. Please refer to the information ...

In light of Julian Assange’s recently being awarded the Sydney Peace Prize AIIA ACT Branch Youth Committee warmly welcome members and non-members to attend an interactive panel discussion  

Surviving Mumbai was nominated for two Emmys and three AFIs. It looks at the terrorist attacks which took place on 26 - 27 November 2008, when highly trained gunmen - controlled via satellite phone calls from Pakistan - rampaged through the ...

On the surface, the figures all look good. The Financial Times reports ...

IMPLICATIONS OF THE DEATH OF OSAMA BIN

India is very much in the news at the moment - a country of particular interest to ...

Africa is beset with many challenges, not the least of them being the creation of a new state of Southern Sudan after many years of conflict.  Neighbouring Somalia suffers anarchy, piracy and extremism.  Kenya, the major regional power, ...

Dennis Richardson commenced as Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on 13 January 2010.  Previously he had ...

The clinical execution of Osama Bin Laden in his redoubt in Pakistan has reminded us again of ...

His Excellency, Peter Varghese AO, is the Australian High Commissioner to India. The venue is the Common Room at Kathleen Lumley College at 51 Finniss Street North Adelaide

An event in partnership with the Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Melbourne. Expert panellists will include:  Professor the Hon Gareth Evans AO QC, Professorial ...

Start time:  6.30pm for 7pm      Bookings essential by 5 May     You are urged not to miss this opportunity to hear John McCarthy, one of ...

On Wednesday May 11, the NSW AIIA will be hosting an evening with Nigel Roberts, Director of the World Bank's World Developement Report 2011. As his only public address in Sydney to launch this ...

In the space of only three months, we have seen political unrest in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, Libya and Yemen. There are also signs of latent political volatility elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa, which are the pivotal oil exporting region ...

His Excellency Mr David Daly Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union in Australia will address our first meeting in May. The Ambassador will discuss the topic of “The State of the European Union: Sovereign Debt ...

Our three expert panellists will talk on the overall implications of the 2011 tsunami, the implications of relief operations for people’s daily lives, and whether a “new Japan” will emerge as a result of the tsunami. 

This seminar will be primarily addressing study areas 1 & 2 of Unit 3 of VCE International Studies        Guest Speakers: Ms Anna Louise Simpson, ...

A country of 38 million people, Poland has witnessed dramatic changes since the collapse of Communism just over two decades ago.  The introduction of ‘shock therapy’ in the early 1990s resulted in the transformation of Poland from a ...

 The wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge has rekindled support for the monarchy in Britain, and may also have done so here. The debate on ABC’s Q and A was inconclusive, ...

  The 10-member ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is the most dynamic and durable regional grouping in the ...

Europe and a Multipolar World Prof Richard Higgott   Further details to follow

The United Nations, now in its seventh decade, can claim many achievements but it also has many detractors. Even admirers of the organization admit that its reform process is incomplete. Yet the world depends on its developmental and relief efforts, ...

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is highly professional, well-trained and respected, both at home and abroad.  The ADF is, however, at times stretched due to its limited size and capacity, and fluctuating levels of investment in defence ...

Jeffrey "Jeff" Bleich is an American lawyer from California who is the United States Ambassador to Australia. Formerly a partner at the firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson, Bleich is a longtime friend of President Barack Obama. He joined the White ...

Australia’s Migration Program offers significant opportunities and challenges in shaping the future of our nation.  It underpins much of our economic prosperity by adding to the skills base of the country.  It remains, however, a topic of ...

The popular uprising against oppressive rulers sweeping the Arab world has now reached Libya.  The 41-year rule of Colonel Qaddafi, under which Libya sponsored global acts of terrorism and the internal opposition was brutally suppressed, is under ...

NATO has been a cornerstone of security in Europe—and of United States foreign ...

Ambassador Jeffrey Bleich will speak at Harris Terrace on Tuesday the 5th of April on 'The Australia/US Relationship'.  There will be a significant question and answer component to this presentation, rather than a simple address. Jeffrey ...

E-Diplomacy

Australians generally have limited understanding of Africa.  The most populous country on that continent is Nigeria whose population of 152 million, split about evenly between Moslems and Christians, makes it the seventh most populous country in ...

What were the origins of the Cold War that dominated our lives for more than a generation?  What policies fuelled it?  Why did the Cold War perpetuate the arms race?  Who “won” the Cold War, and why does it matter? The ...

The AIIA Tasmanian Branch and The School of Government, University of Tasmania are proud to welcome His Excellency Mr Shigekazu Sato, Ambassador of Japan to Australia, to speak on ‘Japan-Australia relations’ at 12pm on ...

From the perspectives of humanitarian aid, human development and human rights, contributing to global efforts to bridge the digital divide should be an urgent and central priority of Australia’s aid program. ...

The Australian Institute of International Affairs is proud to welcome Mr Michael Potts, Australian Ambassador to Austria, to speak on: “Nuclear Non-Proliferation: The Role of the Vienna ...

“What is Nigeria’s role in contemporary international politics?”   Presentation by: H.E. Ambassador Martin Uhomoibhi Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign ...

Roundtable:

Peter Kennedy covered the political scene in WA for the ABC for the past 10 years.

Russell Hill, home of the Australian Defence Department in Canberra is under pressure. The 2009

With a focus on key global challenges facing Australia and Australian diplomacy in particular, DFAT Queensland State Director John Michell will examine the underlying reasons giving rise to global challenges facing Australia and describe the ...

A decade on, the war in Afghanistan appears to be a disaster for both Afghanistan and the US-led coalition including Australia.  What is to be done? Richard Tanter proposes a series of policy initiatives by which the Australian Government ...

People Power in the Middle East – What’s Next? Matthew Gray, Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies, ANU Philip Eliason, Middle East business consultant he has worked for the Gadhafi ...

Dr Robert Bowker, Adjunct Professor, CAIS, ANU Egypt is on the brink of a new political era, reflecting the significant changes that have taken place in the society, economy and political culture of the country ...

It is not often that we are able to put together an event which ...

Global awareness of Latin America is growing as its nations assert themselves in various ways.  The four countries to which Ms Greville is accredited represent many aspects of what is most exciting about Latin America - but also what is ...

Women in the Workplace: Some International Perspectives, Caroline Millar, Former Australian Ambassador to the UN (Geneva), HE Susanne Shine, Ambassador of Denmark,  Virginia Haussegger, ABC ...

As Italy seeks to use its forces to halt the influx of boats carrying illegal immigrants from North Africa, the debate in Australia over how to tackle the issues of illegal immigrants and ...

Please note: This event will be held at the Brisbane Irish Club (175 Elizabeth St).  We will be having drinks from ...

The challenging issue of climate change continues to generate debate and controversy among many sectors of the community, including scientists in Australia and overseas.  Many support the idea that global warming is a clear threat to humanity, ...

***  EVENT FULLY SUBSCRIBED *** Since the global financial crisis, China's continued economic success has fuelled the self-confidence to push its strategic interests more forcefully.  This display ...

It has become de rigueur in political and intellectual circles to accept that Australia is drawing closer to Asia. Both the present and the previous government espouse the concept ...

Mr Wilson will address the changes that have taken place in Myanmar since the November 2010 elections, how real those changes are, what changes have not occurred, and what could, or should, the international community be doing about this. ...

****  EVENT FULLY SUBSCRIBED  *** The disclosure of vast numbers of confidential diplomatic cables in recent weeks has shocked governments and placed many key politicians and officials in a ...

The Argentine Ambassador and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, HE Mr Pedro Villagra Delgado, will address members of AFTE and the AIIA on the institution of the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps. The presentation will focus on the customary role ...

The WHO, Australia and Public Health Challenges Asian Bird Flu, Swine Flu, Mad Cow Disease, The re-emergence of Polio – a few of the international health challenges ...

Clarification: This event was originally listed to start at 7pm.  It actually starts at 6:30pm, with drinks available from 6pm. ...

Yemen is the Arab world’s poorest country, but it is not without strategic significance, located at the apex of the Red Sea and the Indian ocean, with a long border with one of the ...

****  EVENT FULLY SUBSCRIBED  ***** On this day Muslims around the world will be celebrating the birth of the Prophet Muhammad.  Nothing is more important to understanding ...

  Mubarak's departure: the consequences for the Middle East  

The British High Commissioner, HE Mr Paul Madden, will address the Institute on the subject of the UK Australia Relationship.  Mr Madden, who took up his post in Australia in January, looks forward to building upon the UK’s longstanding ...

President Obama's envoy to Australia will voice his views on a world where the United States faces an array of big challenges, from conflict and terrorism to financial uncertainty and the rise of new powers. H.E. Mr Jeffrey L. Bleich was ...

Clarification: This event was originally listed to start at 7pm.  It actually starts at 6:30pm, with drinks available from 6pm.  We apologise for any inconvenience. Assessing North Korea’s intentions—and its ...

Please note that this event is now full and registration has closed. Why do many of those who lead Australia - and many other countries - so often present a misleading picture of ...

Bosnia and Herzegovina traveled the road from being a daily issue before the UN Security Council to being a non-permanent member of that body in the 2010-2011 term. From having sixty thousand peacekeepers stationed in the country, Bosnia and ...

An event in association with ACCESS Youth Network A new year has opened amid financial distress in the US and Western Europe, with the American military struggling for success in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, and with China fast ...

 The History of Australia's Involvement with ...

David Forde was born and educated in Dublin, Ireland and has lived in Australia since 1992. He is employed in the ...

Annette Shun Wah will be in conversation with Roger Law. A recent study of 339 young people aged 14 to 17 who live in Sydney's west and ...

In April 2008, ABC radio personality Jon Faine and his son Jack took leave of their Melbourne lives and spent six months on an adventurous, risky and sometimes funny overland journey to London in their trusty 4-wheel-drive vehicle.  Over AIIAV's ...

In his recent Quarterly Essay “Power Shift: Australia's Future between Washington and Beijing”, Hugh White has painted a stark picture of Asia's strategic evolution in the light of China's rise  and America's response, and what the resulting ...

The Dear Leader, Kim Jong-il, son of the Great Leader, Kim Il-Sung, has begun handing control of an impoverished nation, a huge standing army and a nascent nuclear capability to his third son, Kim Jong-un.  Scholar Andrei Lankov describes the ...

The short but successful visit by US President Barack Obama to Mumbai and Delhi earlier this month was a reminder of the growing importance of India,  as the centre of global economic gravity moves to the Asia Pacific region. After a few ...

Christmas with Aleisha Woodward U.S Consul General Aleisha Woodward arrived in Perth September 30, 2010 to assume her duties as the U.S. Consul General. Immediately prior to her ...

Australia’s relationship with China will arguably be the most important determinant in meeting Australia’s key national interests this century. Former AIIA National Vice President Geoff Miller will ...

On behalf of the AIIA (Tasmanian Branch) We have great pleasure in inviting you to the next event on our calendar: the visit by Thailand's Ambassador to Australia, His Excellency Dr Kriangsak Kittichaisaree. The School of ...

A free talk in the Public Discussion Series about Nuclear Weapons. The venue is Room 102 Napier Building, University of Adelaide, North Terrace.For further information see website www.whatwouldeinsteinsay.wordpress.com

 Event Cancelled   Tickets payable at the door : Members                      $20 ...

As the world marvels at the economic growth of China and India, governments and strategists wonder what these and related developments mean for the future security of the Asia-Pacific region. They’re not simply wondering: important developments have ...

Located at a key geopolitical crossroad, Turkey is today poised to play an increasingly significant role in international affairs.  As a member of NATO, Turkey is part of the western strategic alliance forged at the time of the Cold War.  It ...

Special Envoy is an impressive title, implying a direct channel of communication between heads of government on an issue of central importance.  No living Australian is better qualified to expound on the use of this explicitly special ...

Architects are no luxury in emergency or development scenarios. Good design is about finding effective solutions to difficult and multifaceted problems: exactly what disaster or development situations are. How do you balance issues of long-term ...

Free public event. ACCESS, the youth network of the AIIA, invites you to a discussion of this core issue; exposed in the recent federal election, when old certainties of the two party system were challenged by third parties and independents. ...

Free public event.  ACCESS, the youth network of the AIIA, invites you to a discussion of this core issue; exposed in the recent federal election, when old certainties of the two party system were challenged by third parties and ...

Dr Larkindale, who is nearing the end of his term in Canberra, will provide reflections on the state of the “two government’s one system” that frame the Australia New Zealand relationship  The Australian colonies and New Zealand ...

During this year’s Federal election campaign, Norway was held up as a shining example of a country that was conserving its wealth from resources, particularly oil, for the benefit of ...

First in a series with Australia's former Prime Ministers, a special luncheon event.   Prime Ministers experience a unique overview of domestic and foreign affairs during their time in ...

Tom Switzer is a research associate at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney where he also teaches undergraduate courses in American politics and Australian political and diplomatic history. He is also editor of The ...

Pakistan is a strategically important nuclear-armed nation of some 175 million people, located at the cross roads between South and Central Asia, and a neighbour of India, Afghanistan, Iran and China.  Pakistan is a key player in regional ...

What if terrorists exploded a nuclear device in an American (or other Western) city?  President Obama is on record as saying that such an event is at the top of his list of worries.  Despite huge and expensive efforts to upgrade ...

Preparation Makes Perfect – techniques for written applications, individual and group interviews for recent graduates. Our Professional Development Day focuses on:•    resume preparation

Both friends and critics of the United States are viewing the upcoming mid-term elections in America with increasing unease. The euphoria that followed the election of President Barack ...

On 2 May 1945 the Red Army captured the capital of Nazi Germany Berlin, effectively ending hostilities in the European strategic theatre. The fall of Berlin was the last battle of an unprecedented four year-long campaign fought ...

In a famous article published in Foreign Affairs in 1999, Gerald Segal asked: “Does China Matter?”. His answer was that China mattered, but not in the way that Westerners often think it does, and – more importantly – not as ...

The Common Room, Kathleen Lumley College 51 Finniss Street North Adelaide

Associate Professor Nathalie Nguyen, Principal Fellow at the Australian Centre, University of Melbourne, will speak on the subject on the moral dilemma presented by the Vietnamese refugee crisis. The Vietnamese diaspora was produced by one of the ...

'The Age' recently described Kevin Rudd's statement to the Millennium Development Goals Summit in New York as "unexpectedly blunt".  He was said to have "savaged the United Nations for repeatedly failing to do what it promised or, worse, ...

The ACT Branch of the AIIA and the University of Canberra International Studies program invite you to attend a presentation by Alison Chartres (AusAID) titled: Keeping the Promise: The 2010 Millennium ...

Clash of the Titans: Major Geostrategic Lessons of the Forgotten War in Russia 65 Years Later On 2 May 1945 the Red Army captured the ...

Dialogue between non-government organisations, often referred to as "second track dialogue", can be a useful adjunct to formal governmental negotiations. Melissa will discuss the work of institutes of international affairs around the world in ...

An ACCESS event open to all: A panel discussion with African community leader Dr Berhan Ahmed, Assoc. Prof. Di Fleming, anti-poverty activist Mr Elliot Costello, Hon. Consul-General of Ethiopia ...

Australian history had two significant contributions from Islamic societies and cultures and both were related to trading initiatives and have had positive influences that have continued until today. The first came in the 17th Century with the trade ...

President Obama is under growing pressure politically as the mid-term Congressional elections threaten to punish the Democrats and bring into question his own prospects of re-election two years hence.  Expectations of his ability to ...

On 19 October 2010, the AIIA hosted in Brisbanne the National President's Forum on "Australia and the Chinese Century ?". The Forum brought together government officials, academics, journalists, professionals and other experts to discuss, debate, and ...

In collaboration with the ANU Japan Institute, the AIIA is delighted to host a forum on the new Democratic Party of Japan Government. Professor Rikki Kersten, Professor Jenny Corbett, Shun Ikeda and Yusaku Horiuchi will speak on the diplomatic, ...

Meet the ABC’s Foreign Affairs Editor  

As its numerous problems worsen, nuclear-armed Pakistan is arousing fears among many observers that it is on its way to becoming a failed state.  Recent catastrophic floods are a huge blow to an already weak state suffering the effects of ...

To welcome in Spring AIIA NSW invites you to meet your councillors. We will be putting on some special food and refreshments out in the courtyard (weather permitting) and plan a relaxed and casual social gathering. We would love to see you ...

An ACCESS event open to all: In the September issue of Quarterly Access, Jason Thomas argues that if success in Afghanistan means “leaving behind a free and open democracy, the elimination of ...

The WA Branch AGM will be held before the monthly branch meeting. Further details of the AGM will be posted to all current members. If you would like further information please do not hesitate to contact the committee via email -

Special general meeting: 6.25pm, Tuesday 28th September 2010

West Australian authors Peggy Holroyde, AM, and Joyce Westrip, OAM, will discuss their new book, Colonial Cousins, and explore some of the intriguing early connections, spicy tales and strange happenings between ...

When will Australia be ready for Nuclear Power? ...

A sophisticated system of human rights standards has developed internationally since 1948. The challenge for the international legal system is making these standards effective. Eighty per cent of states have ratified four or more of the human rights ...

Led by a number of junior minerals and energy companies, many Australians are experiencing firsthand the political cross currents of former Soviet Central Asia. This is clearly understood by those entrepreneurs and diplomats on the ground. However, in ...

  North Korea is set to witness the ...

An ACCESS event open to all: Asylum seekers and immigration remain contentious topics.  A few weeks ago the controversial Curtin detention centre in remote Western Australia was ...

To Australia's north lies what has often been referred to as an 'arc of uncertainty'.

This year South Africa successfully hosted the soccer World Cup and in so doing proved wrong the many critics and Afro-pessimists who were convinced that an African country could not deliver a major sporting event. But in the wider context ...

The President, the Hon. Michael MacKellar, has pleasure in inviting you to attend our

The images and statistics from the unfolding humanitarian disaster in Pakistan are heartbreaking, almost overwhelming.

Australia's co-sponsorship with Japan of the International Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Commission is but one of sign that we may be in a "policy moment" in relation to nuclear weapons. The intensification of nuclear ...

Due to unforeseen circumstances, it is with much regret that the seminar will not be held.  We apologise for any inconvenience. Australian Institute of International Affairs ...

The Film: MUGABE AND THE WHITE AFRICAN Winner of multiple international film awards. Followed by  a discussion on the film Michael Campbell is one of the few hundred white farmers left in ...

The words 'climate change' were on everyone's lips until our politicians tossed it into the too hard basket.  The so-called 'greatest moral challenge of our time' was ...

THE AUSTRALIA-INDONESIA RELATIONSHIP: ...

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL ...

Time: 5pm for 5.30pm - 7.30pm A special event in association with the Australia China Business Council and the Melbourne Writers Festival: No nation in Asia matters more to Australia than China.  What happens there in the years to ...

EVENT CANCELLED due to unforeseen circumstances affecting Mr Polenz.  Our apologies for any inconvenience. The European Union is grappling with its most serious economic and financial ...

In the election campaign just grinding to a close, the word ‘Afghanistan’ has been hardly mentioned - partly because the major parties have a consensus that Australia must continue ...

Notice is hereby given that the thirty-seventh Annual General Meeting of the members of the The Australian Institute of International Affairs New South Wales will be held at The Glover ...

Australia's security and prosperity are critically dependent on the quality of its relations with other countries in an increasingly interdependent world.  Whoever forms the Australian Government later this month will need to deal with a range of ...

Following the AIIA ACT Branch 2010 AGM Adam Henry will give a presentation on the early role of the AIIA in Foreign Policy. The event is free for AIIA members and $10 fro non-members and guests.

Kerr Grant Lecture Theatre, Physics Building, University of Adelaide, North Terrace. Entry from North Terrace. Refer map at North Terrace gates.

The Australian Institute of International Affairs presents:Professor Mary ...

Access event open to all: The Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua have witnessed a struggle between Indonesian security forces and West Papuan resistance fighters since the 1960s.  ...

  The Australian ...

Australia is due to become a member of the Asia-Europe Meeting, an organization that unifies some 45 Asian and European states.  However, the issue of Australia’s relations with this organization has not been debated in public.

Dr Yeo Lay Hwee, Dr Wilhelm Hofmeister, Assoc. Prof. Philomena Murray, Prof. Pascaline Winand, Dr Bruce Wilson, and Dr Stefan Auer.  Although Australia is now a member of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), an organisation that brings ...

"At least I am not boring. The election analyst who makes predictions is far more interesting than one who doesn't. And if I collect ...

The recent celebration of the life of Charles Darwin in Richard Attenborough’s series broadcast on ABC Television created huge interest in the 150th anniversary of the publication of ...

Consul General Michael Thurston is the US Consul General, Melbourne. You can find his profile at http://sydney.usconsulate.gov/melbourne/cgbio.html

Eighteen months into his appointment as South Africa’s Hugh Commissioner in Canberra, HE Mr Lenin Shope will touch on the bilateral relationship between his country and Australia, ...

Ambassador Tim Fischer is Australian Ambassador to the Holy See. His talk will be preceded by light refreshments kindly provided by DFAT.

Dr Emanuele Ottolenghi, Senior Fellow, Foundation for Defence of Democracies, Washington, DC.  Since Iran’s nuclear programme was exposed to the world in 2002, the international community has employed diplomacy and negotiation ...

The Australian Institute of International Affairs presents His Excellency Mr. Justin Brown Mr Brown has been Australian High Commissioner to Canada since 2008. During his career in the Department of Foreign Affairs and ...

The Australian Institute of International Affairs Victoria, in association with Readings Bookstores and Scribe Publishers, are pleased to introduce visiting American author Jeff Goodell.  Mr Goodell's book 'How to Cool the Planet: geo-engineering ...

Speaker:  Sergei DeSilva-Ranasinghe Titleof Talk: The Strategic Importance of Sri Lanka "In historical perspective, Sri Lanka's strategic ...

China and the Resources Super Profits Tax

Australian Institute of International Affairs Victoria Invites Students and Teachers to Attend the 2010 VCE ...

The AIIA ACT Branch is pleased to provide Bill Farmer with an opportunity to reflect on his time in Jakarta and the state of one of Australia's most important bilateral ...

A jostling for power and position is taking place around the world as the US under President Obama seeks to rebuild its image and influence in the face of an array of problems. The wider Middle East remains a sea of trouble, China is rising to ...

The Australian Institute of International Affairs presents 86th Annual Charteris Lecture

Emma Belcher, an Australian who will move  in September to a post-doctoral fellowship on nuclear security at the Council of ...

Tension between North and South Korea reached a dangerous height a few weeks ago when an international scientific investigation proved that a North Korean submarine's torpedo sank a South Korean corvette, killing 46 sailors.  While the Pyongyang ...

The Australian Institute of International Affairs presents Richard Broinowski Richard is currently an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Media and Communications at the University of Sydney. During his previous ...

Living Without Nuclear Weapons: An Urgent International Prospect

AIIA LUNCHEON Tuesday July 13, 2010 12.00pm – 2.00pm  The Australian Institute of International Affairs is ...

Maj.-General (Retd) Jim Molan, AO, DSC, and Mr Paul Barratt, AO, former Secretary of the Department of Defence With falling public support, rising casualties and discussion of an increased military ...

The Australian Institute of International Affairs presents  Dr David Walton Dr David Walton is a Senior Lecturer in Asian Studies and International Relations in the School of Humanities and Languages at the ...

Melbourne is well placed to start reaching its potential as an international city, with many areas of comparative advantage.  Its educational institutions attract tens of thousands of students from many countries.  State-of-the-art ...

This event will feature the rollout of the third volume of Emerging Scholars (found here: 

The Australian Institute of International Affairs presents Jeremy Pressman    Jeremy Pressman is a postdoctoral fellow at the United ...

THE 2010 AUSTRALIA-INDIA STRATEGIC LECTURE The Indian Ocean: navigating beyond rivalry The Indian Ocean has moved to the fore of global security ...

THE 2010 AUSTRALIA-INDIA STRATEGIC LECTURE   The Indian Ocean: navigating beyond rivalry The Indian Ocean ...

H.E  Mr Fernando de Mello Barretto, Brazilian Ambassador will answer question such as how has Brazil fared ...

 H.E. Mr Fernando de Mello Barreto, Brazilian Ambassador to Australia, "The Changing Face of Modern Brazil" The Brazilian Ambassador will answer question such as how has Brazil fared during the Global Financial ...

His Excellency Dr Kriangsak Kittichaisaree, Thai Ambassador to Australia Before ...

Please join us to hear what a visiting delegation of six young American political leaders (Republican and Democrat) have to say about the current state of politics in the U.S. as the President faces the greatest environmental disaster in U.S. history ...

The Australian Institute of International Affairs presents Dr Bob Howard Dr. Bob Howard is a Research Associate in the Department of Government ...

PRESENTATION to KIM PHAM,  The 2010 recipient of the Peter Nygh Hague Conference ...

Christobel Mattingley, a best-selling South Australian author, will be drawing on her work and the stories of her Anangu friends, who experienced the nuclear testing at Maralinga. This is the third lecture in the 'What would Einstein say???' series on ...

An ACCESS even open to all.  Reform of financial regulation tops President Obama’s agenda as the United States pursues recovery from the global financial crisis - and Wall Street is ...

Please Join us for a presentation by Mr Robert Jackson, Assistant Director General, AusAID. By 2011 Australia will have a fully operational capability for the rapid deployment of trained civilian specialists to countries experiencing or ...

 Mr Robert Jackson, Assistant Director General, AusAID, will present on the topic "The Australian Civilian Corps: A New Dimension in Australia's International Assistance" Thursday 17th June, 12.30pm, Stephen ...

Members of the East Timor Study Tour report on their recent visit.    Participants in the AIIAV study tour which recently visited Timor Leste will report to members on Wednesday 16 June, 2010 on their findings and ...

Apart from its involvement in two major war theatres, Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as having troops tied up in South Korea, the Obama Administration faces significant foreign policy challenges. These include its relations with its two principal ...

The Australian Institute of International Affairs presents Dr Brendon O’Connor   Dr Brendon O’Connor was the Australia Scholar at ...

Adelaide Launch of THE CIRCLE OF SILENCE by Shirley Shackleton Australian Shirley ...

Professor Greg Barton, Monash University Wednesday 9 June, 20105.30pm – 7.00pmDyason House124 Jolimont Road, East Melbourne After a highly successful state visit to Australia by President ...

Mr. Ian Brusasco AM The Universal Language of ...

ACCESS event: EVENT FULLY SUBSCRIBED The Great Immigration Debate - asylum ...

"A View from Perth: Australia and the Indian Ocean Rim" The Hon Julie Bishop, Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Foreign Minister, 2nd June, 5:30pm, Stephen House We ...

The AIIA ACT Presents "A View From Perth- Australia on the Indian Ocean Rim"  a presentation by the Hon Julie Bishop MP, Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Foreign Minister.  

Mr Ian Brusasco AM, Former Chairman of Soccer Australia

Since a mass uprising that overthrew a military government in 1973, Thailand has experienced recurring cycles of instability and conflict -- including military coups in 1976 and 1991, followed by mass opposition to military rule in 1992. The current ...

The Australian Institute of International Affairs presents Dr John Funston John Funston is a Visiting Fellow in the Faculty of Asian Studies, ...

The United Kingdom finds itself in a state of extraordinary political uncertainty surrounding the May 6 general election. At a time when the public mood had been expected to dump New Labour after a long stretch in office, the Tories seemed unable to ...

Louise Hand PSM Australian Ambassador for Climate Change The United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen in December 2009 is said to have been the largest intergovernmental conference in history. Over 30,000 ...

Australian Institute of International Affairs Victoria Invites Students and Teachers to Attend the 2010 VCE ...

Over the last year, the Rudd Government has made concerted efforts to build closer strategic and economic relations with New Delhi. However, a key stumbling block remains in pursuing this aim: Australia's refusal to sell uranium to India. In this ...

Piracy has always been a threat to maritime security and in past years the Malacca Straits have been regarded as the epicentre for pirate activity. However the dramatic increase in pirate activity in waters off the long Somali coastline in 2007/2008 has ...

Professor Geoffrey Garrett, CEO of the US Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, will discuss the state of US foreign policy one year into Obama's presidency. Professor Garrett will discuss the progress Obama has made towards major US foreign policy ...

Please join the Youth committee of the ACT Branch for a presentation by Chief Justice Robert French entitled 'Interacting with Diversity: Australian Judges and Regional Courts. Refreshments will be served from 5:30pm with the presentation beginning at ...