The CIS Event Experience

In this episode, mining entrepreneur and libertarian thinker Ron Manners AO shares his impatient vision for defending Western civilization and free market principles. As founder of the Mannkal Foundation and author of "The Impatient Libertarian," Manners reflects on the five influential mentors who shaped his philosophical outlook, including economist Frederick Hayek. He discusses the strategic ba...

As the global demand for clean and reliable energy grows, nuclear power is being reconsidered as a crucial part of the solution. What can Australia learn from Canada’s decades-long experience with nuclear energy? In this discussion hosted by the Centre for Independent Studies (CIS), Director of Energy Research Aidan Morrison is joined by Tracy Primeau, board member of Ontario Power Generation and...

In this conversation, former Miss World Canada and human rights advocate Anastasia Lin delivers a stark warning about China's strategic ambitions and what they mean for Australia's future. Drawing from her thirteen years of experience growing up in communist China, where she was once tasked with indoctrinating fellow students, Lin offers an insider's perspective on the Chinese Communist Party's wo...

In this address, human rights activist and author Ayaan Hirsi Ali confronts the most pressing dilemmas facing liberal societies today. Drawing from her unique personal journey and deep understanding of Islamic ideology, Hirsi Ali offers a framework for distinguishing between what she terms "Medina Muslims" dedicated to establishing a caliphate, the majority of Muslims simply living their lives, an...

In this episode, former Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock discusses the state of Australian politics from his perspective as the nation's second-longest serving parliamentarian. After 43 years in federal politics, Ruddock examines the Liberal Party's decline in membership and growing factional divisions. He analyses the teal independent phenomenon, current immigration challenges, and Australia's...

In this conversation, CIS education program Director Glenn Fahey speaks with Russian-born British satirist and podcaster Konstantin Kisin about the cultural challenges facing Western democracies today. The discussion explores challenging topics including the fracturing trust in democratic institutions, the sustainability of multiculturalism, the rise of identity politics, and the intergenerational...

In this episode, Russian-born British satirist and author Konstantin Kisin delivers a defence of Western civilisation and the cultural values that have made it uniquely successful. Drawing from his personal experience growing up in the Soviet Union, Kisin articulates why millions risk their lives to immigrate to Western nations like Australia, Britain and America. With wit and clarity, Kisin disse...

In our 2025 Acton Lecture, Rabbi Dr. Benjamin Elton analyses antisemitism's persistence from medieval times to the present day. Drawing on his expertise as both rabbi and historian, Rabbi Elton explores the double standards applied to Jews throughout history and contemporary discourse. He begins with a personal anecdote about the Tower of London, built partly with funds extorted from medieval Jews...

In this episode, renowned educator and "Britain's strictest headmistress", Katharine Birbalsingh shares her philosophy on education that has propelled her school to the top performance rating in the country. She challenges the progressive teaching methods that dominate Western education and explains why true compassion means holding students accountable regardless of background. Our guest reveals...

In this discussion hosted by ‪@CISAus‬ & ‪@Quillette‬ , British author Louise Perry (of ‪@maidenmothermatriarch‬ ) joins Quillette founder Claire Lehmann to challenge contemporary feminist orthodoxy and make a compelling case for conservative feminism. Perry, author of "The Case Against the Sexual Revolution," argues that progressivism's fundamental flaw is its attempt to deny biological reali...

Years of policy approaches have yielded limited progress, especially in closing the gap. Economic development, Native Title reform, and private enterprise have become central to creating sustainable futures for Indigenous communities. In this address, Senator Kerrynne Liddle examines pathways toward Indigenous advancement. Drawing on her experience, she explores how economic empowerment, policy re...

After centuries of population growth, humanity is now entering an unprecedented era of decline. From East Asia to Europe, birth rates have plummeted far below replacement levels, with profound implications for economies, societies and geopolitics. In this thought-provoking lecture, renowned demographer Nicholas Eberstadt explores our coming depopulating future. While sub-replacement fertility intr...

After a decade where progressive ideas dominated Western discourse - with their focus on diversity, inclusion and what critics call "woke" politics - the political landscape appears to be shifting rightward. From North America to Europe and the Asia-Pacific, conservative movements are gaining momentum, challenging progressive agendas that once seemed ascendant. In this discussion, we explore what'...

In this event John Spencer & CIS executive director Tom Switzer examined the future of US Middle East policy as Donald Trump eyed a return to the White House, exploring potential foreign policy shifts and their implications for Israel's military operations against Hamas and Hezbollah. John Spencer chairs Urban Warfare Studies at West Point's Modern War Institute and the Madison Policy Forum. H...

Jake Sullivan's September 2023 assessment of a "quiet" Middle East was shattered by Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel. In May 2024, John Mearsheimer discussed how the conflict strained US-Israel relations and raised risks of broader regional war. Mearsheimer also noted that Israel appeared to be struggling in Gaza while simultaneously battling Hezbollah in the north, managing strained US relation...

Over the past decade, New Zealand’s policy reforms had fuelled a housing construction boom. This was estimated to have reduced rents by 28% in Auckland and by 21% in Lower Hutt, relative to what they would have been otherwise. In new CIS research released in February 2025, Stuart Donovan discussed the reforms and their impact on young people, affordability, and their relevance to Australia. Shortl...