The National Security Podcast

What are the pathways for the United States and China to improve their bilateral relationship?  What might catalyse conflict between the two great powers? Is Australia prepared for this scenario – and will it take a crisis to find out? In this episode of the National Security Podcast , Dr Fiona Cunningham joins Gai Brodtmann to unpack the state of US-China relations and each country’s ability...

Why are Australia’s intelligence agencies growing their public engagement?   How are these agencies responding to an increasingly complex, challenging and dynamic strategic environment? And what are intelligence leaders doing to future-proof their organisations, workforces and capabilities? In this episode of the National Security Podcast , Director-General of National Intelligence, Andrew Sh...

How have historical intelligence organisations evolved into the national security agencies we know today? Who were Australia’s early intelligence professionals? And how has this rich history contributed to the formation of key signals intelligence agreements such as Five Eyes? In this episode of the National Security Podcast , Clare Birgin and Professor John Blaxland join Dr Will Stoltz to discuss...

What challenges does China pose to Australia’s security? And have the recent policy responses from Australian Governments been effective?  In this episode of the National Security Podcast , Dr Euan Graham, IISS Shangri-La Dialogue Senior Fellow, discusses his new book, Australia's Security in China's Shadow, with Professor Rory Medcalf in front of a live audience. The conversation f...

What is the Defence Strategic Review, and why does it matter? What does it mean for Australian strategy and defence in this contested era? And how will it shape the way the Australian Defence Force and Department of Defence adapt to the risks facing the nation? In this episode of the  National Security Podcast , co-lead of the 2023 Defence Strategic Review (DSR) Secretariat, Professor Peter D...

How is the Quad navigating China’s growing power and influence in the region? How do the four countries balance their domestic security priorities with their commitments under the partnership? And does India’s position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine create compatibility challenges? In this episode of the National Security Podcast , Darshana Baruah, Lisa Curtis and Professor Nobukatsu Kanehara joi...

How important is Korea to Australia’s regional outlook? What elements of the Australia-South Korea relationship should be strengthened? And can South Korea continue to effectively juggle the competing security priorities of a rising China and a belligerent North Korea?  In this episode of the National Security Podcast , Dr Lauren Richardson and Dr Michael Cohen join David Andrews to examine t...

What can we learn from First Nations Australians about our obligation to country? And is enough being done to protect native title owners from foreign interference? In this episode of the National Security Podcast , Lieutenant Colonel Eileen Hall and Dr Danielle Ireland-Piper discuss what security means from an Indigenous Australian perspective, and how cultural knowledge and cultural safety can d...

What are Australia’s strategic interests in Antarctica? What role does the continent play in climate science? And what does Australia stand to gain from investment in the region? In this episode of the National Security Podcast , Dr James Mortensen and Isabelle Bond, authors of recent NSC Policy Options Paper Cold logic: getting intelligent about Antarctica,  join William Leben to discuss the...

While social media has many benefits, there are a growing number of users – both human and machine – spreading harmful disinformation and misinformation on these networks.  What is the difference between disinformation and misinformation? How do different actors – both state and non-state – affect society and geopolitics using social media? And what steps can be taken to o...

What is the Women, Peace and Security framework and how did it come about? What was this agenda designed to do, and has it achieved the original ambition? In this episode of the National Security Podcast , Professor Jacqui True from Monash University, and Lisa Sharland from the Stimson Centre, join Gai Brodtmann in conversation to unpack the Women Peace and Security agenda 23 years on from its cre...

How will Canada engage with partners in the Indo-Pacific? What does its new Indo-Pacific Strategy outline for the years ahead? And how does this document shed light on the nation’s strategic outlook? In this episode of the National Security Podcast , Jonathan Berkshire Miller and Paul Chamberlain join David Andrews in conversation to examine Canada’s recent Indo-Pacific Strategy, its interests in...

Technological innovation is now one of the most consequential realms of geopolitical contestation. And in the era of big tech, the private sector has assumed power that once resided with governments. In response, we’ve seen a reassertion of industry policy, with governments trying to re-establish control.   What happens to Australia’s national security when private companies, such as TikTok,...

Australia’s culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) population is under-represented in the national security community.   In the latest National Security Podcast mini-series, Olivia Shen and Meg Tapia explore this gap — its causes, effects and potential solutions — and analyse the role of CALD in promoting strategic advantage.   Coinciding with Harmony Week, in the first e...

Australia’s most recent Population Statement details the early impacts of the COVID‑19 pandemic and projects where the nation’s population is heading over the next decade. How can this information be used to inform policy and decision-making in pursuit of a secure Australian future? In this episode of the National Security Podcast , Dr Liz Allen, demographer and Senior Lecturer at the ANU Center f...

The Alliance with the United States is historically one of the most important aspects of Australia’s strategic policy — including in relation to Australia’s response to the changing strategic environment in the Indo-Pacific.  Recent qualitative research on Australian public opinion on the US Alliance, conducted by the United States Studies Centre, sheds new light on how the relationship is vi...

In this episode of the National Security Podcast , the Hon Clare O’Neil, Minister for Home Affairs and Cyber Security, joins Professor Rory Medcalf in conversation. They discuss Australia’s current and future geopolitical environment, national resilience and maintaining integrity in Australia’s democracy.  The conversation frames some significant developments in Australian government policy o...

How has civilian life been impacted by the war? What more can be done to end the conflict? Will President Zelenskyy’s 10-point peace plan lead to a treaty? 24 February 2023 marks one year since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In this episode of the National Security Podcast , Dr Sonia Mycak and Dr Anton Moiseienko join David Andrews to reflect on the last 12 months and discuss how the war might...

Why should policy practitioners and law makers focus their attention on space? What does space security look like from a gendered perspective? Is commercialisation disrupting the way that space is used for warfare? And why is space diplomacy important for Australia – regionally and internationally?  In this episode of the National Security Podcast , Dr Cassandra Steer joins Dr Danielle Irelan...

Despite what you’d infer from the news articles, nuclear-powered submarines form just one part of the AUKUS Agreement. There is a whole other portion of the pact focused on other technological capabilities. What is AUKUS pillar two? What kind of projects are underway under the auspices of this pillar? Are current export control regimes of AUKUS nations fit for purpose? And is expanding pillar two...

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Sweden’s Ambassador to Australia His Excellency Mr Pontus Melander and Latvia’s Ambassador to Australia His Excellency Mr Marģers Krams join Dr Will Stoltz in conversation. They discuss how their countries approach building national resilience in response to a range of complex conventional and hybrid threats.  His Excellency Mr Pontus Melander...

How can fiction influence national security policy and its development? What is the role of fiction in future scenario planning? How does reading fiction assist with developing empathy, and why is this important to the national security community? In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Danielle Ireland-Piper, Chris Uhlmann and John Birmingham join Dayle Stanley in conversation to d...

In the final National Security Podcast episode of the year, some of the team from the ANU National Security College take stock of Australia’s security landscape in 2022. Dayle Stanley, Elise Stephenson, Rory Medcalf and Will Stoltz also discuss what they’ll be keeping an eye on in 2023, and the years to come. Dayle Stanley is the Director of Strategy & Engagement at the ANU National Security C...

Under the AUKUS agreement, Australia will be the first non-nuclear state to acquire nuclear propulsion technology. What impact could this have on the nation’s nuclear security standards? And how could it affect Australia’s standing as a non-proliferation player? In this episode of the National Security Podcast , Scott Roecker and Jessica Bufford from the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) join Profes...

In this episode of the National Security Podcast , the Rt Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP, the United Kingdom's Minister of State for the Indo-Pacific, joins Professor Rory Medcalf in conversation. How will the United Kingdom’s Integrated Review refresh affect Britain’s Indo-Pacific policy? What does AUKUS mean for the United Kingdom? And what’s the future of Australia-UK cooperation? In this episode...