The National Security Podcast

What is the central logic of AUKUS from a UK perspective?

How does AUKUS contribute to European security?

How does AUKUS fit into UK defence interests and strategies in the Indo-Pacific?

In this episode, Damian Parmenter joins Rory Medcalf to discuss the UK perspective on AUKUS: the strategic environment, Pillar One operational specifics, diplomatic engagement and legislation, and progress on Pillar Two.

Damian Parmenter CBE is Director General AUKUS at the UK Ministry of Defence.  

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans three decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, journalism and academia.  

Show notes  

• The undergoing UK Strategic Defence Review  
• Australian National Defence Strategy  
• British SSN involved in search for Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 
• US International Traffic of Arms Regulation  
• Recent AUKUS agreement tabled in Australian parliament   

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to [email protected]. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Considering new contributions to the Pacific Resilience Fund, is the global community doing enough to support Pacific Island countries?  

How has the Falepili Union between Australia and Tuvalu been received more broadly across the region?  Will it be replicated?  

How does the Pacific Policing Initiative fit within the Pacific approach to collective security? 

How can the Pacific balance the pros and cons of the PALM scheme?  

In this episode, Maima Koro, Henritta McNeil and Joel Nilon join Bianca Birdsall to reflect on the 2024 Pacific Islands Forum, including the Pacific Resilience Fund, Pacific Policing Initiative, and the role of dialogue partners.  

Maualaivao Maima Koro is the Pacific Research Fellow and academic co-lead of the Regional Perspectives collaboration between Adelaide University and the Defence Science and Technology Group. 

Dr Henrietta McNeill is a Research Fellow on Pacific security, geopolitics and regionalism at the ANU Department of Pacific Affairs. 

Joel Nilon is a Pacific Fellow at the ANU Pacific Security College.  

Show notes:  

• ANU academic programs – find out more  
• Pacific Policing Initiative 
• Power and Influence in the Pacific Islands – co-authored by Henrietta McNeill 

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to [email protected]. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.  

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What is sports diplomacy and why is it important to Australia’s foreign policy? 

What is the rationale behind the PNG-Australia rugby league deal?  

How are sporting events being weaponised to undermine social cohesion or reflect geopolitical tensions?  

In this episode, Bianca Birdsall and Stuart Murray join David Andrews to discuss the role of sport as it relates to Australia’s national security – in diplomacy, foreign policy, and as a vector for insecurity, violence, crime, and societal unrest.  

Bianca Birdsall is a Senior Advisor at the ANU National Security College (NSC), on secondment from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.  

Dr Stuart Murray is an Associate Professor in International Relations and Diplomacy at Bond University.   

David Andrews is a Senior Policy Advisor at NSC.  

Show notes  

• ADF-run sports program in Fiji 
• First Nations netball team   
• First Nations netball Coaching Course  
• PNG NRL team $600m deal 

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to [email protected]. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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What makes the space domain critical to Australia’s defence and security? 

What is our constellation of defence partners in space? What assets does Australia bring to these relationships?  

What are the challenges and opportunities in the space domain?  

Is Australia contributing to what some critics call the “militarisation of space”?  

In this episode, Greg Novak joins Rory Medcalf to discuss the importance of space to Australia’s national interest, collaboration with industry and the civilian space sector and collaboration with like-minded partners in the space domain.  

Major General Greg Novak is Defence Space Commander in the Australian Space Command.  

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than three decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, journalism and academia.  

Show notes  

• ANU National Security College academic programs: find out more 
• Defence Strategic Review  
• National Defence Strategy  
• Defence Space Strategy  

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to [email protected]. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What can we expect from Indian foreign and security policy under a third Modi government?

How does the India-Russia relationship impact India’s foreign policy and cooperation with Western partners?

How can India manage its strategic ambitions amidst region instability – including its deteriorating relationship with China?

How do Australia and other Western powers balance their interests in strategic cooperation with India alongside challenges to political trust that have emerged recently? 

In this episode, Ian Hall and Darshana Baruah join Rory Medcalf to discuss India’s evolving place in the world, from its immediate neighbourhood to bilateral relationships with global powers. 

Professor Ian Hall is a Professor of International Relations at Griffith University. He is also an Academic Fellow of the Australia India Institute.

Darshana Baruah is Director of Security and Geopolitics at the Australia India Institute and an Expert Associate at the ANU National Security College.

Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than three decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think thanks, journalism and academia.   

Show notes  

• ANU National Security College academic programs: find out more 
• Darshana Baruah's book: The Contest for the Indian Ocean
• Ian Hall’s books: The Engagement of India: Strategies and Responses and Assessing Australia’s Strategic Personalities  

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to [email protected]. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.   

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How have alliances and security partnerships in the Indo-Pacific evolved in recent years? What trends can be identified? 

How does the current security environment compare to previous eras of alliance formation? What lessons can we draw?  

Are we seeing a strategic convergence between the Euro-Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific? Between NATO and the network of US bilateral alliances in Asia? 

In this episode, Alexander Lanoszka and Susannah Patton join David Andrews to discuss the evolving role of alliances and security partnerships on the global stage.  

Alexander Lanoszka is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the Balsillie School of International Affairs at the University of Waterloo. He is also an Associate Fellow at the UK-based Council on Geostrategy and a Senior Fellow at the Ottawa-based Macdonald-Laurier Institute.  

Susannah Patton is Director of the Southeast Asia program at the Lowy Institute and the Project Lead for the Asia Power Index.  

David Andrews is a Senior Policy Advisor at the ANU National Security College.  

Show notes  

• ANU National Security College academic programs: find out more 
• Alexander Lanoszka’s book: ‘Military Alliances in the Twenty-First Century’ 
• Susannah Patton’s Lowy Interpreter article: ‘From global to regional: Australia’s focus narrows’ 
• Lowy Institute Asia Power Index 
• Pew Research Centre  
• Institute of Southeast Asian Studies’ State of Southeast Asia Survey 

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to [email protected]. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.   

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What are the priorities of the Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) and how have they evolved to reflect our strategic environment?  

What is the importance of and strategic reasoning for AUKUS Pillar Two? 

What misconceptions exist about defence research at universities?  

How does industry, policy, and research intersect to contribute to deterrence and generating an asymmetric technological advantage?  

In this episode, Tanya Monro joins Rory Medcalf to discuss innovation, science and technology, the National Defence Strategy, the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator, defence research, and universities against the backdrop of AUKUS Pillar 2.   

Professor Tanya Monro AC FAA FTSE is Chief Defence Scientist at the Department of Defence. 

Professor Rory Medcalf AM is Head of the ANU National Security College. His experience spans three decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, journalism and academia. 

Show notes:  

• ANU National Security College academic programs: find out more 
• DSR: Defence Strategic Review 2023 
• NDS: National Defence Strategy  
• Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator  
• Defence Trade Controls Amendment Act 2024 

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to [email protected]. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is Australia’s concept of ‘National Defence’ and where does AUKUS fit into it? 

What misconceptions exist about AUKUS Pillar One? 

What progress has been made to realise the potential of AUKUS Pillar Two?  

In this episode, Hugh Jeffrey joins Rory Medcalf to discuss Australia’s current strategic landscape, the Defence Strategic Review, National Defence Strategy, and AUKUS.  

Hugh Jeffrey is Deputy Secretary Strategy, Policy, and Industry at the Department of Defence.  

Professor Rory Medcalf AM is Head of the ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than three decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, journalism, and academia. 

Show notes:  

• ANU National Security College academic programs: find out more 
• DSU: Defence Strategic Update 2020 
• DSR: Defence Strategic Review 2023 
• NDS: National Defence Strategy  

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to [email protected]. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.   

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How is ‘stabilisation’ of the Australia-China relationship being viewed in Brussels, and other European capitals? 

How could Australia and Europe better work together to limit China’s global influence? 

And what lessons can Canberra learn from Brussels' approach to economic security – particularly with regard to electric vehicles? 

In this episode, Janka Oertel joins Rory Medcalf to discuss how Europe is approaching the ‘China challenge’. 

Dr Janka Oertel is Director of the Asia Programme and a Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. 

Professor Rory Medcalf AM is Head of the ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than three decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, journalism, and academia.

Show notes  

• ANU National Security College academic programs: find out more
• Trust and trade-offs: How to manage Europe’s green technology dependence on China by Alexander Lipke, Janka Oertel, and Daniel O’Sullivan
• Security recall: The risk of Chinese electric vehicles in Europe by Janka Oertel

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to [email protected]. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.  

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Why is the resilience of Australia’s democracy critical to our freedom and privilege?  

What challenges does social media pose to the functioning of our democracy? 

How do tears in our social fabric exacerbate anti-democratic behaviour? 

In this episode, Tom Rogers and Clare O’Neil discuss the importance of, and challenges facing, elections and democracy. With framing introductions from Rory Medcalf and Genevieve Bell. 

Note: This episode was recorded from a public session, ‘The Future of Elections,’ part of a two-day conference hosted by the ANU National Security College in partnership with the Australian Electoral Commission and International IDEA.  

Tom Rogers is the Australian Electoral Commissioner  

The Hon Claire O’Neil MP is the Minster for Home Affairs and Cyber Security  

Professor Genevieve Bell is the Vice-Chancellor and President of the Australian National University 

Professor Rory Medcalf AM is Head of NSC. His professional experience spans more than three decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, journalism, and academia. 

Show notes 

• ANU National Security College academic programs: find out more 
• Full version with panel and Q&A - The future of elections and Australian democracy 

We’d love to hear from you! Send in your questions, comments, and suggestions to [email protected]. You can tweet us @NSC_ANU and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes. The National Security Podcast is available on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.   

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.