Summary:
Authoritarian powers rise, America turns inward -how should Australia respond?
The Sir James Plimsoll Lecture:
The second Trump Administration is inflicting chaos amid what was already a dangerous decade. Yet the 2025 Australian election campaign has been largely indifferent to the scale of the challenge: a world where authoritarian ambition does not relent yet America seems set on self-sabotage. The next Australian Government will need to be upfront in readying the nation for risk. This lecture will explore a strategy of resilience and preparedness reaching well beyond Canberra to involve the concerns and capabilities of the wider community. In parallel, Australian statecraft will need to engage the new multipolarity with a clear sense of the nation’s contemporary interests, values and identity.
Presenter(s):
- Professor Rory Medcalf, Head of the National Security College at the Australian National University
- Hosted by Professor Nicholas Farrelly, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Southern Tasmania at the University of Tasmania
Parking:
Free parking, including accessible spaces, is available at the venue.
Pre-event refreshments:
Head to the venue early and enjoy complimentary refreshments from 5.30pm.
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