Asia Society Australia

This week we hosted our 2024 Asia Society-Victoria Distinguished Fellow, Mr Teng Chye Khoo from Singapore for various engagements with our members and stakeholders in Melbourne.     Mr Khoo is the Director of NUS Cities and Practice Professor, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore and brings a wealth of experience in urban planning and development. He shared deep insights on learnings from Singapore on urban design and discussed opportunities of collaboration between Victoria and Singapore to create a resilient and urban future.   Throughout the week, he participated in various engagements including, roundtables with Department of Transport and Planning Victorian Government, RMIT University, University of Melbourne, a Boardroom briefing with Asia Society corporate member Clayton Utz, a public lecture at RMIT University and at the Australian Smart Communities Association Summit in partnership with City of Melbourne.

November's Briefing Monthly is out now, hot off the press! Read all about Trump in Asia, Xi’s APEC, recentering ASEAN, Indonesian business special, Pacific banking and more! Editor: Greg Earl Illustration by Rocco Fazzari Read now: https://lnkd.in/g4Jbrx2a

Last week we held our final Gen A event of the year in Sydney. Thank you to our speakers Jennifer Hsu, UNSW, Ben Westcott, Bloomberg and Georgie McKay for your insights on how Australia reports on and interprets developments across Asia through media and policy. Thank you to everyone who came and we look forward to seeing you again next year for more exciting Gen A programs!

Join us next week for a public lecture with 2024 Asia Society-Victoria Distinguished Fellow, Mr Teng Chye Khoo. Singapore’s growth from a new nation to a model city offers valuable lessons for Melbourne as it plans a denser, rail-linked urban future. Hear from one of the foremost experts on Singapore’s urban development on how Australia can collaborate with Singapore to build smart and resilient cities. Register now: https://lnkd.in/g8mjV3Cs This event is partnered with RMIT University Urban Futures Enabling Impact Platform and Planning Institute Australia.

Amid mounting clashes in the South China Sea, broadening conflict in the Middle East, and a U.S. election outcome that is likely to bring intensified great power competition to Southeast Asia. Pongphisoot Busbarat, Chulalongkorn University, Julia Lau, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute (ISEAS), Anna Patricia Saberon, Ateneo de Naga University, and moderator Dominique Fraser, Asia Society Australia discuss how Southeast Asian countries can manage these crises and what they mean for ASEAN unity and centrality. Watch now: https://lnkd.in/gkDz4RH5

At the recent Annual Australia The Australian APEC Study Centre (AASC) Lecture, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Secretary Jan Adams AO launched the new DFAT Trading Nations report which provides a body of evidence explaining why international #trade and #investment are critical to the Australian #economy.    For the lecture, part of a flagship series, Secretary Adams spoke about achieving economic security through trade. The Hon Dr Craig Emerson then hosted a Q&A with participants before a networking session at Kaleide Theatre.   Prior to the lecture, Secretary Adams met with RMIT Vice Chancellor Alec Cameron to speak about RMIT's Knowledge with Action strategy and priority to be a leading university of impact in the Asia Pacific. It was a pivotal meeting for the APEC Study Centre and Asia Society Australia Executives to discuss RMIT's Asia strategy and footprint.    The meeting was an opportunity to highlight RMIT’s deep ties to Southeast Asia, central Melbourne location and key strategic initiatives including the RMIT Asia Trade and Innovation Hub (ATIH) and The Australian APEC Study Centre, which have made RMIT a partner of choice for the Australian Government when engaging with the #ASEAN region. Tom Bentley | Layton Pike | Briony Wood-Ingram | Bonnie Rivendell

Indonesia's Strategic Military Stance: Insights from Dr Natalie Sambhi on Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Indonesia. The Indonesia Institute is proud to share that our Director, Dr Natalie Sambhi, a renowned defence and security expert, was recently featured in an article by Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Indonesia's language edition, where she offered her perspective on Indonesia's evolving military strategy under the Prabowo Subianto administration. Natalie, who is also the Founder and Executive Director of Verve Research and a Senior Policy Fellow with Asia Society Australia, highlighted Indonesia's "bebas aktif" (free and active) foreign policy stance, which signals Jakarta's commitment to maintaining neutrality amidst global power competition. According to her, Indonesia's recent military exercises showcase the country's desire to build and maintain relationships with major powers and regional players without aligning with any one faction. In addition to her role with the Indonesia Institute, Dr Natalie Sambhi contributes to regional security discourse as a Non-resident Fellow with The Brookings Institution Institution's Foreign Policy Program. Her extensive experience and thought leadership continue to shape discussions on Southeast Asia's security landscape, offering invaluable insights into Indonesia's defence and foreign policy approach in a rapidly shifting geopolitical environment. To read more about Natalie's analysis of Indonesia's strategic military outlook, please visit the full article on Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Indonesia's website https://lnkd.in/gSnYE5RA #Indonesia #Australia #IndonesiaInstitute #VerveResearch #ForeignPolicy #AsiaSocietyAustralia #ABC #Defence #Security #PeopleToPeople

Last night our Gen As in Melbourne joined to wrap up the year and put their Asia knowledge to the test with a trivia night on Asian politics, entertainment, and food. Thank you to all those who came and congrats to the winners, Durian Lovers, we hope you enjoy your winning tickets to the NGV Yayoi Kusama exhibition! We look forward to seeing you again next year for more exciting Gen A programs in Melbourne!

Join us for a public lecture with 2024 Asia Society-Victoria Distinguished Fellow, Mr Teng Chye Khoo. Singapore’s growth from a new nation to a model city offers valuable lessons for Melbourne as it plans a denser, rail-linked urban future. Hear from one of the foremost experts on Singapore’s urban development on how Australia can collaborate with Singapore to build smart and resilient cities. Register now: https://lnkd.in/g8mjV3Cs This event is partnered with RMIT University Urban Futures Enabling Impact Platform and Planning Institute Australia.

🌟 Congratulations again to this year’s Melbourne Asia Game Changer Awards winners! Each of these inspiring leaders have made a remarkable impact, and we’re honoured to celebrate their achievements and contributions to Australia's dynamic connection with Asia. Read more about our awardees here: https://lnkd.in/gU2FpMTS Victorian Government National Gallery of Victoria HSBC City of Melbourne LSH Auto Australia Asian Hustle Network Priya Srinivasan Josh Chye HLB Mann Judd Australia Malaysia Business Council Victoria Aruna Venkatachalam Young Change Agents Jenny T. 100 Story Building