Lowy Institute

Latest Episodes:

Can AI rebuild democracy? Oct 20, 2026

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The public’s anxiety about artificial intelligence appears to be growing, with high-profile data security breaches and opposition towards data centres attracting negative attention. Yet a more hopeful view is also gaining ground: that the technology could help rebuild struggling democratic institutions. In this episode of Lowy Institute Conversations, Lydia Khalil speaks with Beth Noveck, author of Reboot: AI and the Race to Save Democracy, about public AI, digital sovereignty, diplomacy and the role middle powers such as Australia can play in shaping how it is governed.

More episodes of the Lowy Institute's podcasts are available on your favourite podcast apps, including Spotify, YouTube and Apple.

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Cuts all round: Aid to Southeast Asia hits a decade low Oct 13, 2026

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Official development finance to Southeast Asia has fallen to its lowest level in a decade, just as the region faces a run of overlapping economic shocks. Contrary to some expectations, China isn’t stepping into the gap left by retreating traditional donors, such as Japan and the United States.
In this episode of Development Futures, the Lowy Institute's Lead Economist and Director of the Indo-Pacific Development Centre Roland Rajah speaks with Rahul Nath and Taili Ni, two of the researchers behind the Lowy Institute’s Southeast Asia Aid Map, about what the latest data shows and what developments to watch.

You can read the full report or explore the interactive map at https://seamap.lowyinstitute.org/

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From treaty to trust: The next chapter in the Australia–PNG relationship Sep 29, 2026

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Despite being close neighbours, Australia and Papua New Guinea have only recently become formal allies through the Pukpuk Treaty. But what does this new alliance mean beyond government-to-government ties?

In this episode of Lowy Institute Conversations, Dominic De Moura McCarthy, President and Founder of the Pacific-Australia Youth Association, and Sharon Bala Woruba, Environment and Sustainability Manager for PNG at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, join the Institute's Sarah Thompson to discuss the future of the bilateral relationship.They discuss PNG's forthcoming NRL team, the Chiefs; what real economic opportunity for small businesses and grassroots communities looks like; the underused potential of diaspora communities in places like

North Queensland; and why formal exchange and education programs matter at every stage of life.
The conversation lands on a bigger question: what would it take for everyday Australians and Papua New Guineans to feel genuine ownership of this relationship, rather than watching it play out at the top?

Dominic De Moura McCarthy and Sharon Bala Woruba were participants in the Australia–PNG Network's 2026 Emerging Leaders Dialogue. You can read the recommendations of the emerging leaders in a joint communiqué published by the Lowy Institute.

More episodes of the Lowy Institute's podcasts are available on your favourite podcast apps, including Spotify, YouTube and Apple.

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2026 Lowy Institute Media Lecture: Dennis Richardson AC Sep 17, 2026

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At the 2026 Lowy Institute Media Award dinner, former ambassador and intelligence chief Dennis Richardson AC traced five decades at the sharp end of government-media relations, from running the Commonwealth's first media monitoring unit in 1972 to advising ambassadors on when to dodge the cameras. He's blunt on AUKUS and the government's reluctance to sell it, sharper still on what he sees as media silence in the face of rising anti-Semitism after the Bondi attack, and unsparing about a public service he says too often confuses self-censorship for prudence.

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Prime Minister of Thailand Anutin Charnvirakul Sep 10, 2026

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The Lowy Institute was delighted to welcome Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to Bligh Street for a roundtable discussion, chaired by the Institute's Executive Director Michael Fullilove.
The Prime Minister delivered a brief speech, discussing the roles of Thailand, Australia, and middle-sized countries in addressing an increasingly uncertain world.

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Lowy Institute debate: Does AUKUS strengthen Australia's security? Sep 03, 2026

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Two prominent Australian strategists from opposite sides of the defence debate discuss the AUKUS partnership.

Jennifer Parker makes the case that AUKUS is vital for Australian security and that the nuclear-powered submarines will be delivered.

Sam Roggeveen argues that AUKUS is unachievable and unnecessary.

The debate features opening statements from each speaker, followed by a moderated discussion led by Lowy Institute Research Director Mihai Sora, and concludes with an audience Q&A.

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Pacific unity on the line: The 2026 PIF Leaders' Meeting Sep 01, 2026

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As the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders' Meeting opens in Palau, the region faces a series of major challenges. These include a Chinese missile test that the Forum couldn’t agree to condemn, a contested region-wide security treaty, Taiwan's return to the Forum, an El Niño event, and a global fuel crisis.

In this episode of Lowy Institute Conversations, Oliver Nobetau is joined by Dr Connor Graham and Sarah Thompson to examine what these developments mean for Pacific security, regional unity, and economic resilience.

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2026 Allan Gyngell Lecture: Senator Penny Wong Aug 28, 2026

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The 2026 Allan Gyngell Lecture was delivered by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator the Hon Penny Wong. Senator Wong paid tribute to Allan Gyngell’s influence on her thinking, reflected on multiculturalism as a source of national strength, and framed Australia’s strategic choices in an increasingly uncertain world.

Following her address, the Foreign Minister joined the Lowy Institute's Executive Director, Dr Michael Fullilove AM for a conversation. They discussed the stabilisation of Australia's relationship with China, AUKUS, Senator Wong’s dealings with the Trump administration and Secretary Rubio, and the declining relevance of the United Nations.

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The Pacific’s deep-sea fault line Aug 25, 2026

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As great powers race for the critical minerals scattered on the ocean floor, the Pacific is splitting into two camps — those betting on deep-sea mining as an economic lifeline, and those warning the environmental risks are too great. In this episode of Lowy Institute Conversations, Dr Connor Graham speaks with Dr Philippa Louey, Senior Research Associate at the Lancaster Environment Centre, about what's driving the rush, where Australia fits in, and whether the region can find common ground before mining starts.

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Southeast Asia’s supply chain squeeze Aug 19, 2026

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Southeast Asia has become the connector economy of the global tech race — building the chips, batteries, and clean energy components for which both Washington and Beijing now compete. But as US–China tensions harden into economic security policy, the region’s most valuable supply chains are being squeezed from both sides. In this episode of Development Futures, Research Fellow Robert Walker joins Roland Rajah to discuss which strategic industries are worth backing, which aren’t, and why decarbonisation might be the region’s smartest long-term play.

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