Programs & Projects

The International Security Program

The International Security Program

The International Security Program looks at strategic dynamics and security risks globally, with an emphasis on Australia's region of Indo-Pacific Asia. Its research spans strategic competition and the risks of conflict in Asia, security implications of the rise of China and India, maritime security, nuclear arms control, Australian defence policy and the changing character of conflict. The Program draws on a network of experts in Australia, Asia and globally, and is supported by diverse funding sources including grants from the MacArthur Foundation and the Nuclear Threat Initiative. It convenes international policy dialogues such as the 2017 Australia-ROK Emerging Leaders International Security Forum and has a record of producing leading-edge, influential reports.

Experts
Latest publications
News and media
China naval exercise stokes Japan's fears
So China is accusing Japan of ‘dangerous provocation’ over its alleged monitoring of Chinese naval exercises in the Western Pacific.  Amid the prolonged tensions between the two…
NZ-US: Allies in all but name
Jack Georgieff is a research associate with the International Security program at the Lowy Institute. This week US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and New Zealand Minister of…
Sino-Japanese tensions: The case for strategic patience
Michael Green is Senior Vice President for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, a Professor at Georgetown University and a non-resident fellow…
For Australia in Afghanistan, victory was never an option
Commentary
For Australia in Afghanistan, victory was never an option
Dr Rodger Shanahan, Nonresident Fellow at the Lowy Institute for International Policy, reflects on Australia's role in the war in Afghanistan and the impact on the country…
Why the world needs an agreed definition of terrorism (part 2)
In part one of this post, I referred to Professor Boaz Ganor's proposed definition of terrorism. That definition is: Terrorism is the deliberate use of violence aimed against…
As long as we use ships to move cargo, the navy will need to control the sea
Commentary
As long as we use ships to move cargo, the navy will need to control the sea
In this article in The Age, Lowy Institute Nonresident Fellow James Goldrick makes the case for a strong Australian surface navy, in response to Hugh White.James Goldrick
Indo-Pacific security links: China-Japan, Sierra Madre, drones, Diego Garcia and more
Dougal Robinson is a project research assistant in the Lowy Institute's International Security program. Andrew Erickson from the US Naval War College and his two co-authors have…
What did we learn from the war in Afghanistan?
Commentary
What did we learn from the war in Afghanistan?
In this op-ed for The Age, Military Fellow, James Brown explains Australia's role in the war in Afghanistan and highlights three lessons learnt from the 12-year-long…
Interview: Joshua Foust on the NSA, Snowden and The Guardian
American journalists and commentator Joshua Foust has been a prominent and somewhat contrarian voice among the journalistic community in regard to the Edward Snowden leaks. Foust…
The political, commercial and cultural dimensions of maritime strategy
James Holmes is professor of strategy at the US Naval War College; these views are his alone. This post is part of a debate series arranged in conjunction with the Sea Power…