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
Advice to McCain on Syria: Trust no one
It sounded so perfect. The hawkish Republican war hero John McCain visiting rebel-held Syrian territory to show the locals that not all US politicians are lily-livered liberals…
Shangri-La missile defence
As Rory Medcalf said yesterday, often the most memorable things to come out of big events like the Shangri-La Dialogue are from the working groups rather than the big set-piece…
Is China 'reciprocating' US maritime surveillance?
The best stories from the Shangri-la Dialogue, Asia's leading informal defence gathering, do not come from the public utterances of high-profile figures like Secretary of Defense…
Shangri-La snippets
One of the talking points so far has been how vocal the Chinese delegation has been from the floor. The blunt question put to Secretary Hagel is just one example; in every…
Chuck Hagel at the Shangri-La Dialogue
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has just finished his remarks here at the Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore and has left for bilateral meetings. What kind of speech was it? I…
The Interpreter this weekend
Usually we observe strict radio silence on weekends here on The Interpreter, but do check in with us tomorrow and Sunday for analysis and (I hope) some interviews from the Shangri…
Cyber: Four Corners overcooks it
I've been mulling over Monday night's Four Corners report on cybersecurity, and I find that my feelings are captured nicely by a Bruce Scheier column from back in March: …
Killer robots: Not Terminators, just land mines with microchips
I've just recorded an interview with a reporter from ABC Radio National's estimable PM program on the subject of 'killer robots'. The UN Human Rights Commission has released…
Cyber attacks more widespread than we know
Commentary
Cyber attacks more widespread than we know
In an opinion piece in The Australian, Nonresident Fellow Alan Dupont writes that the threat to national security from cyber attacks is real and it is growing, seemingly unchecked…
What Indians think about China
Commentary
What Indians think about China
In this article on the Diplomat's Flashpoints blog, Rory Medcalf looks at what the findings of the India Poll 2013 reveal about how Indians view China. Rory Medcalf