Professor Rory Medcalf AM 

Head of the National Security College at the Australian National University

In conversation with 

Sophia Gaston 
Head of Foreign Policy, Policy Exchange

The discussion will be followed by a Q&A with our audience.

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Join Policy Exchange for an ‘in conversation’ event with Professor Rory Medcalf AM, the Head of the National Security College in Canberra, one of Australia’s foremost thinkers on foreign policy and national security.

Australia is entering a new phase in its foreign policy evolution, and has made significant investments in its national security architecture and capabilities, and its diplomatic partnerships. Its role in the heart of the dynamic Indo-Pacific economic and security region is being sharpened and defined, in response to a rapidly shifting geopolitical environment. Over recent years, the UK-Australia bilateral relationship has deepened and become more central to the national security objectives of both nations, in large part due to the landmark AUKUS agreement that has been forged with the United States and the growing interest the UK holds in the Indo-Pacific security theatre.

In this conversation, Sophia Gaston will speak with Professor Medcalf about the factors shaping decision-making and the prioritisation of resources in Canberra, how Australia conceptualises its role in upholding the rules-based international order, and what Britain can learn from Australia’s experience in the Indo-Pacific. They will also explore how choices around national security in the 21^st Century should interact with issues of national identity, culture and values.

Professor Rory Medcalf AM is Head of the National Security College at the Australian National University. His career spans diplomacy, academia, intelligence analysis, journalism and think tanks, including with the Lowy Institute. Professor Medcalf was a senior strategic analyst with the Office of National Assessments, Australia’s peak intelligence agency, and a diplomat with service in India, Japan and Papua New Guinea. He has played a lead role in Australia’s informal diplomacy with India and a range of other countries. Professor Medcalf is recognised globally as a thought leader on the Indo-Pacific strategic concept, as articulated in his book Contest for the Indo-Pacific (published internationally as Indo-Pacific Empire). In June 2022, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to international relations and tertiary education. 

Listen to the recording here: