
Global realities, domestic choices: How to renew a damaged world
Agenda for day 1
7.45-8.45am
Migration and population in a time of pandemics
What is the future of Australia's migration program after Australia's borders open? What will our population growth and distribution look like in coming years? How will Australia's economic geography change and what does this mean for our social cohesion and politics?
Jenny Wilkinson, Liz Ritchie
Chair: Ann Evans
7.45-8.45am
Renewing nuclear arms control and disarmament
What is the future trajectory of the US, Russian and Chinese nuclear weapon and missile programs? Can China - and India Pakistan and Israel - be brought into nuclear arms control arrangements? Can the genie be put back in the bottle in Iran and North Korea? What impact are new technologies having on global arms control arrangements?
Robert Einhorn, Amanda Gorely
Chair: Gareth Evans
7.45-8.45am
Australian defence in the 2020s
The Australian Defence Force is adapting to changing strategic circumstances with new plans to increase its long range-strike and deterrence capabilities. At the same time, after the tumultuous Trump Presidency, the Biden Administration is considering its own force posture in the Indo-Pacific and how best to respond to China's challenge. What are the challenges for the ADF and for defence planners in a changing strategic order? What is the future of alliances in the Indo-Pacific? How might the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue take on military dimensions and what is the future of Australia's regional defence relationships?
Angus Campbell, Natasha Kassam
Chair: Iain Henry
7.45-8.45am
What next for Australian media?
What are the main forces driving the future shape of the Australian news media landscape? What is the role of policy-makers and philanthropists in ensuring there are adequate and diverse news services to counter disinformation and speak truth to power? What can we learn from international experiments in new ways of funding news media?
Laura Jayes, Mark Ryan, Simon Crerar
Chair: Megan Brownlow
9.10-10.35am
After the recession: how should we renew our economies?
What is the state of repair of the global economy? Who is doing better and where is the damage long-lasting? How worried should we be by rising global debt and deficits? How resilient were supply chains in the end and how much diversification have we seen? Will we see a repair and renewal of globalisation or a further fragmentation?
Catherine Mann, Ayhan Kose, Yao Yang, Adam McKissack
Chair: Renee Fry-McKibbin
10.45-11.45am
Keynote presentation
Josh Frydenberg, Treasurer
12-1pm
Renewing hope for our pandemials
The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to further increase intergenerational inequality. Young Australians already face a job market being changed by automation and other technological advances. Now, the pandemic has hit hardest the face-to-face industries that employ many young people. Young Australians are faced with both the long-term burden of growing national debt and the risk of lower long-term incomes. Mental health issues and disillusionment are growing risks. The World Economic Forum worries about a lost generation globally. What is happening in Australia? What can we do better now to support young Australians and address intergenerational inequality?
Jason Trethowan, Madhumitha Janagaraja, Bayu Pratama, Luke Rycken
Chair: Shalailah Medhora
1-2.30pm
Cross-national taxation and regulation in a digital world
How should multinational enterprises, especially in the digital world, be taxed and regulated? Are companies like Amazon too big? Should they be broken up and how else can we encourage competition? Is it possible to regulate or better control political messaging on social media platforms? What are the global trends on data privacy? What innovations are we seeing globally and what policy options does Australia have?
Robert Breunig, Rod Sims, Sunita Bose
Chair: Miranda Stewart
1-2.30pm
Renewing liberal democracy
Nationalism, populism, political polarisation and identity politics are corroding liberalism and institutions in democracies worldwide. What is the future for liberal democracy? Can liberalism adapt to the excesses of globalisation and the desire for group identities? Can political and social polarisation be fixed? How should liberal democracies respond to the rising challenge of authoritarianism? How much is Australia affected and what should we be doing?
Dave Sharma, Daryl Karp, Larry Diamond
Chair: Bridi Rice
2.30-4pm
Australian resilience re-visited
Nearly two years into the pandemic, has Australia taken the steps it needs to improve its resilience to global shocks? Are we better prepared for the next crisis? How resilient were the Australian people and our governments in the face of lock downs and recession? What do we need still to do and how much space is there for more reform and change?
Peter Harris, Danielle Wood, Melinda Cilento, Laura Berry
Chair: Kate Henne
2.30-4pm
What is India's future?
India has emerged as a major Indo-Pacific power in an era of sharply-rising US-China competition. Courted by the United States and confronted by China, what role will India play in our region in coming years? Can strategic autonomy be reconciled with a more prominent role in balancing China's power? Will political polarisation and India's desire for economic self-reliance undercut cooperation with the United States? And what is the outlook for Australia's own growing partnership with India?
Ritika Passi, Constantino Xavier, Harinder Sidhu
Chair: Rory Medcalf
4.30-6pm
Repairing our climate
Short presentation - What is the science telling us about climate change today? Is the reality of climate change matching the forecasts of climate change modelling, or is change outstripping our models Panel discussion - In the lead up to COP 26 in Glasgow In November, what is the outlook for global climate change action? Will a new President in the United States and net zero commitments by Australia's other top trading partners like China, Japan and South Korea - change the international climate change dynamic and renew global climate change ambition? Nearly two years on from the first known cases of COVID-19, has the reality of a green renewal for climate matched the rhetoric? What foreign and domestic policy choices face Australia on climate change now and into the medium term?
Jo Evans, Mark Howden, Emma Herd, Arunabha Ghosh, Selwin Hart
Chair: Howard Bamsey
8pm
JG Crawford Oration
His Excellency Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will provide India’s perspective on the Indo-Pacific and India-Australia relations at a time of strategic change, heightened major power contestation, and rising economic and human toll from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr Jaishankar will also join the University’s chancellor, the Hon Julie Bishop, in conversation after his address.
S Jaishankar and Julie Bishop