The Lowy Institute

We're in a global democratic recession. Not only is the number of democratic nations in decline, but so are democratic institutions and norms. What's going on? Sam Roggeveen talks with Lydia Khalil, co-author of the Lowy Institute's newest interactive, Understanding Democratic Erosion, about the complex dynamics and whether there is a way back.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Under new leadership, Indonesia continues to face a persistent and complex challenge: governance. As the country strives to maintain political stability and meet ambitious economic targets, governance reform has become central to meeting both domestic development goals and international commitments. Will political and economic developments in Indonesia enable it to escape the middle-income trap? How can Indonesia balance its climate change pledges with its industrial agenda, and what role does the carbon market play? Can the pursuit of OECD and CPTPP membership act as leverage to drive necessary governance reforms? This panel discussion features Professor Shiro Armstrong (Australian National University), Dr Ida Aju Pradnja Resosudarmo (Australian National University), Dr Liam Gammon (Australian National University) and Dr Axel Michaelowa (University of Zurich). The discussion was moderated by Lowy Institute Research Fellow Dr Hilman Palaon.See omnystudio.com/listener fo

Bougainville has set 2027 as the deadline to declare independence from Papua New Guinea. But the economic and institutional foundations of sovereignty in the autonomous region remain fragile. In this episode of Pacific Change Makers, the Lowy Institute’s Director of the Pacific Islands Program Mihai Sora speaks with Oliver Nobetau, Director of the Aus–PNG Network Project, about the roadmap needed to ensure Bougainville’s future prosperity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Lydia Khalil and Interpreter Managing Editor Daniel Flitton for a conversation about what we covered this month in Australia’s best foreign affairs magazine, The Interpreter.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Trump–Putin summit in Alaska left the Russian leader smiling and the United States without concrete results, says Lowy Institute Senior Fellow for Military Studies Mick Ryan. In this conversation, Sam Roggeveen asks Mick Ryan about the battlefield situation in Ukraine and the lessons of the war for the Asia-Pacific.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2019 Christchurch terror attacks tragically highlighted how online capabilities can be exploited by bad actors. Since that time, there has been a concerted global effort by governments, tech companies and civil society to come together to mitigate these risks. But online extremism is a persistent challenge. The Institute's Lydia Khalil talks with Paul Ash, Chief Executive of the Christchurch Call Foundation(christchurchcall.org), about evolving online threats and how global coordination is becoming more complicated.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has travelled relentlessly since his inauguration in October 2024. Yet questions remain about the direction of Indonesian foreign policy under his leadership. How will Indonesia manage its relationships with China, the United States and Russia? And what role will it play within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)? In this episode, the Institute's Susannah Patton discusses these questions with Dr Dino Patti Djalal, founder of the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia, and former Indonesian Ambassador to the United States.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two prominent Australian commentators from opposite sides of the defence debate meet to discuss Australia’s security, America’s role in Asia, the AUKUS partnership and more. Jennifer Parker from the National Security College, ANU, makes the case for an Australian defence policy with a maritime focus. The Lowy Institute’s Sam Roggeveen argues for a continental strategy that is less centred on the US alliance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Institute’s Dr Melanie Pill speaks with Professor Thomas Hale, author of Long Problems: Climate change and the challenge of governing across time, about the difficulty of addressing issues, like climate change, that have such distant consequences. They discuss the barriers to addressing and governing long problems, how to build stronger institutions, and how international negotiations and agreements can be better structured to address climate change.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US Senator Chris Coons joined the Lowy Institute's Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove at the Institute's Bligh Street headquarters for a special episode of Lowy Institute Conversations. They discussed US President Donald Trump's forthcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the first 200 days of President Trump's foreign policy, AUKUS, defence spending, and Senator Coons' optimism about the Democrats’ electoral prospects in 2028. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Washington says the Pacific is a critical arena for strategic competition, yet recent US actions suggest otherwise. In this episode, the Institute’s Mihai Sora talks with Dr Charles Edel, Australia Chair at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, and Kathryn Paik, Senior Fellow and Deputy Director with the Australia Chair, about America’s Pacific drawdown, what’s at stake for US and regional security, and whether Australia and its partners are ready, or able, to hold the line. You can find a complete archive of all our Lowy Institute publications including our podcasts here: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/publicationsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2025 Malaysia hosts the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), putting it at the centre of regional geopolitics. Its prime minister Anwar Ibrahim has an ambitious agenda to steer the group through the challenges posed by rising geopolitical tension. How will Malaysia navigate a trade war and competition between the United States and China? And how will its identity as a diverse Muslim majority country and advocate for the global south shape its positions at a time of multiple crises and conflicts? Associate Professor Ngeow Chow-Bing (University of Malaya), Associate Professor Syaza Shukri (International Islamic University of Malaysia), Associate Professor Ross Tapsell (Australian National University), discuss these issue with Lowy Institute Southeast Asia Program director Susannah Patton.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As global donors retreat from development finance, Southeast Asia stands to lose billions of dollars in critical support. In this episode, we launch the Lowy Institute’s 2025 Southeast Asia Aid Map and unpack what the wave of US, UK and European aid cuts mean for the region. Roland Rajah, Director of the Institute’s Indo-Pacific Development Centre, is joined by the Map’s lead authors Alexandre Dayant and Grace Stanhope, and Southeast Asia Program Director Susannah Patton, to discuss the risks, regional responses, and how Australia can step up.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the highlights of a special invitation-only event to hear from The Rt Hon David Lammy MP, the UK’s Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs as he chats with Dr Michael Fullilove AM. The Foreign Secretary delivers an address on the evolving Australia-UK strategic relationship and global challenges followed by a Q&A. Watch the full length video here: https://youtube.com/live/SLKFANYC7YA?feature=shareSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Traditionally, Australian governments have tried to pursue the relationships with its main trading partner and its security guarantor in parallel. Now that the dynamics are becoming increasingly intertwined, how will Australia make its way forward? Lowy Institute Program Director Sam Roggeveen and Senior Fellow for East Asia Richard McGregor discuss Australian PM Anthony Albanese’s recent six-day visit to China and outline what it signals about Australia’s relationship, not only with Beijing, but with Washington and regional neighbours.  You can find a complete archive of all our Lowy Institute podcasts here:  https://www.lowyinstitute.org/publications?keys=&author=All&type=194&issues=All&related_issueSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to the highlights of this discussion recorded in Sydney on how Australians are grappling with seismic shifts in the global order. Drawing on the perspectives of Shadow Assistant Minister and former ambassador Dave Sharma, ABC senior journalist Isabella Higgins, Southeast Asia expert Susannah Patton, and Lowy Institute Poll author Ryan Neelam, this event explores how Australians view the country’s relations with the United States and China, their perceptions of threats, their thoughts on the conflict in Ukraine, and their views on influence in the Pacific, foreign aid, democracy and more. Watch the full event here: https://youtube.com/live/ni1O-plt3f4  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Sam Roggeveen and Dan Flitton for a conversation about what was covered this week on Australia’s best foreign policy magazine, The Interpreter.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Edward Luce, Financial Times columnist and author of Zbig, a new biography of US President Jimmy Carter’s national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, talks with Sam Roggeveen. They discuss Zbig’s stature as a foreign policy sage, his friendship and rivalry with Henry Kissinger, and what remains of the Washington foreign policy establishment that Zbig symbolised.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lowy Institute Senior Fellow Richard McGregor talks with American sinologist Professor David Shambaugh about his latest book, Breaking the Engagement, which charts the rise and fall of Washington’s engagement strategy with China. They discuss the original aims of the strategy, why it failed, and what lessons Australia can draw.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to this timely discussion about how Australians see the world and their place in it. Drawing on the experience of Assistant Minister Andrew Leigh, SBS Chief Political Correspondent Anna Henderson, ABC Foreign Affairs reporter Stephen Dziedzic, and Lowy Institute Poll author Ryan Neelam, this event, recorded on Tuesday 24 June 2025, explored Australians’ views on the fracturing of the rules-based international order, attitudes towards the superpowers, Donald Trump’s policies, defence and security, the economy, climate change and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.