The National Security Podcast

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, the latest in our Security Summit series, Tobias Feakin – Australia’s Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology – joins Professor Rory Medcalf to unpack the government’s recently-launched International Cyber and Critical Tech Engagement Strategy.Cyber and critical technology are at the centre of geostrategic competition in the 21st century and affect all aspects of international relations. They affect Australia’s national security, economic prosperity, the protection and realisation of human rights and freedoms, sustainable development, and international peace and stability. The new Strategy sets out the government’s goal for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Australia, Indo-Pacific region, and world and provides a framework to guide the whole-of-government international engagement across the broad spectrum of cyber and critical technology issues guided by three pillars: values, security, and prosperity. In this National Security Podcast, Austr

This episode of the National Security Podcast brings you an audiopaper from the Policy Options Paper series — the flagship publication of the ANU National Security College. Protecting Education Exports: Minimising the damage of China’s future economic coercion is authored by Dirk van der Kley and Benjamin Herscovitch — Research Fellows at the ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance.Coercion against Australia’s education sector would significantly impact the country’s prosperity. Education is the nation’s only remaining export to China valued over $10 billion annually which is both reliant on China and which Beijing can target without significant self-harm. And unlike many industries currently subject to China’s economic coercion, education is job-intensive and closely linked to Australia’s technological competitiveness. The Australian Government has no mechanism to coordinate efforts to diversify education export markets or cohesively promote Australian educ

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Dirk van der Kley and Benjamin Herscovitch — Research Fellows at ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance — join Chris Farnham to discuss how Australia can protect its education exports from potential economic coercion from China.Coercion against Australia’s education sector would significantly impact the country’s prosperity. Education is Australia’s only remaining export to China valued at over $10 billion annually that the Chinese Government could target without significant self-harm. And, unlike many industries currently subject to China’s economic coercion, education is job-intensive and closely linked to Australia’s technological competitiveness. The Australian Government has no mechanism to co-ordinate efforts to diversify education export markets or cohesively promote Australian education – this makes the sector more exposed to coercion. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, researchers Dirk van der Kley and Benjamin Herscov

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Paul Harris — Adjunct Fellow at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown University — joins Katherine Mansted to discuss the need to re-think how the Australian science system engages with the rest of the world and delivers value to the nation.The global science and technology system has undergone massive change since 2000 and is now a key site of geoeconomic competition between states. For the first time in Australia’s history, its most significant partner for science collaboration will be a country other than our principal ally, the United States. Australia’s successful model for science has relied upon uncommonly high levels of international engagement, but in this new world that model also brings new risks. There is a need to systematically re-think how the Australian science system engages with the rest of the world and delivers value to the nation.In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Paul Harris — Adjunct

This episode of the National Security Podcast brings you the first-ever audiopaper from the ANU National Security College’s flagship publication, the Policy Options Paper series. Clever Country in a Changed World: Re-Thinking Australian Science Policy is authored by Paul Harris — Adjunct Fellow at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown University — and is presented by Katherine Mansted, Series Editor and Senior Adviser for Public Policy at the ANU National Security College.The global science and technology system has undergone massive change since 2000 and is now a key site of geoeconomic competition between states. For the first time in Australia’s history, its most significant partner for science collaboration will be a country other than its principal ally, the United States. Australia’s successful model for science has relied upon uncommonly high levels of international engagement, but in this new world that model also brings new risks. There is a need to systematical

In this episode of the National Security Podcast — part of our Security Summit Series — Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security Senator James Paterson chats to Head of the ANU National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf. The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has become increasingly prominent in recent years. Its work is not only highly visible, but highly influential too — as so much policy and legislation now has a national security edge to it. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Senator James Paterson shares a snapshot of the Committee he now chairs — what it is and what it does — with Head of the National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf. Their wide-ranging conversation spans Australia-China relations, countering foreign interference in Australian universities, sovereignty, bipartisanship and more.Senator James Paterson is Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, De

In this episode of National Security Podcast, United States Chargé d’Affaires to Australia Mike Goldman joins Professor Rory Medcalf to discuss Australia’s bilateral relationship with the United States and the Biden Administration’s approach to the region.With a new administration in the White House, where should we expect continuity and discontinuity in America’s approach to its allies and the Indo-Pacific? In this episode of the National Security Podcast, and the second edition of Security Summit with Rory Medcalf, we speak to United States Chargé d’Affaires to Australia Mike Goldman on how the Biden Administration views the bilateral relationship, how the United States will respond to increasing Chinese attempts to coerce Australia, and how it is approaching the growing list of challenges to Indo-Pacific security.Mike Goldman is Chargé d’Affaires at the United States Embassy to Australia in Canberra and a career member of the Senior Foreign Service. Mike h

In this episode of National Security Podcast, former CIA Deputy Director of Intelligence Carmen Medina and intelligence expert Zachery Tyson Brown join Katherine Mansted to discuss the modernisation of intelligence and the tension between secrecy and transparency.With the amount of information publicly available and the means to collect it increasing exponentially, intelligence agencies and their processes are at a moment of change. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Katherine Mansted speaks with Carmen Medina and Zachery Tyson Brown on whether secrecy is still important or whether increased transparency is more suited to the information age, and asks who is the more important consumer of intelligence: the government, or the public it serves? Carmen Medina is a former Central Intelligence Agency Deputy Director of Intelligence with over 32 years of experience in the Intelligence Community and the author of Rebels at Work: A Handbook for Leading Change from Within.Zachery Tyson Brown is a N

In this episode of National Security Podcast, Shadow Minister for Home Affairs and Government Accountability Senator Kristina Keneally joins Professor Rory Medcalf on the first episode of Security Summit with Rory Medcalf to discuss the threat right-wing extremism poses to Australia’s national security.With right-wing extremism on the rise in Australia, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the Australian Federal Police are dramatically increasing the time and resources they spend on tracking and combating this threat to national security. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, we launch our new stream – Security Summit with Rory Medcalf – by hosting Senator Kristina Keneally, member of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, to discuss the shape of the challenge, why it has increased in severity, and whether government has the right tools at its disposal to deal with right-wing extremism. Senator Kristina Keneally is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Rory Medcalf, Katherine Mansted and Chris Farnham look over the wild ride that was 2020 and discuss what we should be watching out for in 2021.With a pandemic, climate-induced megafires, plummeting relations with China, and a democratic crisis in the United States there was no shortage of issues confronting national security policymakers in 2020. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, co-hosts Rory Medcalf, Katherine Mansted and Chris Farnham break down the issues and consider what really mattered in 2020, what some of the issues were that flew beneath the radar, and what we should be watching out for in 2021. Professor Rory Medcalf is Head of the National Security College at The Australian National University (ANU). His professional background involves more than two decades of experience across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, and journalism.Katherine Mansted is a senior adviser at the ANU National Security College and non-reside

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Greg Moriarty — Secretary of the Department of Defence — joins Rory Medcalf to discuss Australia’s Defence agenda in a contested Indo-Pacific.With Australia’s regional superiority eroding, defence modernisation and effective strategies are imperative for Australia’s defence forces. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Head of the National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf speaks with Secretary Greg Moriarty on Australia’s efforts to develop and maintain a cutting edge military, defending Australia’s interests whilst maintaining good relations with Indo-Pacific nations, and how the Australian Defence Force retains its social license at a time when its integrity is being questioned.Greg Moriarty has served as the Secretary of Defence since 2017. Prior to his role with Defence, Greg has served as the International and National Security Advisor and the Chief of Staff to an Australian PrimeMinister, as Australia’s Ambassador to Indonesia and Iraq

In this episode of National Security Podcast, Frances Adamson — Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade— joins Rory Medcalf to discuss the national security challenges facing Australia in an age of disruption.With the destructive impact of COVID-19 reverberating around the world, exacerbating the disruptive forces of great power competition, Australian efforts to support its own national interests have rarely been more important. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Head of the National Security College Rory Medcalf speaks with Secretary Frances Adamson on Australia’s tense relationship with China, how Australia perceives its interests and what Australia’s diplomatic community is doing to secure Australia in an age of disruption.Frances Adamson has led Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as Secretary since 2016 and in her time as a public official has served as International Adviser to a Prime Minister, Ambassador to China, and High Commissioner to Great Brit

In this episode of National Security Podcast, Dr Vasabjit Banerjee — specialist in comparative politics, electoral competition and political violence — joins Chris Farnham to discuss the current situation in the United States and the future of American democracy.  With the sitting president refusing to accept the election result and claiming mass-voter fraud, whilst his supporters take to the streets and threaten violence, the United States stands at a political crossroads. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Dr Vasabjit Banerjee – Assistant Professor and Coordinator of International Studies at Mississippi State University – talks with Chris Farnham about why President Trump has been such a shock to American democracy, why he is leveraging social unrest and what his lasting impact on American politics is likely to be.Vasabjit Banerjee is an Assistant Professor and Coordinator of International Studies at Mississippi State University where he specialises in comparative politics, ele

In this episode of National Security Podcast, Caroline Millar — Deputy Secretary, National Security at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet — joins Rory Medcalf to discuss the role of the national security professional in an age of disruption. With the COVID-19 pandemic super-charging Australia’s threat landscape, issues such as great power competition, technological disruption and challenges to the rules-based order are weighing heavily on the desks of national security policymakers. In this episode of National Security Podcast, Caroline Millar — Australia’s Deputy Secretary, National Security at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet — talks with Rory Medcalf about the national security challenges Australia faces going into the 2020s. They also explore the evolution of the national security community from the Cold War, through the post-9/11 period to the present moment.Caroline Millar is Deputy Secretary, National Security at Australia’s Department of the Prime Minister and Cabine

In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs Michael Pezzullo AO joins Head of the National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf to discuss security in an age of disruption. In the latest instalment of the National Security College’s 10th Anniversary Conversation Series — which explores insights from leaders of the Australian national security community — the Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs shares his philosophical and practical perspectives on national security, how we think about national security in an increasingly complex and interconnected world, and how we can work together across government, the private sector, and in our communities to maintain a prosperous, secure, and united Australia. Michael Pezzullo AO is the Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs. Michael has also served as the Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and CEO of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service, as well as Deputy

In this episode of National Security Podcast, expert on information warfare Molly McKew joins Chris Farnham to discuss the influence of disinformation on the United States presidential election. With less than one month until the US election - and the president testing positive for COVID-19 - the whirlwind of conspiracy theories and disinformation attacks has gone into overdrive. In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Molly McKew dissects disinformation campaigns from conspiracy theories - and foreign from domestic narratives. She outlines how the US elections might be influenced, the likelihood of post-election violence, and why elected US representatives have become some of the greatest super-spreaders of false information.Molly McKew is a writer and an expert on information warfare. Molly served as adviser to the former president of Georgia and is CEO of Fianna Strategies, a consulting firm that advises governments, political parties, and non-government organisations on foreign po

In this episode of National Security Podcast, Chris Farnham is joined by Glenn Keys and Dr Geetha Isaac-Toua to discuss Australia’s response to COVID-19 and the role of the private sector in national security.With Australia likely to have avoided a nation-wide second wave of COVID-19, this episode of National Security Podcast considers some of the broader aspects of the national pandemic response. Did Australia grasp the challenge accurately from the outset, are we expecting too much from a potential vaccine, and should Australia be a regional leader in health security? The panel also discuss what Australia needs so that it doesn't have to compete internationally for life-sustaining resources. In our second episode on the role private industry plays in national security, we speak to Founder and Executive Chairman of Aspen Medical Glenn Keys AO and Medical Director Dr Geetha Isaac-Toua about the leading role the health industry is playing in supporting the Australian government’s pandemic response.&n

In this episode of National Security Podcast, Chris Farnham is joined by Jacob Shapiro to discuss some of the important geopolitical issues flying below the media radar.With the COVID-19 pandemic, China's rise fuelling tensions across the region, and unfolding chaos in the United States, this year could not be more action-packed for national security policymakers. Still, there are a number of other enormously important issues and trends in the world that barely get a mention. In this episode of National Security Podcast, we chat with Jacob Shapiro about the geopolitical issues that are changing the world. We discuss the breakdown of the global food supply, examine why previously tight relations between Latin American countries are breaking down, tackle whether peace is really breaking out in the Middle East, and ask what is Open-RAN?Jacob Shapiro is the Founder and Chief Strategist at Perch Perspectives Geopolitical Consulting. Prior to that, Jacob was a Senior Analyst at Geopolitical Futures and the Head of

On this National Security Podcast, Head of National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf speaks with Ms Rachel Noble PSM, Director-General of the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), about the history of signals intelligence in Australia, who ASD spies on and why, and adapting to new security threats.Signals intelligence has been an element of national security operations for as long as there has been warfare and competition. But how does an agency raised out of the Second World War adapt to the modern national security landscape? Has cybersecurity fundamentally altered the nature of Australian Signals Directorate (ASD)'s focus on intelligence collection and information protection? And with threats to Australia’s security emanating not only from international actors but also from Australians, at home and abroad, what role does ASD play in conducting surveillance on Australian citizens and where are the oversights to ensure that laws and personal privacies are not breached? As the second instalment in

On this National Security Podcast, Head of National Security College Professor Rory Medcalf speaks with Major General Duncan Lewis, former Director-General of Security at ASIO, about securing Australia in an age of disruption.Since 9/11, it has become clear to Australia’s leaders that developing a national security pedigree in the Australian Public Service was imperative to meeting the challenges of an age of deep strategic disruption. To open the National Security College’s 10th Anniversary Conversation Series, Professor Rory Medcalf talks with recently retired Major General Duncan Lewis, former Director-General of Security at the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and National Security Adviser under the Rudd government, about the decision to create the National Security College. They also cover the daunting tasks of national security policymakers as Australia faces a grim strategic environment, and some valuable lessons from a lifetime of service in Australia’s national security commun