Message from the Head of College: August 2026

Activity is constant at the ANU National Security  College. Every week we have multiple courses underway to build the country's capabilities and knowledge. with programs coming up in September on cyber security, economic security and futures analysis. Even as pioneering research is being published – most recently a major report on subsea cables – we have more in the works.

But sometimes we also need to pause and reflect. Very soon the world will mark the 25th anniversary of the atrocity and shock that was the September 11 terrorist attacks. At the College, we will mark this in our own way; more on that soon.

A core policy theme of our mission at NSC is national preparedness and resilience, as underscored in our conference earlier this year.

The new inquiry by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Defence into national civil preparedness and resilience is a vital opportunity to illuminate this problem and priority for Australia. I look forward to the many submissions and the testimony that will surface - and  to making my own contribution, along with colleagues from across this College and the wider academic and think tank communities. Our Community Consultations research has revealed widespread concern among the public over the question of national underpreparedness This inquiry is an opportunity for parliament and government to identify practical ways forward, before the next strategic shock.