Message from the Head of College: July 2025

I write this message from Adelaide where the ANU National Security College (NSC) is about to embark on the next phase of its Community Consultations initiative. In recent months we have covered Tasmania and Western Australia, and colleagues are concurrently in the Northern Territory this week. State and Territory governments, as well as a range of Federal Ministers and parliamentarians, are taking a growing interest in this effort to prepare a reliable research picture of public attitudes regarding the nation's security. 

In Darwin recently, I sat down with other strategic analysts to brief a unique conclave of joint operations commanders from 17 nations, convened by Australia's Chief of Joint Operations, Vice-Admiral Justin Jones AO CSC, in the context of Exercise Talisman Sabre. It was a reminder of the interplay of dialogue, coalition-building and deterrence in the Indo-Pacific. From another vantage point, it was a privilege to work with Professor Bec Strating and Dr Huong Le Thu on policy options for Australian statecraft to conflict prevention, in a paper quoted by Foreign Minister Penny Wong in a significant speech in Malaysia a few weeks ago. 

In a podcast episode this month, I reflected on the changes I've seen at the helm of NSC, and a key one is that the issues we work on are getting worryingly real. Global events continue to underscore the need for a greater focus on national preparedness and resilience. We may not know what shocks and crises will come, or precisely when or how. Only that they will. 

Our dedicated team is pressing on with a big workload to meet the expectations on the College to keep making a difference in building national capability. I commend our academic experts on outstanding student evaluation scores from the first semester of teaching this year. Our professional development programs continue apace, with some exciting new programs coming up next month on intelligence and legal literacy. And our Futures team recently helped Pacific friends focus on emerging security challenges in a conference in Fiji convened by the Pacific Security College. 

A highlight in the weeks ahead will be the opportunity to host the Attorney-General, The Hon Michelle Rowland MP, and Independent National Security Legislation Monitor, Jake Blight, for a public event launching a review into Australia's legal definition of terrorism. It promises to be an important conversation. Get your tickets now.