Message from the Head of College: October 2025

In a dynamic and challenging strategic environment, the ANU National Security College is not standing still. I’m pleased to announce the dates for the next major Securing our Future conference. This is our premium event, held only once every two years. It is scheduled to be held at the ANU Kambri Cultural Centre in Canberra on 24–25 March 2026, with the theme of A ready and resilient Australia. The conference will serve as the launch event for our major Community Consultations report, as well as a platform for nationwide conversation about security preparedness. Tickets will go on sale before the end of the year.

Our Community Consultations is moving into its final stages, following hundreds of meetings around the nation. We recently conducted an extensive series of conversations in Queensland, and I also took the opportunity to take soundings on community resilience and climate vulnerability over the border in Lismore and the NSW Northern Rivers. Such qualitative engagements will help us add meaning to the project’s wealth of survey data. We are also incorporating submissions from a wide range of Australians, to ensure everyone has a chance to have their say – so please encourage your networks to contribute their views here. We’re especially interested in voices from beyond Canberra and the national security community.

October was a big month for Australia’s interests and security on the international stage – one week the Prime Minister was at the White House, another at the East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur. Some of the College’s key education and research initiatives tie closely with such national priorities, for instance our high-level AUKUS program to build nuclear knowledge among Australian officials as well as our publication earlier this year on conflict-prevention in the Indo-Pacific. It’s also good to see the team generating cutting-edge research on the security implications of technology, such as biotech and undersea cables.