The Honourable Kim Beazley AC was installed as Governor on the 1st May 2018 as the 33rd Governor of Western Australia. Mr Beazley was born in Subiaco, educated at Hollywood Senior High School and completed two degrees at The University of Western Australia. He served for nearly three decades in the Australian Federal Parliament and for a period of six years as Ambassador to the United States of America. Prior to becoming Governor, Mr Beazley had a distinguished record of service to the public, leadership and representation of Australia. In 2009, Mr Beazley was awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia for service to the Parliament of Australia through contributions to the development of government policies in relation to defence and international relations, as an advocate for Indigenous people and for service to the community. Mr Beazley completed a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts at the University of Western Australia. In 1973, he was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship for Western Australia and completed a Master of Philosophy at Oxford University. He has honorary doctorates from the University of Notre Dame (Western Australia) and Murdoch University.  Mr Beazley is married to Ms Susie Annus and has three daughters, Jessica, Hannah and Rachel. Mr Beazley was elected to the Federal Parliament in 1980 and represented the electorates of Swan (1980-96) and Brand (1996-2007). In the Hawke and Keating Labor Governments (1983-1996) Mr Beazley held, at various times, the portfolios of Defence, Finance, Transport and Communications, Employment Education and Training, Aviation, and Special Minister of State. From 1995 to 1996, Mr Beazley served as Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Australian Labor Party and was Leader of the Opposition from 1996 to 2001, and 2005 to 2006. Mr Beazley served on parliamentary committees, including the Joint Intelligence Committee and the Joint Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee. After his retirement from politics in 2007, Mr Beazley was appointed Winthrop Professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations at The University of Western Australia. In July 2008 he was appointed Chancellor of the Australian National University, a position he had until December 2009. Mr Beazley took up an appointment as Ambassador to the United States of America in February 2010. He served as Ambassador until January 2016. Upon returning to Australia from Washington in 2016, Mr Beazley was appointed as President of the Australian Institute for International Affairs (2016-17), Co-Chairman of the Australian American Leadership Dialogue (2016-18), Distinguished Fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, and a Director and Distinguished Fellow at the Perth USAsia Centre.

After drug trafficking and weapons smuggling, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates human trafficking to be the third most profitable illegal business in the world.  In many countries, it is the most profitable.  The International Labour Organisation estimates the annual profits to be US$34.6 billion globally, devastating the lives of around 21 million people including 5.5 million children. Human trafficking is on the increase.  It occurs in Australia and the risk of Australians abroad being trafficked is increasing.  At our March event, Chris Douglas will discuss the scope and scale of human trafficking, how it works, who is at risk (and how), and international and Australian efforts to prevent it.     About the Speaker   Chris Douglas served with the Australian Federal Police for over 31 years in intelligence and operational units in Sydney and Perth. He has been involved in investigations into money laundering, drug trafficking, corruption, people smuggling, human trafficking, organised crime, and significant fraud upon the Australian Government.  Significant amongst his appointments was his chairmanship of the Joint Operational Coordination Team in Perth coordinating all major drug operations within Western Australia. It comprised operational commanders from the AFP, Australian Customs Service, the former National Crime Authority, and the Western Australia Police Service.  During the last 4 years of his career, Chris Douglas was engaged in the design and delivery of investigation training programs, in Australia and overseas, concerned with finance, money laundering, bribery, and corruption.  From 2015 until 2018, he was engaged as a part time consultant to the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime.  He is now the owner of Malkara Consulting, a consultancy firm that specialises in the provision of training and advice in relation to financial crime including money laundering, terrorist financing, bribery and corruption, financial investigations, risk management, and wealth protection.

Join us with Professor Gordon Flake to talk about what the transition from Trump to Biden means for Australia While we were watching the insurgency on Capitol Hill, the result of Georgia's runoff election turned that historically red state blue.  With Democrat majorities in both houses of Congress, President Biden can pursue aggressive policies on carbon emissions.  That alone has major implications for politics in Australia and the way we live. What else? But how durable are the Democrat majorities? The vote against impeachment shows that Donald Trump still exerts great influence over the Republican Party.  And just moments after the impeachment failed, Trump declared that his movement “to Make America Great Again has only just begun”.  For the next two years, the political battles in the US most relevant to Australia will be fought between moderate and progressive Democrats.  But what will the Republican Party look like when it will be contesting seats in Congress two years from now?       About the Speaker Professor Gordon Flake is the founding CEO of the Perth USAsia Centre at The University of Western Australia. Having built an internationally recognised profile over 25 years of think-tank expertise and leadership in Washington DC, Professor Flake relocated to Perth in 2014 to establish the Centre, and to build a broader world-class Indo-Pacific strategic community.   Prior to joining the Centre, he was the Executive Director of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, a Senior Fellow and Associate Director of the Program on Conflict Resolution at The Atlantic Council of the United States and prior to that Director for Research and Academic Affairs at the Korea Economic Institute of America.    Professor Flake is one of Australia’s leading authorities on the Indo-Pacific, with a particular specialisation on Korea having spent nearly three decades focused on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia Prof Flake has edited several volumes and authored numerous chapters on developments in the region.   Gordon holds a number of strategic leadership roles including currently serving on the United States Studies Centre Board and as Fellow of the College at St Catherine’s College at The University of Western Australia. He has previously served on the Board of the United States Committee of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific (USCSCAP) as co-Vice Chair of the Board of the US Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, on the Advisory Council on the Korea Economic Institute of America, and on the International Advisory Board of the David M. Kennedy Centre at Brigham Young University. He received his BA degree in Korean with a minor in international relations from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. He completed his MA at the David M. Kennedy Centre for International and Area Studies, also at BYU. He speaks both fluent Korean and Laotian.  

AIIA YPN International Relations Trivia Night  Whilst travel may no longer be possible, you can still explore the world with the ultimate international relations trivia night. The AIIA Young Professionals Network invites you to test your knowledge in a night of flags, diplomacy, and all things global affairs.  Admission: Free  Location: The Belgian Beer Cafe Prize: Winner takes all *COVID-19 Notice: Please register on the TIDYHQ website to aid with contact tracing measures. If current restrictions are not eased, we will send you out a zoom link on the night. **Brought to you by AIIA WA and the Young Professionals Network. The Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA) YPN is an independent, non-profit organisation seeking to promote interest in and understanding of international affairs in young people.

Join AIIA WA for drinks and festive food as we celebrate the end of a very unusual year with Stephen Smith to talk about:   The US Election outcome, implications for the Australia-US Alliance and the Indo Pacific Australia's security since the end of WW2 has been underpinned by the alliance with the US.  By the end of the Cold War the US was a hyperpower, presiding over a world where rules based order, economic globalisation, and democracy were widely held norms.  "That America and that world", writes Hugh White, "is gone forever". Even if Joe Biden is fully committed to restoring US hegemony in the Indo-Pacific, his immediate attention will likely be focussed on healing a divided country and containing Covid-19.  He may also face an uncooperative and activist Senate bent on following the isolationist tendencies of President Trump. As a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, and a former Minister of Defence, Professor Stephen Smith is uniquely placed to understand what a Biden administration may mean for the Australia-US Alliance and the Indo Pacific. Join us after Stephen's presentation on the Lower Colanade for drinks and canapes prepared by the UWA Club's Executive Chef Costa Simatos and his team. Food and drinks are included in the ticket price.  We will also have our traditional Christmas book swap. If you like, bring along a wrapped book to receive one in return. Sue Boyd's book Not Always Diplomatic: An Australian Woman's Journey through international affairs will be on sale.       About the Speaker Professor Stephen Smith has been a Professor of Public International Law at the University of Western Australia since 2014. He is currently the Chairman of archTIS, Chairman of Sapien Cyber, Chair of the Advisory Board of the UWA Public Policy Institute, a member of the Board of the Perth USAsia Centre and a Member of the Board of the LNG Marine Fuel Institute.    Professor Smith was Federal Member for Perth for the Australian Labor Party from March 1993 until September 2013. In a distinguished career spanning 20 years in the Australian Federal Parliament, Professor Smith served as the Minister for Defence, and prior to that, as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Trade.   Following his retirement from the Australian Parliament in 2013, Professor Smith was a member of the EY (Ernst and Young) Oceania Government and Public Sector Advisory Board (2014 - 2017), Chair of the Asia Desk and a member of the Advisory Board of Perth Law firm Lavan (2014 – 2017), and a member of the Board of Hockey Australia (2013 - 2016).   Professor Smith completed his Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws at the University of Western Australia, and has practised as a Barrister and Solicitor in Perth. He completed a Master of Laws in Public International Law at London University, and subsequently lectured and tutored in Law in London.

Australia is facing its worst trade outlook since the Great Depression. Covid-19 has caused a global economic recession. Lockdowns all over the world have constrained shipping and manufacturing. Global supply chains have been severely disrupted and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future. In the midst of this, China is blocking billions of dollars’ worth of imports from Australia in a move that many observers view as a retaliation to Australian policy. At our November event Madeleine King MP, Dr Jeffrey Wilson, and Aleks Henderson will discuss Australia's current trade outlook, the problems Australian exporters are facing, and what can be done about them.       About the speakers   Madeleine King MP was elected to Federal Parliament in July 2016 as the Member for Brand. She was re-elected in May 2019.  In June 2019 she was promoted to the front bench of the Labor Opposition to serve as Shadow Minister for Trade.  She previously held the positions of Shadow Minister for Consumer Affairs, Shadow Minister Assisting for Small Business and Shadow Minister Assisting for Resources.  Ms King worked as a solicitor in private practice before moving into the higher education sector as a lawyer and then as Chief of Staff at The University of Western Australia. Before entering the Parliament, Ms King was the founding executive and Chief Operating Officer of the Perth USAsia Centre between 2012 and 2016.   In her leadership of the Perth USAsia Centre, she helped to bring a unique Western Australian perspective to international discussion on Australia’s role in the emerging Indo-Pacific region. Ms King has strong personal links with her seat of Brand, which includes the major centres of Rockingham and Kwinana, having grown up in the area and attended local public schools.     Aleks Henderson is the WA Director of the Australia’s export credit agency, Export Finance Australia (EFA). She is responsible for providing finance solutions to WA businesses which are exporting directly, are involved in export supply chain (i.e. mining services), are looking to expand overseas, or have been impacted by Covid-19. Before joining EFA, Aleks was a career banker with almost 20 years’ experience working in commercial banking and specialised working capital finance across several industries in WA and QLD. With significant sector experience across Manufacturing, International Trade and Mining, Aleks’ key focus is to support WA exporting businesses and those in the supply chain to reach end customers and grow their business globally.     Dr Jeffrey Wilson is the Research Director at the Perth USAsia Centre. He provides leadership and strategic direction in developing the Centre’s research program across its publications, policy and dialogue activities.    Dr Wilson specialises in the regional economic integration of the Indo-Pacific. He has particular expertise in the politics of trade agreements, regional economic institutions, and Australia’s economic ties with Asia. He has been featured in local and international media outlets, contributed to a range of track two dialogues between Australia and key regional partners, and supported policy development through consultancy, publication and advisory work.    

The outcome of the election may or may not be decided on Wednesday morning, but we can still have fun watching.  Come join us on the morning of the US election for coffee, snacks, mimosas, bloody marys or whatever, to share the televised commentary on the future of Trump, Biden, the USA, and everyone else!  This event is free. Food and drinks are PAYG. 

Wow! While COVID-19 is surging in many American states, President Trump's senior campaign strategist announces “two to three events [rallies] a day, and that will grow as we get closer to Election Day".  But COVID-19 is not the only thing that makes this election unique. While "markets" are predicting a Biden win, voters in Georgia have turned out in record numbers in on the first day of early voting.  At our October event, two prominent Americans living in Perth with an intimate knowledge of the US political system, Professor Gordon Flake and Robin McClellan, will share insights into the coming election and what either outcome may mean for the US, Australia, and the rest of the world.     About the Speakers   Robin McLellan is a company director and corporate advisor whose first extended stay in Perth was as US Consul General from 2004 – 2007. Robin retired from the U.S. diplomatic service in December 2010, after a 24-year career focused on Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Australia. She has  worked on regional integration issues involving China, Taiwan, and Japan. Robin delved into the politics, cultures, and histories of her host countries during diplomatic postings in India (covering all of South Asia), Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Mexico, and Washington, DC. With a background in economics and trade, Robin worked on issues such as regulatory frameworks, market access, and intellectual property protection. She also coordinated U.S. counterterrorism efforts in South Asia with a focus on measures aimed at stopping the flow of funds to terrorist groups. Robin is currently a non-executive director of the Indonesian firm Star Energy Oil and Gas.  She is also a member of the state advisory board of the Starlight Children’s Foundation, an advisory board member for Perth start up Close Comfort and a lay canon of the Anglican Cathedral.  Other recent roles include CEO of Leadership Western Australia: a not-for-profit dedicated to enhancing the leadership capability of Australia’s corporate, government and civil society leaders, and director of Minerals Research Initiatives at Curtin University.      Professor Gordon Flake is the founding CEO of the Perth USAsia Centre at The University of Western Australia.   Having built an internationally recognised profile over 25 years of think-tank expertise and leadership in Washington DC, Professor Flake relocated to Perth in 2014 to establish the Centre, and to build a broader world-class Indo-Pacific strategic community.   Prior to joining the Centre, he was the Executive Director of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, a Senior Fellow and Associate Director of the Program on Conflict Resolution at The Atlantic Council of the United States and prior to that Director for Research and Academic Affairs at the Korea Economic Institute of America.    Professor Flake is one of Australia’s leading authorities on the Indo-Pacific, with a particular specialisation on Korea having spent nearly three decades focused on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia Prof Flake has edited several volumes and authored numerous chapters on developments in the region.   Gordon holds a number of strategic leadership roles including currently serving on the United States Studies Centre Board and as Fellow of the College at St Catherine’s College at The University of Western Australia. He has previously served on the Board of the United States Committee of the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific (USCSCAP) as co-Vice Chair of the Board of the US Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, on the Advisory Council on the Korea Economic Institute of America, and on the International Advisory Board of the David M. Kennedy Centre at Brigham Young University. He received his BA degree in Korean with a minor in international relations from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. He completed his MA at the David M. Kennedy Centre for International and Area Studies, also at BYU. He speaks both fluent Korean and Laotian.

*Tickets to this event have now closed* Please call the Secretary on 0406 713 295 or email wa.branch@internationalaffairs.org.au if you have any questions.   In partnership with UWA Press, we are delighted to announce the long awaited release of Not Always Diplomatic: An Australian Woman's Journey through international affairs, by Dr Sue Boyd.  The memoir will be launched in The University Club of Western Australia Auditorium by the Official Visitor of the Australian Institute of International Affairs for WA, The Governor, The Hon Kim Beazley AC. Not Always Diplomatic chronicles the life of a pioneer in international diplomacy and a career that has spanned the globe. Sue Boyd has been the head of Australian diplomatic missions in Fiji, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Bangladesh. She also had postings at the United Nations in New York and in the former East Germany. Sue Boyd has a story to tell from almost everywhere. She shares this account of her life from her formative years in India, Germany, Ireland, Egypt, Cyprus and Britain through to her years at The University of Western Australia, where she was the first woman to become president of the student guild, beating, among others, Kim Beazley. She then explores her life as a high-flying official firmly ensconced in the ever-changing diplomatic landscape of the 80’s and 90’s, sharing with us her view of the practice of foreign relations, as seen from the trenches. “An engaging account of life at the coalface by one of Australia’s most active and effective diplomats – and real pathfinder in leading our diplomatic establishment out of its sexist dark age” Gareth Evans, Foreign Minister 1988-96   This event will be open to AIIA members and invited guests only.     ***Books will be for sale on the evening courtesy of The Lane Bookshop and drinks and light refreshments will be provided. Due to COVID restrictions spaces are limited, so pre-purchasing tickets is essential to avoid disappointment***   If you are unable to purchase tickets online, please call the Secretary on (08) 6225 2515 or email wa.branch@internationalaffairs.org.au to book a seat.   About the speaker:  Dr Sue Boyd is widely respected and admired in the international relations community and is the immediate past President of the AIIA for WA.  Born in India to British parents,  Boyd lived and was educated in Germany, Egypt, Cyprus, Ireland and the UK. Her family emigrated to Perth, Western Australia in 1966 where she was the first woman President of the Student Guild of Undergraduates at UWA. In 1970 she joined the Australia Department of External Affairs, the beginning of a 34 year career in the Australian Foreign Service, including postings as Ambassador in Vietnam, High Commissioner in Bangladesh and Fiji, Consul-General in Hong Kong and postings in Portugal, The UN in New York and the German Democratic Republic. Since returning to WA in 2003, she has invested considerable energy into revitalising the AIIA for WA.  She now works as a Senior Executive Business Coach in Perth and is interested in international affairs and in the arts, including theatre, and opera.  

Tickets to this event have now been closed. Please contact the Secretary on 0406 713 295 or email wa.branch@internationalaffairs.org.au if you have any questions.   The recent violent clashes between India and China in Ladakh drew the world’s attention to a decades-old frozen conflict that is often neglected. The possibility of violent conflict though, is only one challenge facing the Himalayan region. This talk will argue that the slow violence inflicted by state building and militarisation, intimately connected to geopolitical tensions, is the primary challenge facing the region and threatens its ecologies, cultures and languages. The Himalaya is home to three biodiversity hotspots and a mosaic of ethnic groups, many of whom speak threatened languages. Its ice-deposits feed most of Asia’s large rivers. In recent years, India and China have pursued large-scale infrastructure development in the region, to enable greater militarisation, resource extraction, and tourism. The region’s complexity is rarely matched by international relations scholarship, which is overwhelmingly focused on the possibility of violent conflict between state actors. Drawing on historical research and pre-Covid fieldwork in Ladakh in India, this talk will look at the other side of the India-China clash in the Himalaya: the interconnections between ecology, culture and geopolitics in the region.    *** Capacity at the venue is limited and door sales may not be available. Pre-purchase tickets early to avoid disappointment!*** Doors open 6.15pm for a 6.30pm start, until at 7.45pm including Q&A.   Please note that this is not a webinar and this event is being held at the Murdoch Lecture Theatre, UWA 35 Stirling Hwy Nedlands.    About the speaker: Dr Alexander E Davis Alexander E Davis is a lecturer in international relations at the University of Western Australia. His research is focused on India’s borderlands and its foreign policy, looking at culture, identity and ecology. He is head of the Australian Himalaya Research Network, and lead author of the recently published article International Relations and the Himalaya: Connecting Cultures, Ecologies and Geopolitics with the Australian Journal of International Affairs.           This event is being held in proud partnership with:

The 21st Century is frequently forecast to be the Asian Century.  The term is usually understood with reference to the rapid growth of the economies of China and India, and the increasing influence it affords them in international affairs.   What is less salient to many is the growing academic power of Asia.  At our July event, Tayyeb Shah will explore academic relations between Australia and Asia. Tayyeb will also discuss the potential consequences of the COVID19 virus for the Australian tertiary education sector and possible responses to them.   *** Capacity at the venue is limited and door sales may not be available. Pre-purchase tickets early to avoid disappointment!*** Doors open 6.15pm for a 6.30pm start, until at 7.45pm including Q&A.   Please note that this is not a webinar and this event is being held at the Kurrajong Seminar Room. Room G10, Building 1 Cameron House UWA Claremont Campus Corner Princess Road & Goldsworthy Road Ample parking available in P1, P2 or P3 car park If you are unable to purchase tickets online, please call the Secretary on (08) 6225 2515 or email wa.branch@internationalaffairs.org.au to book a seat.   About the speaker: Tayyeb Shah is Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global Partnerships) at The University of Western Australia and responsible for a portfolio that spans Global Engagement, Innovation & Industry Engagement, the Cultural Precinct and Development & Alumni Relations. A globally-renowned expert in higher education, business development and international relations, Mr Shah joined UWA in June 2019 from King’s College London, where he held a number of roles most recently as Deputy Vice President (Global Business Development).  During his 12 years at King’s College London, Mr Shah was instrumental in expanding the university’s international and commercial partnerships. He was responsible for identifying, conceptualising and developing a number of strategic multi-million dollar projects which increased and deepened King’s College London’s worldwide engagement, particularly in China. Educated at the universities of Oxford, Cambridge and the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) and Imperial College London, Mr Shah joined King’s College London after more than a decade in the commercial and creative industry sectors. Mr Shah is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts, member of a number of boards including the Perth Festival and member of the Professional Development Committee of the European Association for International Education.    This event is being held in proud partnership with:  

Please note, registration for this event is now closed.  By the end of 2020, around 40,000 young Australians will have benefited from living, studying and undertaking work experience in the Indo-Pacific via the support of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade New Colombo Plan (NCP) scholarship program. This growing cohort of NCP Alumni will play an increasingly important role in Australia's relationships with our neighbours and will be a key to our country's future prosperity as an influential and diverse group of Australians with strong professional and personal networks across the Indo-Pacific region. Join us as we welcome two prominent West Australian NCP Alumni to share some of the lessons they learned during their experience, and how it is influencing their post-NCP career. Presentations will be held as an online webinar using Zoom, and will be followed by a facilitated Q&A session. As a part 2 to this webinar, we invite AIIA Members from all states and NCP Alumni from Western Australia to join in a special 'Online Networking Lounge'. This closed session will offer the opportunity to build connections with others working in the field across different age groups and career stages, share personal and professional experiences and exchange viewpoints on a range of international topics.   *** Pre-registration essential via ticketing below. Registrations to participate in the Part 2 Networking Lounge close at midnight, Sunday 21 June.*** Please note that this Zoom webinar is being held in Western Australia. Part 1 Presentations and Q&A will run from 6:45pm to 7:30pm AWST (UTC+8). Access to the Zoom webinar will open at 6:30pm. The Part 2 Networking Lounge will run from 7:40pm to 8:10pm and will be open to AIIA Members and WA NCP Alumni only.   For any questions or difficulty registering online, please call our friendly Secretary, Molly, on 0406 713 295 or email wa.branch@internationalaffairs.org.au.   ABOUT THE SPEAKERS Hayley Winchcombe is the CEO & Chair of the ASEAN-Australia Strategic Youth Partnership (AASYP), a youth movement advocating for stronger ties between Australia and our Southeast Asian neighbours. AASYP reaches 30,000+ young people monthly and launched the inaugural ASEAN-Australia Young Leaders Forum in November 2019 in Jakarta. Hayley’s academic studies focused on labour migration and development in Southeast Asia, and she has recently returned to UWA as teaching staff for the Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) core unit Global Challenges, Research and Leadership. She has studied and worked in France, Spain, and in Singapore and Indonesia through the Australian Government's New Colombo Plan ASEAN Fellowship. Outside of these pursuits, Hayley works part-time for world-class medical research not-for-profit Linear Clinical Research, who are currently launching a COVID-19 Vaccine trial in Western Australia, and she is enjoying taking up rowing on the beautiful Swan River.     Anton Lucanus (BSc, UWA) has lived, studied, and worked in Indonesia and Singapore for over 7 years. He has a vested interest in Indonesia’s science and technology industries – a passion he embodies as Director of Neliti, Indonesia’s largest digital library with over 250,000 publications and 2 million monthly website visitors. As a NCP Scholar and Prime Minister’s Australia-Asia Scholar between 2014-16, Anton undertook scientific research at the Eijkman Institute in Jakarta and the National University of Singapore. During this time, he published research on promising drug targets in breast cancer and was part of a team that discovered the first case of Zika Virus in Indonesia. Outside professional life, Anton runs the viral @ojekbule Instagram account, played a small role in an Indonesian film, and enjoys volunteering for any good cause that helps Indonesian society.