Phytoplankton near the surface of the ocean provide most of Earth’s oxygen, making the oceans our planet's primary life support system.  Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU) threatens the biodiversity in our oceans and their capacity to maintain life on the planet. Sea Shepherd has become a global movement partnering with governments, Interpol and industry to combat Illegal fishing in the world’s oceans, as well as uncovering direct and indirect human rights abuses.  Jeff Hansen, Managing Director of Sea Shepherd Australia, joins us to discuss his organisation’s international work including its recent operations in Liberia, Gabon, Tanzania and Timor Leste.     About the speaker When Jeff Hansen joined Sea Shepherd in 2006 as a ground support volunteer in the Perth his passion for marine conservation was quickly noticed.  Jeff was subsequently invited onboard the M/Y Steve Irwin during the 2007-2008 Antarctic Whale Defence Campaign called Operation Migaloo. In his role as Quartermaster, Jeff make a strategic call that resulted in the discovery of the the Nissan Maru: the centrepiece of the whaling fleet. Upon returning, Sea Shepherd’s leader Captain Paul Watson offered Jeff the position of Australian Director. During Operation Migaloo, direct action by Sea Shephard spared 500 whales from the harpoon - around half the whalers’ quota. The following year Jeff again served on board the M/Y Steve Irwin as Quartermaster during Operation Musashi where the crew survived a harrowing ordeal of being trapped in pack ice. Again, Jeff was instrumental in locating the Japanese whaling vessel the Keiko Maru. As a direct result, 308 whales were saved. Jeff is a qualified Electronic and Computer Engineer. He was born in Melbourne, but now lives in Perth. He and his wife are wildlife rehabilitation carers, caring for sick and injured Bobtail lizards.    

Presentation by His Excellency Mr Manuel Innocencio de Lacerda Santos Júnior Join AIIA WA and the Ambassador of Brazil who will speak about his country, its foreign policy and the growing importance of its relationship with Australia. Brazil is the largest country in South America, sharing borders with all other South American countries except Ecuador and Chile. As Brazil resumes her path of sustainable economic growth, new challenges and opportunities arise for international engagement, both regionally and with the world at large. About the Speaker His Excellency Mr Manuel Innocencio de Lacerda Santos Júnior has served as Brazil’s Ambassador to Australia since February 2016. In the course of a distinguished and wide-ranging diplomatic career, he has served in Bonn, Hong Kong, Prague, Baghdad, Toronto, Kinshasa, São Tomé, and Faro (Portugal). In Brazil, he has served in various positions: the Ceremonial Branch, Cabinet of the Minister of State for External Relations, Presidency of the Republic, Head of the West Africa Division, Head of the Division of Central Asia, and as an Advisor for International Affairs in the Ministry of Social Welfare. He has also taught Ceremonial and Protocol at the Brazilian Diplomatic Academy. Before he arrived in Canberra, he served as Consul-General in Faro, Portugal, and as Ambassador to São Tomé e Príncipe, Indonesia and ASEAN.

Following the liberation of Iraqi territory from Daesh in December 2017, the task ahead is to stabilise and rebuild Iraq.  Iraq’s elections on 12 May, and the coalition building that follows, will play a critical part in this process, as it is there that the Iraqi people will choose who they want to bring the country together. Australia’s Ambassador to Iraq, Her Excellency Dr Joanne Loundes, will reflect on Australia’s contribution to the efforts to defeat Daesh and what we are doing to support a positive future for Iraq. This event will accord with the Chatham House Rule   About the speaker Dr Loundes is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was most recently Chief Economist, Trade and Investment, Office of Economic Analysis. In Canberra, she has held a range of positions including Director, G20 Branch and Director, APEC Branch. Overseas, Dr Loundes has served as Deputy Head of Mission, Australian Embassy, Kabul and First Secretary, Australian Embassy, Tokyo. Dr Loundes holds a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Melbourne and a Bachelor of Economics (Hons) from Murdoch University      

Mexico is going through a period of significant economic reform; opening new sectors and creating new opportunities for Australian businesses to enter into this dynamic market. With its extensive network of FTAs and partnerships, Mexico also acts as an exceptional gateway to the Americas. You are invited to join us for a light lunch to further discover why this is an opportune time to explore the many market opportunities Mexico has to offer. Guest speakers include representatives from the Mexican and Australian diplomatic corps. From a commercial perspective, Tony Rovira from Azure Minerals, will provide insights into operating a successful company in Mexico. He will be joined by Chris Rodwell, newly appointed CCIWA CEO, who will discuss lessons learnt during his recent time spent as Trade Commissioner to Mexico. This is a free event. However registrations online are essential, and places are limited. Registrations close on Friday the 11th of May To register click here   About the speakers:   His Excellency Mr Eduardo Peña-Haller, Ambassador of the United Mexican States  Born and raised in Mexico City, Mr Peña-Haller completed his bachelor degree on International Law Major at the Iberoamerican University and wrote a thesis on The Mexican Foreign Service and its Legislation 1821-1982. In 1991 he did a LLM Master of Laws in American Law at the University of Houston, Texas. After his studies, in 1982, he joined the Mexican Foreign Service and the Diplomatic Academy of the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs which gave him the opportunity to perform in different positions such as Consul in Houston Texas, Deputy Ambassador of Mexico in Germany, Uruguay, Austria, Slovenia and Slovakia, Head of the office for Legal Affairs in Belgium, General Consul in Germany. Mr Peña-Haller was Deputy Legal Advisor at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Mexico before his posting to Australia as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.    His Excellency Dr David Engel, Australian Ambassador to Mexico  Dr Engel is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Until recently, he was Minister and Deputy Head of Mission at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, where he had earlier served as First Secretary. He has also served as Counsellor at the Australian Embassy in Washington.    In Canberra, Dr Engel has served as Assistant Secretary of DFAT’s Policy Planning Branch and Assistant Secretary of the Global Issues Branch. He previously served in the Office of National Assessments as Assistant Director-General for Southeast Asia.   Mr Esaú Garza, ProMexico Trade Commissioner to Australia, New Zealand and Oceania  Mr Garza has fulfilled numerous coordination and managerial roles in the private industry in multinational companies. From 2008 to 2013 he was appointed as ProMexico´s Trade Commissioner in Japan. From 2013 to 2015 he served as Secretary of Economic Development for the Mexican State of Aguascalientes. In May 2015 he took on his current role of Trade Commissioner for Australia, New Zealand and Oceania in the newly opened ProMéxico office in Australia within the Mexican Embassy, where he continues his work promoting business opportunities with Mexico.    Mr Christopher Rodwell, Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Western Australia (CCIWA)  Mr Rodwell assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer with the CCIWA in February 2018, following an extended period developing Australia’s international trade and investment footprint.   His work in international business spans Australasia, North America, Latin America and Europe. In addition, Mr Rodwell has advanced major reforms in Australia in areas such as education & training, innovation, and public asset divestment. Mr Rodwell has held a number of board, advisory and senior executive posts, including as Austrade's Trade Commissioner – Mexico, Central America & the Caribbean.    Mr Tony Rovira, Honorary Consul to Mexico in Western Australia Managing Director, Azure Minerals Limited  Mr Rovira has worked in the mining industry for 35 years, firstly as an exploration and mining geologist and for the past 15 years in company management as Managing Director of Azure Minerals Limited. Early in his career, Mr Rovira was responsible for the discovery of several gold and nickel deposits in Australia which were developed into operating mines.   Mr Rovira is credited with steering Azure’s exploration push into Mexico, where the company has been exploring and developing precious and base metals deposits for the past 12 years. Azure is currently studying the development of a mine on its Oposura zinc-lead-sliver project.   Mr Rovira has recently been awarded the prestigious 2018 Ostotakani Award for his outstanding achievements and contributions to the mining industry in Mexico. This event is proudly presented by the Export Council of Australia (ECA), in partnership with ProMexico and the Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA) in WA.   The header image is Cityscape of Cancun at Night from https://www.goodfreephotos.com

Please join AIIA WA with Andrea Gleason to discuss the work of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Western Australia. Ever wondered what the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Western Australia State Office does? The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) works to make Australia stronger, safer and more prosperous by promoting and protecting Australia’s interests internationally and contributing to global stability and economic growth.  In addition to overseas posts, DFAT maintains a domestic network of offices in state and territory capital cities to work with stakeholders across Australia. Join us as the DFAT State Director, Ms Andrea Gleason, discusses the work of her team in Western Australia, in the context of the Australian Government’s Foreign Policy White Paper, launched in November 2017.   This event will accord with the Chatham House Rule   About the Speaker Ms Andrea Gleason, State Director, Western Australia State Office, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Andrea commenced as State Director in April 2015. She leads the Department’s engagement with its diverse stakeholders in Western Australia, across government, business, academia, civil society and the Consular Corps.   A career diplomat, Andrea has served overseas in Washington DC and Stockholm. She has extensive experience in trade policy issues and negotiations.  Her previous assignments in Canberra include Director, APEC Trade and Investment Section and Director, Trade Policy Section.   Andrea holds a Graduate Diploma in Foreign Affairs and Trade from the Australian National University and a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) from the University of Queensland. She is an advisory board member of the University of Western Australia Oceans Institute and Murdoch University’s Asia Research Centre.        

The Young Professionals Network invites you to a discussion with Grant Wardell-Johnson on international tax. International tax is the realm of interaction between often very different individual domestic tax regimes where there are trade, capital and investment flows. For most of the last 100 years focus has been placed on better synchronisation of diverse tax rules through the establishment of nearly 3,000 tax treaties. These efforts were largely geared towards reducing double taxation on the same economic gain. However, recent times have seen a new focus on circumstances where tax rules give rise to low or no taxation even though there is an economic gain. Some of this is due to the use of low or no tax jurisdictions, but some is also attributable to the mismatch in the tax rules in jurisdictions and the ability of companies to fragment their activities throughout the globe to minimise tax cost. This has become particularly acute where significant value lies in intellectual property. Since 2013 there has been a multilateral and mostly global focus, driven largely by the OECD and G20, on changing the rules to produce greater coherence to ensure there is no ‘double non-taxation’. This agenda has taken on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS). However, in recent times we have seen a unilateral turn, commenced by the UK, followed by Australia, India and now in a very significant manner by the United States. This is not without problems. Together with Grant at this event, we will explore where we have been and where we might be going in this difficult world looking at the big trends and issues. All members and guests are welcome. Free entry. Light refreshments will be served from 6pm.   About the speaker: Grant is Leader of the Australian Tax Centre at KPMG. He is responsible for thought leadership and consultation with the ATO and Treasury on tax reform, new law and cases. Grant is Co-chair of the National Tax Liaison Group of the ATO, the Chair of the Tax Technical Committee of Chartered Accountants of Australian and New Zealand, Advisor to the Board of Taxation and a member of Treasury’s Advisory Group on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting. Grant is an Adjunct Professor in Taxation and Business Law at the UNSW and an Honorary Fellow of the University of Western Australia.

Please join AIIA WA and the Centre for Muslim States and Societies at a special event with Her Excellency the High Commissioner to Pakistan, Ms Margaret Adamson.  Pakistan turned 70 in August last year. It is situated in a region of historically overlapping and competing power projections, a region which remains a major theatre of instability and strategic interest in today’s rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape. Although Pakistan continues to be confronted by domestic security challenges, its young population, natural resources and share of the region's exceptional cultural heritage are assets for a brighter future for this sixth most populous nation. Pakistan's economic and social indicators still compare poorly on global measures, but there are some positive developments. Australia-Pakistan relations date to Pakistan's creation, but people-to-people links are much older, reaching back to the 19th century. Thousands of Pakistani students are studying in Australia. Australian aid is investing in Pakistan's sustainable inclusive development and our humanitarian assistance is supporting Afghan refugees and their host communities. Commercial ties are on the rise and have potential to grow to more substantial levels.     This event is free but please register with the Get Tickets button. The event will accord with the Chatham House Rule. Tea and coffee will be provided.   About Margaret Adamson Ms Adamson is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, having served previously as Ambassador to Poland and Ambassador to Cambodia. Most recently, she was Deputy High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea. In Canberra, Ms Adamson’s appointments have included head of Public Diplomacy Branch, European Union and Western Europe Branch, and Pacific Islands Branch.

Please join the Hon. Jason Clare MP, Federal Shadow Minister for Trade and Investment, Mr Andrew Parker, Executive General Manager International Services, Australia Post, and other senior business and industry leaders for a breakfast event focused on the opportunities for Western Australia to trade and invest in the burgeoning markets of the Indo-Pacific. This event, co-convened by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Western Australia (CCIWA), the Perth USAsia Centre and the Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA), will help large and small businesses develop a comprehensive strategy to be part of the unprecedented economic rise of ASEAN, India and the wider Indo-Pacific region.   Given Western Australia’s geographical proximity to Asia and its competitive advantage in quality production, technology and services, the State must capture the opportunities of record middle-class growth to its north. Indonesia is predicted to be the fourth largest economy in the world over the coming decades and India the second.  New opportunities exist in WA’s powerhouse industries of mining and energy, but also in the growth industries of healthcare, education, professional services, technology and agribusiness. Given that regulatory and cross-cultural challenges do face businesses engaging emerging Indo-Pacific markets, a comprehensive strategy is required. Joining Jason Clare and Andrew Parker will be CCIWA’s Chief Economist Mr Rick Newnham, Managing Director of B2 Rainmakers Bonnie Lin, Dr Jemma Green, Co-Founder & Chair of Power Ledger, Perth USAsia Centre CEO Professor Gordon Flake, and further speakers to be announced. To buy a ticket click here   About the speakers: Hon Jason Clare MP, Shadow Minister for Trade & Investment Jason was born and raised in Western Sydney where he attended Cabramatta Public School and Canley Vale High School before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of New South Wales. Before entering Parliament he worked as a senior adviser to NSW Premier Bob Carr and as an executive at Transurban, one of Australia's top 100 companies. In November 2007, Jason was elected as the Federal Member for Blaxland. In June 2009, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Employment. In September 2010, he was appointed Minister for Defence Materiel. In December 2011, he was appointed Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Justice. Following the 2013 election, Jason was appointed Shadow Minister for Communications. In July 2016, he was appointed Shadow Minister for Trade and Investment as well as Shadow Minister for Resources and Northern Australia. Andrew Parker, Executive General Manager International Services, Australia Post Andrew is Executive General Manager International Services at Australia Post, seconded from Price Waterhouse Coopers. Andrew is a partner at PwC and led the Australian Firm’s Asia Practice. He joined Price Waterhouse in 1985, became a partner in 1999 and spent 12 years in PwC’s London, Moscow and Jakarta offices. He has had a long association with Asia having lived and worked in Indonesia and was the leader of PwC’s Asian telecoms industry team until 2012, a role he held for nearly 10 years. He is a Director of China Matters, and the Australia Indonesia Centre at Monash University, an Executive Committee Member of the Australia Japan Business Cooperation Committee and a member of the Advisory Board of the Asia Society. He is a regular commentator in the media and presenter at forums on Australian trade and investment in Asia; and was the lead author of PwC’s landmark report on Australia’s lack of business investment in Asia titled “Passing us by.” Gordon Flake, Moderator, CEO, Perth USAsia Centre L. Gordon Flake is the founding CEO of the Perth USAsia Centre. Having built an internationally recognised profile in Washington DC through his think-tank expertise and leadership, Professor Flake relocated to Perth 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 North Korea having spent nearly three decades focused on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asian politics. He has previously served on the on the Advisory Council on the Korea Economic Institute of America. Rick Newnham, Chief Economist, Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA Rick Newnham is passionate about making Western Australia a world leading place to live and do business. He joined the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia (CCI) as Chief Economist in January 2017. Prior to joining CCI Rick worked as an Economist for Shell around the world, including postings in Australia (Brisbane and Perth), the UK (Aberdeen) and the Middle East (Dubai). Rick is recognised by the World Economic Forum as a Global Shaper, he is an Ambassador for Australia Day and a State Advisory Council member of CEDA - The Committee for Economic Development Australia. Rick has a keen interest in innovation and policy that will advance Western Australia’s position in the global economy. Through the economic policy, start-up and trade communities Rick stays connected to the economies of the Middle East and Asia, where his experience and interests most overlap. Bonnie Lin, Managing Director, B2 Rainmakers Bonnie Lin brings 20 years of international business expertise, helping organisations accelerate growth and value creation through talent, capital and contacts. A Silicon Valley native, her portfolio of experience includes senior roles in B2B marketing, supply chain, lean manufacturing in China and the US and running a government-funded business accelerator. Fluent in Mandarin Chinese, Bonnie’s core strengths are business development, change leadership and strategic alliances. She has advised over 60 startup founders and small business owners, of which 12 included fundraising, grants and debt financing. A Vancouver Forty Under 40 winner, Bonnie was a regular media commentator, speaker and contributor to entrepreneurship and innovation publications and articles in the US. Bonnie served on the boards of the US District Export Council, the Pacific Northwest Defence Coalition and advises the Directors of Business Women Australia. She was a member of the Seattle chapter of Keiretsu Forum angel investors, advocates for Perth startups through PROJECT X, Innovation Bay and Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce and contributes to 100 Women and Meridian Global Foundation. Bonnie holds a BA from the University of California, Berkeley and a MBA from the University of Phoenix. Jemma Green, Co-Founder & Chair, Power Ledger Jemma, as the Chair of Power Ledger, provides the strategic external relations, risk management and leadership development for the company. Jemma has more than 15 years’ experience in finance and risk advisory having worked for 11 years in investment banking in London. Whilst there, she completed a Masters degree and two postgraduate diplomas from Cambridge University. Jemma is a research fellow at Curtin University Sustainability Policy (CUSP) Institute, whose doctoral research into “Citizen Utilities” has produced unique insights into the challenges and opportunities for the deployment of roof-top solar PV and battery storage within multi-unit developments and the application of the blockchain. Jemma is experienced in the challenges of sustainable cities, through her previous role as an independent Councillor of the City of Perth. She is also the Chair of Climate-KIC Australia, a founder of the Global Blockchain Business Council and a contributor to Forbes on blockchain disruption.

Please join AIIA WA for a special panel event to discuss the great power emerging in the Indian Ocean. While many developed nations face the problems of an ageing population, a vibrant and youthful demographic is emerging in India. This large, young population, along with extraordinary economic advancements such as the 160 million people lifted out of extreme poverty between 2004 and 2012, provide hope for a broader prosperity as this fiercely independent nation seeks to take a prominent place on the world stage.   How will India capitalise on the opportunities ahead while striving to overcome the considerable obstacles it faces, as environmental issues, skills shortages and public health challenges threaten to slow its progress?  Join us as the Indian Consul General to Perth, Mr Amit Kumar Mishra, speaks alongside Professor Anu Rammohan, Associate Dean (International) for the Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Education UWA, Mr Michael Carter, President of the Australia India Business Council, and Mr Tom Calder, WA State Director of Austrade.  Our panellists will explore several current topics including Prime Minister Modi’s sudden demonetisation policy, amongst others. Our speakers bring an enormous wealth of knowledge, and this promises to be an enlightening and interesting event. All attendees are welcome to join us and our speakers for dinner at the Universtity Club after the discussion at a cost of $30 per person. To secure your place click on the Get Tickets button below. If the event does not sell out on line tickets will be available at the door: Cash only- no Eftpos!   About the speakers   Mr Amit Kumar Mishra, Consul General, Consulate General of India Perth  Mr. Amit Kumar Mishra is a career diplomat. He was working as Indian Consul General in Herat in Western Afghanistan before joining as Consul General in Perth. He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 2004 and has served in Indian diplomatic missions in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan. In his postings abroad, Mr. Mishra has dealt with political, commercial, education, cultural and diaspora issues.   Professor Anu Rammohan, Associate Dean (International) for the Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Education Anu Rammohan is Professor of Economics at the University of Western Australia and the Associate Dean (International) for the Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Education. She is currently serving on the editorial board of the Economic Record, Australia’s top-ranked economics policy journal. The focus of her research has been on understanding the household-level socio-economic factors that influence child health, gender and food security issues in South and South East Asia, particularly in India, Indonesia and Myanmar. This research has been published in top-tier international academic journals, and has also been funded by competitive research grants from the Australian Research Council, DFAT and the Australia-India Institute.    Mr Tom Calder, State Director, Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) Tom Calder is the State Director for the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) in Western Australia and prior to this was Trade Commissioner in New Delhi and Mumbai for over six years. While in India Tom was responsible for the marketing and promotion of Australian education and training across South Asia encompassing India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Tom’s role included working with local Indian institutions, corporates, peak bodies, and government networks to identify opportunities for Australian education and training providers across industries, including transnational education delivery. Under Tom’s leadership Austrade developed many successful partnerships across the higher education and vocational training space; including research collaborations, dual degree and exchange programs, and local institutions offering Australian post graduate certificate programs. In his spare time he supported the activities of AFL India in building opportunities for disadvantaged young Indians to participate in organised sport using Australian Football as the vehicle. He is a graduate of the University of Western Australia with qualifications in Commerce and Asian Studies.   Mr Michael Carter, President of the Australia India Business Council (WA Chapter) Michael has over 25 years’ experience in International Engagement and Business Development having held senior management roles in the private sector working abroad and in Australia in commercial and private banking, Food & agribusiness and also in the public sector with the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) for 12 years. During his time with Austrade Michael was Trade commissioner to India from 2007 to 2015 responsible for building bilateral trade and investment between Australia and the South Asian region. Michael is currently Director, International Engagement for KSI Global Australia which manufactures and distributes an innovative safety roller crash road barrier system internationally. He also has his own international Engagement consultancy Meridan connect. He was recently appointed President of the Australia India Business Council (WA Chapter) in December 2017.

Vietnam is likely to remain a standout growth market in ASEAN in coming years with favourable demographics, strong international export orientation and robust domestic economic activity. Accelerating urbanisation, a young median age of 30 years, and a middle class tracking to reach 33 million by 2020 – the fastest rate of growth in ASEAN – is also helping to grow Vietnam's economy. Trade with Vietnam is significant for Australia, underpinned by strong people-to-people links. Vietnam is Australia's fastest-growing export market in ASEAN, growing 11.3 per cent annually on average over the past decade. Trade in services, particularly professional services and education, are emerging areas of growth.  His Excellency Craig Chittick and Ms Lanyon will discuss Vietnam-Australia bilateral trade relations and share their insights from the recent ASEAN-Australia Special Summit held in Sydney.   About the speakers   Mr Craig Chittick - Australia’s Ambassador to Vietnam Mr Craig Chittick is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and commenced as Australia’s Ambassador to Vietnam in July 2016. Previous to this he was the First Assistant Secretary, South East Asia Mainland and Regional Division; Ambassador for People Smuggling Issues; Assistant Secretary, South East Asia Investment and Services Branch; Assistant Secretary, United States Branch; and Director, Indonesia Section. He has previously served overseas in Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta. Mr Chittick holds a Master of Arts (International Relations) from the Australian National University and a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) from the University of Sydney.   Ms Karen Lanyon - Australia’s Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Ms Karen Lanyon is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and commenced as Australia’s Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City in January 2015. Ms Lanyon has previously served as Consul-General to Los Angeles; Minister Counsellor at the Australian Embassy in Indonesia and Deputy Head of Mission in Cambodia, as well as postings to Jakarta and Singapore. She has also served as Foreign Affairs and Trade Regional Director in Sydney, Assistant Secretary, Africa Branch and Assistant Secretary, Public Diplomacy Branch and worked extensively in APEC and ASEAN.            Ms Lanyon holds a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws from the Australian National University    

Please join the AIIA WA, the Murdoch University Department of Politics and International Studies, and the Confucius Institute for a panel discussion on Chinese geoeconomics and its implications for Australia with Professor Mark Beeson, Professor Kanishka Jayasuriya, and Associate Professor Richard Vokes In what has come to be referred to as geoeconomics, China has become adept at using trade, investment, and economic policies to influence the behaviour of other states in ways that further its own increasingly ambitious foreign policy goals. This panel discussion will explore the efficacy of these policies and consider their impact on other states, especially in Africa.   The panel will also discuss Australia’s responses to some of China’s geoeconomic initiatives such as One Belt One Road and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and will consider what impact China’s increasing economic influence may have on Australia’s domestic economy and future security. About the Speakers Mark Beeson is the Discipline Chair of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Western Australia and the AIIA National Research Chair, appointed in February 2017. He is an editor of the AIIA publication, Australia in World Affairs, and has also been published in the Australian Journal of International Affairs (AJIA). He is coeditor of AJIA’s recently published Navigating the New International Disorder: Australia in World Affairs 2011-2015. He was the founding editor of Critical Studies of the Asia Pacific. Before joining UWA, he taught at Murdoch, Griffith, Queensland, York (UK) and Birmingham, where he was also head of department. His key research interests are international relations; international political economy; Australian foreign policy; regionalism; politics, security and economics in the Asia-Pacific. Kanishka Jayasuriya is currently Professor of Politics and International studies, Discipline leader of politics group and Fellow of the Asia Research Centre. Prior to his current appointment in 2016 he was Professor of International politics and Director of Indo-Pacific Governance Research Centre (IPGRC) and Professor of International Politics. He is a graduate in political science from the University of Western Australia.  He has held teaching and research appointments in several Australian and overseas universities including the ANU, the University of Sydney, Murdoch University, National University of Singapore, and City University of Hong Kong. His main areas of research interests and special expertise lie mainly in the areas of international and comparative political economy. He has worked extensively on issues of regulation, rule of law  and regional governance with reference to Asia . He research agenda is focused on the relationship between globalisation and the transformation of state structures including in the areas of social policy and higher education. He is also working on the dynamics of capitalist crisis and democracy with particular reference to Asia. Richard Vokes is Associate Professor in the Anthropology of Development at the University of Western Australia, and an elected Research Associate of the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Oxford. He holds a B.A. Hons. and an M.A. with Distinction in Social Anthropology from the University of Kent, and a D.Phil in Social Anthropology from the University of Oxford.  His research focuses primarily on the African Great Lakes region, especially on the societies of South-western Uganda, where he has been conducting ethnographic fieldwork since 2000. He has published extensively on this region, including on: new religious movements, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the history of photography, media and social change, and the anthropology of development (education, governance and infrastructure). He also works on African-Australians.  He has won numerous prizes and awards, including the Royal Anthropological Institute’s Curl Essay Prize, a Finalist Award in the African Studies Association’s Herskovits competition, and the Royal Anthropological Institute’s Sutasoma Prize. He has held the Evans-Pritchard Lectureship and two Visiting Fellowships at All Souls College, Oxford.  He has secured competitive research funding from: the Australian Research Council, the British Institute in East Africa, the British Library, the Economic and Social Research Council (UK), the Royal Society of New Zealand’s Marsden Fund, and the Wenner-Gren Foundation (USA). He also conducts a wide range of consultancy and media work. He is President of the Australian Anthropological Society, Editor of the Journal of Eastern African Studies, and a Committee Member on Australia's Social Sciences Week. And he has four children.

Please join AIIA WA and the Perth USAsia Centre with Alyssa Ayres to launch her new book Our Time has Come: How India is Making Its Place in the World.  In Our Time Has Come, Alyssa Ayres considers the role India will play internationally, the obstacles it continues to face, and the implications of its rise for the United States and other nations. “We are witnessing a country chart its course to power, and explicitly seeking not to displace others but to be recognized among the club of world powers, one in which it believes its membership is long overdue.” Copies of the book will be available for purchase at a special discounted price of $30.00 from 6.15pm – 6.30pm and between 7.30pm – 7.45pm. Tickets to this event are free but registration is essential. To register click 'Get tickets' on the right hand side of your screen or below.   About the Author Alyssa Ayres is Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) for India, Pakistan, and South Asia. In 2015, she served as the project director for the CFR Independent Task Force on US-India Relations. From 2014 to 2016, Alyssa was the Project Director for The New Geopolitics of China, India, and Pakistan. Alyssa also directs the US Relations with South Asia Roundtable series, she blogs regularly for Asia Unbound, and is a contributor to Forbes.com. Her book about the rise of India, Our Time Has Come: How India is Making its Place in the World, was published by Oxford University Press in January 2018. Originally trained as a cultural historian, Alyssa has experience in the the not for profit, government, and private sectors.  Alyssa was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia in the Obama Administrationfrom 2010 to 2013 providing policy direction for four US embassies and four consulates. From 2008 to 2010 Alyssa was founding director of the India and South Asia practice at McLarty Associates, a Washington-based international strategic advisory firm.  Immediately prior, she served in the US Department of State as Special Assistant to the Undersecretary for Political Affairs. Prior to that she worked in the nonprofit sector at the Center for the Advanced Study of India at the University of Pennsylvania and at the Asia Society in New York. Her book on nationalism, culture, and politics in Pakistan, Speaking Like a State, was published worldwide by Cambridge University Press in 2009, and received the American Institute of Pakistan Studies book prize for 2011–2012. She has coedited three books on India and Indian foreign policy: Power Realignments in Asia, India Briefing: Takeoff at Last?, and India Briefing: Quickening the Pace of Change. Alyssa has been awarded numerous fellowships and has received group and individual Superior Honor Awards for her work at the State Department. In the mid-1990s Alyssa worked as an interpreter for the International Committee of the Red Cross. She received an AB magna cum laude from Harvard College, and an MA and PhD from the University of Chicago where her dissertation was defended with distinction. She is a former term member of CFR and a life member since 2010.  Alyssa speaks fluent Hindi and Urdu.