On 14 May this year 33 world leaders gathered in Beijing for what has been touted as the inaugural Belt and Road Forum for international Cooperation. Billed as the biggest diplomatic event in China this year the summit was ostensibly about improving economic integration between East and West and providing leadership to a global economy going through difficult times. Dr Luca Anceschi (Lecturer in Central Asian Studies, University of Glasgow) joins Professor Nick Bisley (Executive Director, La Tro...
May 24, 2017•19 min
Since the fall of President Suharto’s new order regime in 1998, culture has exploded in Indonesia, and nowhere is this more evident than in the media. With increases in media providers comes increases in diversity of media forums and media content. With such an increasing in offering comes an altering of the public discourse that can further change democracy and modernity. Professor Ariel Heryanto (Herb Feith Professor for the Study of Indonesia at Monash University) speaks to Matt Smith about t...
May 10, 2017•18 min
Australia is a country that depends on investment, and normally we can't welcome it enough. But money coming from China is different, can be at odds with strategic interests, and can cause considerable tension. Professor Nick Bisley (Executive Director of La Trobe Asia) is joined by Hannah Bretherton (Project Coordinator and Researcher at China Matters) to discuss the issues and challenges associated with Chinese investment in Australia.
Apr 25, 2017•25 min
In Fear of Abandonment, expert and insider Allan Gyngell tells the story of how Australia has shaped the world and been shaped by it since it established an independent foreign policy during the dangerous days of 1942. Gyngell argues that the fear of being abandoned – originally by Britain, and later by our most powerful ally, the United States – has been an important driver of how Australia acts in the world. Allan Gyngell was foreign policy adviser to Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating and...
Apr 18, 2017•28 min
Colin Mackerras is a world authority on Chinese culture and society, and he has taught in China since the 1960s, where he was a witness to the beginning of the Cultural Revolution. He joins Dr Yangbin Chen (Chinese Program, Languages and Linguistics, La Trobe University) in this interview.
Apr 10, 2017•22 min
Australia and China face a new era, but are we ready? Australia’s prosperity and security are linked to China as never before. But what kind of a country is China becoming? Will its demand for Australian goods and services increase? Can the Communist Party continue to keep the middle class satisfied while cracking down on political freedoms? How will China use its economic and military might, especially if challenged by President Trump? In partnership with China Matters and La Trobe Asia, La Tro...
Apr 05, 2017•1 hr 3 min
India has been described as a country of potential, but hiding behind that hopeful term are a few powerful statistics. By 2022 it is projected to surpass China to become the most populated country in the world, and currently around 50% of India's people are below the age of 24. Professor Craig Jeffrey (Director, Australia India Institute) speaks to Matt Smith about the challenges presented with youth in India, and whether it's a demographic dividend or a disaster.
Mar 28, 2017•20 min
In 2005 China was home to 16 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world, but today it is the world’s leading producer of renewable energy sources. It has the largest capacity solar, wind and hydro plants in the world, accounting for one-third of installed wind power, and one-fifth of installed solar. It is now poised to step into a leadership role in global climate politics, and is well placed to be the dominant player in the post-carbon international economy. Dr. Benjamin Habib is a Lecturer i...
Mar 24, 2017•34 min
It's no exaggeration that the election of Donald Trump was a shock to the system, and this was no more so than in the Asian region. During his election campaign Trump was abrasive and antagonistic towards many Asian countries, in particular China. Dr Ashley Townshend (Research Fellow, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney) talks to Professor Nick Bisley (Executive Director of La Trobe Asia) about Trump's 'America First' approach and what it means for Asia.
Mar 20, 2017•27 min
Many countries have a problem when it comes to gender equality, but in Japan it's quite pronounced. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he wants to put more women to work to help make up for the country's shrinking population, but there is little evidence of serious progress in what has been dubbed ‘womenomics'. Of particular note, Japan has the lowest percentage of women’s political representation in the industrialised world. Dr Emma Dalton (Japanese Lecturer in Global and Language Studies in the Sc...
Mar 13, 2017•16 min
The opening years of the 21st century seemed to herald the start of a new era. On the back of China's remarkable economic revitalisation, India's reforms, as well as the ongoing growth in South Korea, Taiwan, and ASEAN economies, many argued that the new century belonged to Asia. Is that still the case, or has the gloss come off the Asian century? Andrew Leigh (Shadow Assistant Treasurer and Federal Member for Fenner, Australia) talks to Professor Nick Bisley (Executive Director of Nick Bisley) ...
Feb 27, 2017•21 min
In 2014 the UN's commission of inquiry into human rights in North Korea published a report detailing human rights abuses committed by the country's leadership against its own people. They compared the scale of the abuse to the atrocities committed by the Nazis. Dr Danielle Chubb, (lecturer in International Relations at Deakin University) talks to Matt Smith about the response to the report and human rights issues in North Korea.
Feb 13, 2017•16 min
In 1964 the Communist Party of China released a collection of Mao’s speeches and statements titled ‘Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung’. Small, easily carried, and bound in bright red colours it became commonly known as the Little Red Book, and went on to become the most important tool of propaganda during the cultural revolution. Associate Professor James Leibold (Politics and Philosophy, La Trobe University) talks to Matt Smith about the power of Mao's book and how to spot a real one....
Jan 30, 2017•23 min
A sound foreign policy is crucial to the success and safety of any country, and governments are grappling with different ideals and agendas to maintain relationships in the current changing global environment. Allan Gyngell (Adjunct Professor of Public Policy at the Australian National University, director of the Crawford Australia Leadership Forum) joins Matt Smith to discuss Australia's Foreign Policy and reflect on its interactions with Asia.
Jan 16, 2017•16 min
State intervention in natural resource management is often inflexible, but projects in the Kangra District of India have found better success by involving the local communities. Dr Harry Fischer (Associate Lecturer in the Department of Social Inquiry at La Trobe University and a New Generation Network Fellow at the Australian India Institute) speaks about natural resource management in Himachal Pradesh, particularly the water canal 'kuhl' system.
Jan 02, 2017•17 min
Thailand has reached a period of political change. The recent death of the long-serving monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, and the crowning of his son Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn have rocked a country still seeing fallout of a 2014 military coup. Dr Greg Raymond (Research Fellow at the Strategic & Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University) talks to Matt Smith about the way forward for Thailand.
Dec 20, 2016•17 min
China is home to 1.5 billion people, many of them living in industrialised cities, and with that comes a heavy burden of medical problems. Martin Taylor (Team Leader, Health Systems and Health Security, World Health Organization, Beijing) discusses the good and the bad in China's health.
Dec 05, 2016•19 min
The study of Australia is well-established in China, and the active engagement across universities helps build cultural, social and economic understanding between the two countries. Professor David Walker (Chair of Australian Studies at Deakin University) talks to Matt Smith about Chinese understanding of Australia, and the healthy network of Australian studies.
Nov 22, 2016•17 min
Donald Trump will be the next President of the United States. While America, the world, and the Donald comes to terms with this unexpected result, the question is inevitably asked… what happens next? Professor Nick Bisley (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia) and Dr Kumuda Simpson (International Relations, La Trobe University) speak to Matt Smith about the international reaction to a Trump presidency.
Nov 15, 2016•30 min
Media in Australia and much of the western world are facing pressing times with shrinking revenue and a changing landscape, but how much of these trends coming across in the Chinese press? Lisa Murray (China Correspondent, Australian Financial Review) talks to Matt Smith about the media landscape in China and her experiences as a foreign correspondent.
Nov 08, 2016•15 min
The cow is a sacred animal in India with nearly 80% of its Hindu population abstaining from eating beef and worshiping the animal for its production of milk. Surprisingly enough, the country has become the world's largest exporter of beef products, exporting more than 2 million tonnes a year and consuming just as much. Why is India selling the sacred cow? Dr Yamini Narayanan (DECRA Senior Fellow at the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation at Deakin University) talks to Matt ...
Nov 06, 2016•19 min
The 2016 United States election is almost upon us, and much of the rhetoric has focused on countries in Asia. Hilary Clinton has made references to 'standing up to bullies', with Donald Trump going several steps further in his comments about China. Professor Nick Bisley (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia) speaks to Matt Smith about what Clinton or Trump could mean in Asia, and how regional security and economic stability hangs in the balance.
Nov 03, 2016•19 min
China and Australia have a long relationship anchored by strong trade bonds, yet this relationship isn’t without tension. The two countries often find themselves on different sides of the table when it comes to broader bilateral ties, and issues such as disagreements over foreign investment and the position and interests of allied countries threaten to prevent any meaningful co-operation or interaction. Professor Hou Minyue (Deputy Director, of the Australian Studies Centre, at East China Normal...
Oct 10, 2016•17 min
China and Australia have a relationship anchored by strong trade bonds. China is Australia’s largest trading partner, while Australia is a leading source of raw materials for Chinese industry. Recent negotiations have led to the signing of a free trade agreement, and there is strong prime-ministerial level dialogue between the two countries. Yet this relationship isn’t without tension. China and Australia often find themselves on different sides of the table when it comes to broader bilateral ti...
Sep 19, 2016•1 hr 34 min
It’s been more than two years since Joko Widodo was elected Indonesian President. While his election occurred on a wave of high hopes and high expectations, little was known at the time about how the new President would approach Indonesia’s international affairs. Dr Evi Fitriani (Head of the International Relations Department at Universitas Indonesia)talks to Dr Rebecca Strating (Politics and Philosophy, La Trobe University) about Indonesia’s approach to foreign policy under the Widoko administr...
Sep 16, 2016•18 min
India is a country with a challenging future. It’s the home of 1.3 billion people and it will be the world’s most populated country within the next decade. It has high levels of unemployment, and widespread problems with inequality, pollution and sanitation. But with a youthful population and an increasingly educated workforce it’s a challenge it could meet. In this public forum three experts give their views on different aspects of India's development. - Professor Ian Hall (Government and Inter...
Sep 01, 2016•1 hr 23 min
India has more than a billion mobile phones in use, with more people having access to a mobile phone than a toilet with plumbing. What impact has the phone had on India's society, politics and economy? Emeritus Professor Robin Jeffrey (Politics, La Trobe University)speaks to Matt Smith about the implications of a connected India.
Aug 29, 2016•20 min
On 30th June, Rodrigo Duterte was sworn in as the Philippines 16th President. Observers outside the country were stunned by his sudden rise to power, in both his tone and at times violent rhetoric he seemed, to many, to be South East Asian version of Donald Trump. Dr Nicole Curato (ARC Early Career Research Fellow at the Institute for Governance and Policy Advice in the University of Canberra) talks to Professor Nick Bisley (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia) about the kind of leader Duterte wil...
Aug 16, 2016•20 min
Democrats and Republicans have officially elected their Presidential nominees, and the contest between Trump and Clinton has begun in earnest. In this lecture Professor Nick Bisley (Executive Director, La Trobe Asia) and Dr Kumuda Simpson-Gray (International Relations, La Trobe University) discuss the foreign policies of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, and the challenges both candidates will face as the race for the White House heats up. Chaired by Dr Benjamin Habib (International Relations, L...
Aug 05, 2016•28 min
An election in the upper house of Japan has delivered a supermajority to Shinzo Abe, with two thirds of it in control of his Liberal Democratic Party and its allies. The win is a substantial vote of confidence for the Prime Minister and his policies, and with a similar majority in the lower house he now has the legislative firepower to make substantial changes, including rewriting Japan’s pacifist constitution. Dr David Envall (International Relations, Australian National University) talks to Ma...
Aug 02, 2016•17 min
