Breakfast Series: The Indo-Pacific - Strategic Challenges and Opportunities: COVID, and After

Join us for this exciting breakfast series on the Indo-Pacific. Running over four consecutive Fridays, this series examines the Indo-Pacific as a strategic concept. The series will allow participants to dive deeper into each of the relevant regional actors to understand the geopolitical, economic and security considerations today and on the horizon. Participants will also have an opportunity to consider the implications of the pivot for Australia’s national security policy.

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National Security and Crisis Management

Crises are endemic to national security policymaking. The modern era is punctuated by crises emanating from the natural and social worlds that threaten local, national and international security. Recent events have brought into sharp focus the interconnectedness between national security and crisis management.

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Legal literacy for national security practitioners: balance, enablers and constraints

This one-day program will critically consider the role and function of the law in relation to national security; particularly the nexus between lawmaking and social licence considerations, technology, media freedoms and policymaking.

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Risk for National Security Practitioners: likelihood and consequence in a complex environment

Risk judgements are vital in informing effective policies and decisions in the national security community. This is amplified in an era of rapid change and a shifting threat environment. This program will equip participants with tools and strategies to think critically about risk in the national security context. You will learn how to identify risks, consider risk tolerances, and apply risk mitigation measures in relation to the national security environment. The course will also explore the evolving global risk landscape, and will challenge participants to consider how options often must be weighed against competing national policy priorities.

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Online Professional Development

The National Security College (NSC) is proud to launch its new Online Professional Development platform, created in support of – and in consultation with – Australia’s national security community.

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Transnational Serious and Organised Crime: a borderless threat

This two-day program exposes participants to wide-ranging perspectives on Transnational Serious and Organised Crime (TSOC) and its increasingly pervasive impact across the national security environment and into the community more broadly. The program will consider the implications of the emerging intersection between TSOC and national security intelligence, defence, policy and response activities, and will give insight into the critical role played by states and territories in combating the threat of TSOC. It will also provide participants with access to leading experts from across the national security landscape, spanning law enforcement, the intelligence community, think tanks and academia.

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SES: Essential Insights

This intensive three-day program for senior national security decision and policy makers is designed to challenge, educate and inspire. Participants will hear from world-class experts on the most pressing national security matters of the day; and will leave with up-to-date knowledge and insights on how best to tackle key issues and lead effectively in today’s complex environment.

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The New Weapons: Propaganda, Misinformation and Fake News

A host of global actors, state and non-state, are increasingly leveraging technology to harness the power of information – and using it as a weapon. What are the implications for global and national security? And is Australia prepared?

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Introduction to National Security: Critical Conversations

This highly interactive one-week program introduces participants to national security. Designed for professionals needing insight into the national security environment and relevant government frameworks.

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Analytical techniques for policymakers: overcoming bias, improving analysis

Are you looking to enhance your skills in complex problem-solving? Have you ever wondered how national security policymakers identify options or futures, conduct analysis and test their thinking to produce robust policy solutions?

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Democratic resilience and national security policy

NOT SCHEDULED FOR DELIVERY IN 2021. Contact us at epd.nsc@anu.edu.au to express interest or to discuss how we can tailor this program for your organisation.

Australia and its democratic partners are facing a generational challenge to the very notion of what liberal democracies are. A set of threats are emerging that call for new thinking around national security and how to ensure democracies remain resilient. They include a shifting regional and global order, increased efforts by foreign actors to degrade the processes of democracy, and the manipulation of internal domestic stresses that undermine public trust. These challenges cut across traditional divides, encompassing politics, society, and economics, with a variety of new threat vectors. As hostile actors seek to exploit cyber vulnerabilities, social pressure points and use other hybrid strategies against us, the NSC seeks to shape national and international best practice on responding to these threats. Our approach is analytical, geared around identifying weaknesses across the spectrum of democratic politics. It is also prescriptive, seeking to design and propose new innovative policy solutions to these challenges.

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China as a major power: challenge or opportunity?

This two-day program explores challenges and opportunities arising from China as a major geopolitical actor. It considers current aspects of China’s development, worldview and outlook, including key economic drivers, political dynamics, social challenges, defence priorities and aspirations, technical innovation, internal security challenges, strategic objectives. The implications of these factors for Australian interests and national security, and that of the region more broadly will be critically considered.

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Strategy Planning

NOT SCHEDULED FOR DELIVERY IN 2021. Contact us at epd.nsc@anu.edu.au to express interest or to discuss how we can tailor this program for your organisation.

In the decades following the Second World War, Australia generally enjoyed a relatively benign strategic environment, and its preparedness for dealing with significant external threats rarely tested. But, things are changing and in an environment characterised by growing uncertainty and complexity, Australia now arguably faces the greatest strategic shifts in generations. The challenges of the future will require current and emerging leaders in the Australian national security domain be skilful in designing and implementing strategies. This course aims to provide a conceptual basis for developing these vital skills.

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Designing National Security Policy

National security is an increasingly complex and dynamic concept. This course focuses on the skills that are required to design effective policy that can secure and defend Australia’s national interests. It will consider the unique characteristics of the policy design process that relate to national security, effective coordination, steps to implementation and the challenges of useful evaluation. The course will be informed by learning from both national security policy successes and failure.

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Space: Implications for National Security

Space has serious implications for national security, given our dependence on satellites (and other space systems) to inform Defence and intelligence capabilities. Space-related systems are critical to climate observation, economic and transport systems, are dependent on cyber and therefore vulnerable to a wide array of threats such as attacks and jamming.

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Women in National Security: diversity in the national interest

This two-day intensive course examines challenges and opportunities for women leading, or seeking to lead, in defence, cyber, law enforcement, intelligence, border control and/or foreign affairs. Women in national security are having an increasing positive impact across these areas, adding depth and diversity to counter the current threats to security in Australia and globally.

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Changing America: Power, Perception and Reality

NOT SCHEDULED FOR DELIVERY IN 2021. Contact us at epd.nsc@anu.edu.au to express interest or to discuss how we can tailor this program for your organisation.

The United States’ post-WWII role as the security guarantor in our region appears to be under siege by an ‘America first’ agenda at home and assertive rising powers abroad. The US influence appears under threat from internal disruption and external pressures. The region of the Indo-Pacific has been a particular area of focus as pundits have interpreted any shift in US posture or language as a response to a rising China. But how much of this is perception and how much is a genuine strategic shift?

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Ethics and Technologies of War

NOT SCHEDULED FOR DELIVERY IN 2021. Contact us at epd.nsc@anu.edu.au to express interest or to discuss how we can tailor this program for your organisation.

Decisions around war and warfare are invariably tied to matters of life, death and national survival. This course examines ethical norms of the use of armed force for political purposes with a particular focus on the relationship between those norms and military technologies. You will explore how, and the extent to which, ethical and technological considerations can and should influence strategic and tactical decisions.

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Climate Change: threat amplifier

NOT SCHEDULED FOR DELIVERY IN 2021. Contact us at epd.nsc@anu.edu.au to express interest or to discuss how we can tailor this program for your organisation.

A national security risk in its own right, climate change has been characterised as a threat amplifier by a range of pundits. This two-day program considers the current science and projections, and then explores potential impacts on Australian national security through the lens of health, regional conflict, migration, defence, food and human security and more. Hear from a range of academic, private and public sector experts on how we might best tackle the issues and mitigate the impacts.

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Nuclear Policy and Security

NOT SCHEDULED FOR DELIVERY IN 2021. Contact us at epd.nsc@anu.edu.au to express interest or to discuss how we can tailor this program for your organisation.

This course will provide you with a comprehensive introduction to nuclear policy, an overview of the basics of nuclear science and weapons, the global landscape of capabilities and doctrines, and persistent concerns about proliferation.

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An Introduction to Futures Analysis: through a new lens

The world is rapidly changing, and disruption has become the new norm. Thinking proactively about the future landscape, and taking a systematic approach to understanding future possibilities and risks, is an increasingly vital tool of enquiry for national security professionals.

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Antarctica

NOT SCHEDULED FOR DELIVERY IN 2021. Contact us at epd.nsc@anu.edu.au to express interest or to discuss how we can tailor this program for your organisation.

With growing interest from existing and potential claimants, the strategic and security dimensions of access to and control of Antarctica are becoming clear. The leadership role Australia has held in Antarctic affairs cannot be taken for granted.

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Energy: Implications for Australia's National Security

NOT SCHEDULED FOR DELIVERY IN 2021. Contact us at epd.nsc@anu.edu.au to express interest or to discuss how we can tailor this program for your organisation.

Emerging energy trends have important implications for political, economic, commercial and military realms. With heightened geostrategic tensions, oil price wars, the rise of renewables and climate concerns, these trends increasingly sit at the intersection of the exercise of national power and international security

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Understanding India: a complex strategic partner

India is rising to greater prominence in Australia’s external relations against a backdrop of great power transitions and growing strategic rivalry in the Indo-Pacific region. The Prime Minister has described India as a natural and like-minded partner with shared values and interests, while the Foreign Minister has described closer ties with India as critical for providing ballast in the region and the international system. This intensive one-day program critically considers India’s place as a global strategic player and key partner for Australia, focussing on economics; foreign, defence and strategic policy; societal and demographic enablers and constraints; and the implications of these complex factors for Australian policy and decision makers.

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Japan: Partner in the Indo-Pacific

NOT SCHEDULED FOR DELIVERY IN 2021. Contact us at epd.nsc@anu.edu.au to express interest or to discuss how we can tailor this program for your organisation.

Looking at challenges and opportunities over the next three to five years, the course examines Japan’s economy, political and social outlooks, defence priorities and aspirations, technical innovation, internal security challenges, strategic objectives, and implications for Australian interests.

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Maritime Security and the Indo Pacific: beyond the dotted lines

NOT SCHEDULED FOR DELIVERY IN 2021. Contact us at epd.nsc@anu.edu.au to express interest or to discuss how we can tailor this program for your organisation.

Australia’s maritime interests are under pressure. This two-day program considers evolving naval capabilities within the Indo-Pacific region. The impact of migration, trade, resource exploitation, and transnational and serious organised crime on Australia’s national security will be considered in this program. Participants will consider these challenges and their implications for Australia and the Indo-Pacific. Engage with subject matter experts about the South China Sea, ASEAN, exclusive economic zones, people smuggling and weapons proliferation – and how Australia might best respond.

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Papua New Guinea: Outlook

NOT SCHEDULED FOR DELIVERY IN 2021. Contact us at epd.nsc@anu.edu.au to express interest or to discuss how we can tailor this program for your organisation.

Referencing the PNG and Bougainville outlook from 2019 onwards, join academics and experts to closely examine the state of the economy, political and social outlooks, defence priorities and aspirations, technical developments, internal security challenges, strategic objectives, and the implications for the Indo-Pacific and Australia.

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Russia: Resurgent or Wrecker?

NOT SCHEDULED FOR DELIVERY IN 2021. Contact us at epd.nsc@anu.edu.au to express interest or to discuss how we can tailor this program for your organisation.

How important is Russia to Australian security policy? Is it a legitimate major power that deserves to be taken seriously? Is it a threat, an irritant, or even a potential future partner on security challenges? This course explores Russia’s resurgent role in global politics and security as well as its worldview.

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Terrorism and Foreign Interference: tackling concurrent threats

While the Australian government continues to support a range of key Counter Terrorism (CT) and Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) initiatives as part of its national security agenda, Foreign Interference (FI) has been identified as a significant threat with the rise of new technologies and evolving geopolitical agendas.

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Technology Breakfast Series: underpinning the national interest

Conducted over four consecutive Fridays, this program considers the national security impacts, challenges and opportunities posed by new and emerging technology. Technological change can provide new tools for national security operators, but also create new security vulnerabilities, alter the political and social context in which the national security community must operate, and engender strategic competition between states. This series aims to help you understand existing and evolving technology so you can contextualise its impact on national security policy.

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The Korean Peninsula: An Enduring Security Dilemma

NOT SCHEDULED FOR DELIVERY IN 2021. Contact us at epd.nsc@anu.edu.au to express interest or to discuss how we can tailor this program for your organisation.

Looking at challenges and opportunities over the next three to five years, the course examines the current political characteristics of the two Koreas, focusing on recent developments in the region and with the USA. The course will examine the economy, political and social outlooks, defence priorities and aspirations, technical innovation, internal security challenges, strategic objectives, and implications for global, regional and Australian interests.

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The Intelligence and Policy Nexus: a powerful pairing

Effective policymaking within Australia’s dynamic national security environment requires that intelligence is effectively transmitted, synthesised and utilised by policy makers. How can the relationship between intelligence and policy be structured to maximum effect?

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