ASPI USA was proud to co-host the Congressional Staff Program on Australia in partnership with the East-West Center in Washington, a six-part briefing series tailored for 23 congressional staffers from both chambers—our largest cohort yet!
The Congressional Staff Program comes at a time when the US-Australia Alliance is more important than ever in our history.
Over the course of three weeks, experts from academia, think tanks, industry, and the Australian Embassy helped deepen staffers' understanding of Australia’s strategic role in the Indo-Pacific, the US-Australia alliance, AUKUS, geoeconomics, and minilateralism, among other topics. The program culminated in a reception at the Embassy of Australia, United States of America.
Key sessions and speakers included:
Australia, its Place in the World and the US-Australia Alliance
Jason Robertson, Satu Limaye, Kathryn Hendel Paik, Adam Leslie, and Alan Tidwell
Great Power Competition: China, the US, and Regional Dynamics
Toshi Yoshihara, Neil Thomas, and Tamie Balaga
AUKUS: Implementation and Innovation
Steven Marshall, Rachael Young, Nishank Motwani, and Chris Robertson
Regional Security in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands
Benedict David, Gregory Brown, and Wilson Beaver
The Resurgence of Geoeconomics
The Hon. Arthur Sinodinos AO, Nerida King, and Torrin Chidgey
Minilateralism and US-Australia Engagement with Asia
Lisa Curtis, Dhruva Jaishankar, and Celeste Powell
We are grateful to our congressional partners for their support and look forward to continued dialogue on advancing peace, prosperity, and resilience in the Indo-Pacific.
Special thanks to our moderators, speakers, and embassy colleagues for making this program so impactful, as well as the following individuals:
Sam Varie and Owen McGeary with the Friends of Australia Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Joe Courtney
Brendan Shields and James Raincsuk with the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee
Jen Mason, Micki Werner, and Laura Brisbane with the Australian Embassy
Abbigail McCarty and Aryan D’Rozario with the East-West Center in Washington
Nerida King, Ned Talbot, Jacqueline Gibson, Hassan Gad, Sheri Lei, Marika Vigo, Adam Leslie, Gregory Brown, Nishank Motwani, and Justin Bassi with ASPI USA and the Australian Strategic Policy Institute
