The ACSS Podcast: Recent Episodes
Australian Crisis Simulation Summit
The ACSS is a student-led, ANU-supported initiative that prepares the next generation of Australia's national security leaders for the inevitable challenges and crises Australia will face in the 21st century. 70 high-caliber undergraduate and postgraduate students from around Australia will participate in this week-long Summit. The Summit will focus on three realistic and Australia-centric national security crisis simulations and provide delegates with real-world crisis management experience.
As part of preparing the delegates for the week-long Summit, the Education and Research team has created a three-episode podcast series about the Summit's topics. Joining these podcasts are highly esteemed academics and industry leaders to discuss the topics on each of the crisis simulations the delegates will face during the Summit.
Welcome to the twelfth episode of the ACSS' third season podcast where Vishwas Grover sits down with Heather Murphy, Senior Analyst at The Lab. We delve into Australia's international development policies, the Lab's mission, and its role in the Australian development ecosystem. Heather's insights on Australia's Indo-Pacific engagement, indivisible security, and regional dynamics are discussed. We explore how Australia's new international development policy addresses security risks. Heather shares her perspective on Papua New Guinea's development trajectory and its impact on Australia. We also look at Australia's promising future in international development and The Lab's role. Don't miss Heather's message to future national security leaders and foreign policy strategists.Heather Murphy is a Senior Analyst at the Development Intelligence Lab. She is a foreign policy expert with over a decade of hands-on experience in the field of international relations. Previously she was a Senior Analyst at the Office of National Intelligence, focusing on critical infrastructure in the Pacific and Southeast Asia, the political economy of Papua New Guinea, and state building in Bougainville. Prior to that, she was a development practitioner and diplomat, working for the World Bank, AusAID, and DFAT in Thailand, Australia, and Papua New Guinea. In government, a number of her roles focused on the effectiveness and performance of Australia’s aid program and its practical application as a tool of statecraft.
In the eleventh episode of the ACSS' third season, Ryan Zabik sits down with Associate Professor Matt McDonald to discuss all things security. Matt McDonald is Associate Professor in the School of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Queensland. His research focuses on critical theoretical approaches to security and their application to issues such as environmental change, Australian foreign and security policy, climate politics and Asia-Pacific security dynamics.———————————————————————————————————————————Show Notes:Article in International Affairs regarding UNSC (https://academic.oup.com/ia/article/99/4/1635/7180159) Article in Environmental Politics regarding Geoengineering. (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09644016.2022.2113606) Matt's latest book exploring the concept of ecological security and how security is constructed. (https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009024495)
In the tenth episode of the ACSS' third season, Jackson Skinner sits down with Meg Tapia to discuss what it is like to deal with real crises, what leadership in action looks like and how to deal with intense situations.
Meg is a seasoned national security and foreign policy practitioner with over 20 years of operational experience, including 16 years as a diplomat. Meg is currently the Managing Director and Owner of Novexus, a national security advisory firm helping government and corporate clients navigate risk and complexity.
Show notes:
Watch
To get a feel for what crisis looks like in action: Apollo 13 (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112384/)
If you’re able to handle a story about a pandemic: Contagion ( https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1598778/)
For political satire: Wag the Dog (1997) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120885/)
Read
Leadership in the Eye of the Storm, Bill Tibbo (https://utorontopress.com/9781442649941/leadership-in-the-eye-of-the-storm/)
Listen
The rest of the ACSS Series
In the ninth episode of the ACSS’ third season, Jacob Huth sits down with Robert Pratten, CEO of Conducttr, to discuss the value of crisis simulations, the story of Conductrr and the role of crisis simulations in preparing the next generation of national security leaders. Show Notes: The Italian Job (1969) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064505/
In the eighth episode of the ACSS' third season, Richard Maude joins Jackson Skinner to discuss a career in the public service, the Australian government's 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper and the recent Shangri-La Dialogue. Richard Maude has held many high-level public service positions, including Director-General of the Office of National Assessment and senior adviser on foreign policy and national security issues to Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
In the seventh episode of the ACSS’ third season (part two of the discussion with Dennis Richardson), Jackson Skinner further discusses Dennis Richardson’s views on the role of government in society, essential leadership traits, the United States’ staying power in Asia and the value of wargaming throughout a long career in the APS.
Show Notes
Dennis recommends:
Anything written by Ben MacIntyre, but specifically ‘A Spy Among Friends’ https://www.amazon.com.au/Spy-Among-Friends-Philby-Betrayal/dp/0804136653
Breach https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0401997/
A Bridge of Spies https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3682448/
The James Bond franchise
Dennis Richardson AO has served as the Secretary of the Department of Defence (2012-2017) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (2010-2012), the Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (1996-2005) and as the Australian Ambassador to the United States (2005-2009). In part one of the sixth episode of the ACSS' third season, Jackson Skinner sits down with Dennis Richardson to discuss parts of his career in the Australian Public Service, what distinguishes top public servants and insights into the leadership styles of different Prime Ministers.
In the fifth episode of the ACSS’ third season, Jackson Skinner sits down with Dr Ben Herscovitch, Research Fellow at the ANU’s School of Regulation and Global Governance, to discuss the state of American democracy, the implications for its resolve in Asia, US-China economic statecraft, Taiwan and Australia-China relations. Show Notes: The Prince - https://open.spotify.com/show/62dyKz8nKOOCjoU3E5ECdn?si=8f276fdd5fb24b17 RRR - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8178634/ Pale Blue Dot - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pale_Blue_Dot
In the fourth episode of the ACSS' third season, Jackson Skinner sits down with Sam Roggeveen, the Director of the International Security Program at the Lowy Institute, to discuss the Indo-Pacific regional order, US-China relations, the 2023 Defence Strategic Review and AUKUS.
Sam's recommendations:
Pre-order The Echidna Strategy by Sam Roggeveen (https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/books/echidna-strategy#:~:text=The%20echidna%20strategy%20is%2C%20in,enough%20armour%20to%20protect%20ourselves.)
Gaslit (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11834592/)
Ones and Tooze - Adam Tooze (https://open.spotify.com/show/44pekawcpIJ7KgwcFIgZDr?si=ce06570b805c460f)
The Economist Podcasts (https://open.spotify.com/show/2ZFDmgDS2Z6xccP51s1zFQ?si=b0be6dbfb24c488e)
Also, look out for Sam's upcoming essay in Australian Foreign Affairs (https://www.australianforeignaffairs.com)
In the third episode of the ACSS' third season, Jackson Skinner sits down with ANU Peace and Conflict Studies expert, Associate Professor Nicolas Lemay-Hébert, to discuss humanitarian interventions, fragile situations, the changing world order and his experience in Haiti.
Show Notes and Nicolas' recommendations:
Abdulrazak Gurnah — Afterlives: A Novel (find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Afterlives-Novel-Abdulrazak-Gurnah/dp/059354188X)
Raoul Peck — Exterminate All the Brutes (find information here: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8396314/)
Nicolas' ANU Researcher Profile: https://researchprofiles.anu.edu.au/en/persons/nicolas-lemay-hebert
In this second episode of the ACSS' third season, the Chief Crisis Simulations Officer, Shiva Shah, details what complex systems are, how they are being integrated into the simulations in 2023 and how to best contend with them. Shiva's reading/resource suggestions:
- Systems Effects by Robert Jervis
- ANU School of Cybernetics - "One of the Leading Institutions in the study of complex systems and specifically their relationship with cyber physical systems and ecology, which goes without saying that they underpin some of the greatest national security challenges today"
- The 'Complexity' podcast by the Santa Fe Institute
- Competing for the system: The Essence of Strategic Emerging Rivalries - report by the RAND Corporation
- The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow
- Neuromancer by William Gibson
We hope you enjoy and learn from this podcast and all podcasts to come. https://australian-crisis-simulation-summit.com/
In this first episode of the ACSS' third season, Tim Hobbs the Founding Director for 2020 and Jacob Huth the Director for 2023 explore where the ACSS has been and where it is going. They detail important information about the value of the Summit for Delegates, Team Members, and Stakeholders and why involving yourself in the ACSS is so important. We hope you enjoy and learn from this podcast and all podcasts to come. https://australian-crisis-simulation-summit.com/
Over the last three years Australia has relied heavily on its defence force to respond to non-military related crises arising from bushfires, floods, and the pandemic. In this episode, former Chief of the Australian Defence Force (1998-2002) Admiral (Retired) Chris Barrie outlines why this is problematic for both military preparedness and national resilience, and proposes that a universal service scheme involving Australia’s young people might better prepare Australia for a range of crises in the future.
Opinions and views expressed on topics in this series reflect the personal opinions of our highly esteemed guests. Statements made within this series do not reflect the views of the ACSS, ANU or our sponsors.
In a discussion with Fergus Hanson from ASPI (Australian Strategic Policy Institute), cyber policy, vulnerabilities, attacks, and resilience are explored with in-depth examples and hypotheticals. Situations like life-threatening cyber attacks are explored, alongside various other discussion points like policy targeted towards different threat actors, how to manage a situation in which victims (of cyber crime) are prosecuted due to suggested ransom-payment laws, recent data breaches like Medibank and Optus, the intertwining of information technology with operational technology, and various others. Understanding how Australia can become a cyber resilient society is vitally important for our future leaders, because every year, Australians are haemorrhaging billions to cyber criminals and as our society becomes more and more reliant on technology, we also become increasingly vulnerable.
Opinions and views expressed on topics in this series reflect the personal opinions of our highly esteemed guests. Statements made within this series do not reflect the views of the ACSS, ANU or our sponsors.
This year is the 20th anniversary of the Bali bombings. In this episode, we are joined by Sylvia Laksmi, an Indonesian national, former financial intelligence analyst and counter-terrorism expert. We discuss Indonesia’s counter-terrorism program, expanding cooperation between Indonesia and Australia to combat terrorism at its source and the challenges in tracking financial flows to terrorist organizations.
Opinions and views expressed on topics in this series reflect the personal opinions of our highly esteemed guests. Statements made within this series do not reflect the views of the ACSS, ANU or our sponsors.
Cyber is evolving rapidly, with threats increasing in sophistication as they exploit the vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure, defence capabilities, and knowledge. Governments and the private sector struggle to address cyber crises and their ramifications with limited purview and waning resources. It is clear that the approach to cybersecurity must be adapted to be more resilient to the field’s growing complexity, however, first we must understand the threats we face. In the first of two podcasts on cyber, Dave Cohen, General Manager of the Cyber-Tech Institute of Australia, sheds light on vulnerabilities, resilience, and concerns for the future.
Interventions are fraught with risk. Risk for those providing assistance. Risk for those on the ground. Exploring the nuances of success, the idea of fragile states, and the means of accountability, this podcast provides listeners with the important contextual understanding of such a complex topic. This week, we had the privilege of being joined by distinguished academic and practitioner, Dr. Nicholas Lemay-Hébert to discuss some of the field’s most complex questions.
Opinions and views expressed on topics in this series reflect the personal opinions of our highly esteemed guests. Statements made within this series do not reflect the views of the ACSS, ANU or our sponsors.
In the midst of the 2022 Australian Federal Election campaign, the Solomon Islands pressed ahead and signed a security agreement with China lighting a political firestorm. The agreement between Honiara and Beijing is just one of the many steps in China’s growing power and expansive ambitions. What are the security implications and what does this all mean for the region broadly and more importantly for those in Canberra? Dr Benjamin Herscovitch joins us this week to discuss the Solomon Islands Chinese Security agreement and its strategic implications for China, Australia and the region.
Opinions and views expressed on topics in this series reflect the personal opinions of our highly esteemed guests. Statements made within this series do not reflect the views of the ACSS, ANU or our sponsors.
For almost as long as history, terrorism has existed—a constant in an ever-changing world. With the tragic events of 9/11 catalysing the field as an area of research and study, in this episode, we explore the misconceptions and main ideas which lay central to the complex area of terrorism studies. Having the privilege of discussing the topic with expert Sophie Saydan, we delve deep into the concepts of evolution, the so-called process of radicalisation, the direct threat posed by terrorism, and so much more...
In this episode, we had the privilege of interviewing ANU’s Chancellor, the Honourable Julie Bishop. The Chancellor devoted her life to Australian politics and spent years across multiple ministerial positions. Her portfolios included Education, Science and Training, Women’s Issues and Foreign Affairs. Some of the Chancellor's later political endeavours include serving as Australia’s first female Minister for Foreign Affairs and representing Australia in the United Nations Security Council. We discussed her career, foreign relations, and her perspective on current and future national security trends.
Opinions and views expressed on topics in this series reflect the personal opinions of our highly esteemed guests. Statements made within this series do not reflect the views of the ACSS, ANU or our sponsors.
Image credit: Lannon Harley/ANU
The political status of Taiwan is contentious. Recognition of the Republic of China has been a point of conflict in international politics for many years. The West’s relationship with China has ebbed and flowed, arguably influenced by states like the US and Australia’s interaction with and support of Taiwan. Australia’s alliance commitments and political agenda place it in a delicate position. Dr Iain Henry joins us this week to explore Taiwan’s historical, current and future political implications and where Australia sits on these issues.
The politics of nuclear weapons is back on the agenda for Australian policymakers. Regional nuclear capabilities combined with flashpoints across the Asia-Pacific have the potential to create security risks for Australia. In addition, the AUKUS nuclear submarine security pact complicates Australia's role as a non-nuclear state. Dr Benjamin Zala joins us on this episode to explore the modern implications of nuclear weapons, where Australia stands on the topic, and what the future looks like in this field.
Opinions and views expressed on topics in this series reflect the personal opinions of our highly esteemed guests. Statements made within this series do not reflect the views of the ACSS, ANU or our sponsors.
2022 has been nothing short of momentous in the realm of Russia's relations with the West. After six months at war, questions arise regarding Russia's short-term and long-term intentions in the conflict. What are the implications of US-supplied weaponry to Ukraine? Is the response from the international community helpful in achieving a resolution to the war? On the 9th of August, we got the privilege to sit down with Dr Charles Miller to delve into the rapidly evolving details of the situation in Eastern Europe.
Opinions and views expressed on topics in this series reflect the personal opinions of our highly esteemed guests. Statements made within this series do not reflect the views of the ACSS, ANU or our sponsors.
The 2022 ACSS Director, Genevieve Lumb, joins us to discuss the upcoming summit in December, what our delegates should expect and the work the ACSS team is doing in preparation.
The second season of the ACSS podcast explores evolving national security issues which are highly relevant to our listeners in 2022. This content is designed to help our delegates prepare for the crisis summit week in the 2022 iteration of the ACSS. Episodes throughout the series will be identified to our delegates as being either essential or complimentary to their preparation.
Opinions and views expressed on topics in this series reflect the personal opinions of our highly esteemed guests. Statements made within this series do not reflect the views of the ACSS, ANU or our sponsors.
The stability and security of the Asia-Pacific region is constantly evolving, with key players like China, the U.S, and Australia dominant in the region. But how well do Australia and the rest of the world really understand the Asia-Pacific region? Are we listening to our Pacific partners on key issues like climate change? Does the role of national security undergird Beijing's economic statecraft? Joining the ACSS Podcast to understand the architecture of the Asia-Pacific are Dr. Pichamon Yeophantong and Dr. Ian Fry.
Space - the final frontier. As activities in Space continue to grow exponentially, so too do its risks towards national security. How well do we understand Space as a domain for our national security? What is Australia's role as a middle power towards Space? Can we moderate Space activity fairly and equitably? Joining the ACSS podcast to discuss the wide range of space security issues are Dr. Cassandra Steer, Duncan Blake, and Adam Gilmour.
As national security dimensions continue to change, so too should our approaches. But how can we maintain a continuous approach to a domain that is changing at such a fast pace? To discuss this, Katherine Mansted and John Blaxland from the ANU join the ACSS Podcast to unravel the complexities of foreign interference and cybersecurity and its place in the Australian context.