Drawing on a very distinguished career in Government and academia, Professor Beazley will discuss the role of ministers and officers in the development and implementation of National Security policy. Professor Beazley was elected to the Federal Parliament to represent the seat of Swan in 1980. He was a member of parliament from 1980 to 2007, representing the Swan and Brand electorates. He was a Minister from 1983-1996 in the Hawke and Keating Labor governments, holding at various times portfolios which included Defence, Finance, Transport and Communications, Employment Education and Training, Aviation and Special Minister of State. Professor Beazley was Deputy Prime Minister 1995-1996 under Prime Minister Paul Keating. He was elected Leader of the Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition 1996-2001 and 2005-2006. Whilst in parliament, he served at times on a number of parliamentary committees, including Joint Intelligence and Joint Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. He was also a member of the Speaker’s Panel. He retired from Parliament in 2007.

Young Strategic Leaders Forum monthly seminars are free for
young professionals and for Kokoda Foundation members.

Inquiries should be directed to the Kokoda Foundation Manager
Email manager@kokodafoundation.org or Telephone 02 6204 1822

The Young Strategic Leaders’ Forum is proudly sponsored by Noetic Solutions Pty Ltd

The new Autum 2009 edition of Security Challenges is now available for sale.

With contributions by experts from Australia and overseas, articles in the new issue analyze security challenges arising from the geopolitical shifts in Asia, as well as information operations in counterinsurgency, intelligence reform, and Australian policy towards Japan and China.

Highlights include:

• Nick Bisley on the future of Asian geopolitics;
• Jim Molan on information operations in Iraq;
• Rory Medcalf on Australia's intelligence community;
• Mark Pythian on Intelligence Analysis;
• Roy McDowall on Australia's strategic depiction of China; and
• Jusuke Ishihara on Australian-Japan relations.

For links to the abstracts of the individual articles, see the table of contents of this exciting new issue. Hard copies can be ordered here.

Research Projects

The Foundation has the following research projects underway at present:

Australia’s Energy Future: The National Security Implications

This project examines the key elements of Australia’s energy future and then considers the implications for national security planning. Leaders of Australia’s petroleum, electricity generating, gas and transmission companies together with leading researchers in wind, solar, geo-thermal and other alternative energy sources contributed to this project both via a major workshop and also through a large number of personal interviews. Some important new perspectives emerge from this cutting-edge report, prepared by the Project Leader, Kate Delaney. This report is scheduled for publication in April 2009. 

Australia's Human Capital Options

The state of Australia’s human capital has come under increasing scrutiny and is likely to be a serious concern to Australia’s long term security. The focus on the ageing population, education, fertility rates and immigration all represent long-term concerns with Australia’s human capital.

Australia also faces a daunting security environment in 2030-2050. In the coming years, some regional neighbours will experience a pronounced ‘youth bulge’ that will provide a stimulus for rapid economic growth while others may struggle to manage the contradictions of an open market and traditional social policy. Australia needs to prepare itself to move deftly through difficult regional economic and demographic terrain.

A key question is whether Australia can strengthen greatly its human capital and lift the ceiling on its economic growth over the coming twenty years through innovative human capital policies. This study will investigate Australia’s human capital (its fragility and strength) in the context of Australia’s long term security. It will focus on the threats to human capital as they are understood today but also identify those human capital assets that are of enduring value, and how they should be reinforced.

Dr David Schmidtchen is leading this study into Australia's human capital challenge. The report is due to be released in April 2009.