With AUSMIN - the Australia-US Ministerial Meeting - happening this week, what does an American in Australia think of the bilateral relationship? Nancy Schneider moved to Australia from California in 2017 and is the Australian Institute of Internatioanl Affairs (AIIA) National Operations Manager. On this final 15 Mins in Canberra episode, Hayley Channer and Nancy talk about how to modernise the Australia-US Alliance, what the Indo-Pacific region thinks of AUKUS, and the potential for Trump to win the 2024 Presidency ..read more

Last week North Korea fired its most missiles in a single day into waters near South Korea. In response, South Korea fired missiles over the maritime demarcation line. Australia and South Korea have been cooperating on security and defence since they fought side-by-side in the Korean War. But how is North Korea affecting their bilateral relationship now? Join 15 Minutes in Canberra to hear Dr Peter Lee give an update on Australia-South Korea relations, North Korea, and minilaterals like MIKTA ..read more

Ever wondered about the career path to becoming an ambassador? How do you go from being a university student to Head of Mission at an overseas Australian post? Perth USAsia Centre Research Director, Dr Kate O'Shaughnessy, shares her experience as High Commissioner to Mauritius and Ambassador to Madagascar from 2020 to 2022, including some of the key concerns for each country ..read more

Australia's military historians perform a crucial role. This can include drafting Australia's official histories of conflict, conducting fieldwork overseas, and even looking at social and cultural practices in the Australian Defence Force over time. Dr Tristan Moss was involved in writing Australia's official histories of Afghanistan, Iraq, and Timor Leste, and has 'walked the battlefield' in Papua New Guinea. Listen to this episode to hear Tristan's career experiences ..read more

The Australian Space Agency has been operating in Adelaide since 2018. Committed to transforming technologies and growing the space sector, it has not only opened opportunities for regional partnerships on space but created new areas of competition. Hayley Channer is joined for a stellar episode by Griffith Asia Institute Senior Lecturer, Dr Tristan Moss, to discuss the agency's regional partnerships, and how the space domain has been featured in the US-China rivalry ..read more

Hayley Channer is joined by Dr Kristi Govella, Senior Fellow and Deputy Director of the Asia Program at the German Marshall Fund. Together, they unpack the state of the Quad following the meeting of its countries' foreign ministers in New York City earlier this month. Hayley and Kristi consider what the Quad has achieved to-date and ask: should Quad partners focus globally or narrowly on the Indo-Pacific? Is there room for South Korea to join the group? And what could happen to the Quad if Donald Trump wins the US presidential election in 2024 ..read more

The United States' military is huge, so what do its 'special forces' do? What does INDO-PACOM mean? And how is the US working with partners like Australia and Japan? If you've ever wondered what it's like to work in a high-intensity military environment, then this episode is for you. Hayley Channer welcomes Ken Gleiman to the podcast to discuss his 30-year career in the US military, including advising Admiral Harry B. Harris at INDO-PACOM, and other senior officials at the Pentagon ..read more

Amid worsening strategic circumstances, leaders including the late Abe Shinzo have led the charge for Japan to increase its national and collective defence abilities. Given Japan's closeness with Australia and the US, it has been suggested that Japan might join the AUKUS arrangement. So, what is stopping Japan from joining AUKUS? Hayley Channer asks Kei Koga, Japan Fellow at the Wilson Centre and Assistant Professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore ..read more

It's been 18 months since the military junta seized power in Myanmar. Aung San Suu Kyi is back under house arrest and facing more corruption charges. Since the coup there have been thousands of arrests and executions, including the executions of four democracy activists at the end of July. So, where does Myanmar go to from here? Hayley Channer speaks with former Myanmar-based CIA officer and current Deputy Director and Senior Fellow with the CSIS Economics Program, Erin Murphy, to find out ..read more

The United States recently launched the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) as an answer to its absence from the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). It also established a new infrastructure and investment framework called the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), and opened a new development bank known as the Development Finance Corporation (DFC). How effective have these initiatives been and what's their regional reception been like? To find out, Hayley Channer is joined on the podcast by former DFC official, and current Sen ..read more