Asia Society Australia is Australia’s leading global think-tank and the membership organisation dedicated to Asia, focussing on the interplay between business and policy.

We connect business, policy and society, helping Australians to understand and engage with Asia and to navigate our shared futures.

We are a national, independent, non-partisan, and non-political institution with a national centre in Melbourne, an office in Sydney, and programs accessible in Australia and globally through digital and face-to-face platforms.

Asia Society Australia is a centre of Asia Society – a preeminent global non-profit organisation dedicated to Asia, founded in 1956 by John D. Rockefeller 3rd, with centres in New York, Hong Kong, Houston, Los Angeles, Manila, Melbourne, Mumbai, San Francisco, Seoul, Sydney, Tokyo, Washington, DC and Zurich.

Explore Asia Society's global network >>

Our Mission

Our mission is to prepare Australians for deeper and sustainable engagement with a more complex Asia.

Our Priorities

Our strategic priorities are linked to the major challenges and opportunities that are facing Australia and Asia.

Our Values

1. Excellence: we provide world-class expertise, a region-wide perspective and a global outlook.
2. Independence: we are an independent, non-partisan, non-political, non-profit organisation with a national mission.
3. Diversity and inclusion: We are a champion of diversity - of regional outlook, of culture, of opinion and of our Asian-Australian communities. 
4. Respect and integrity: We value every member of our network for the contribution they make to our success.  We act with the highest standards to encourage freedom of expression, creativity, collegiality, and robust and respectful debate.

Read our Strategy 2021-2026

Our History

Asia Society Australia was founded in 1997 by then Prime Minister John Howard to broaden interest and understanding in Australia of Asian countries and their politics, business and culture. The establishment of the Asia Society Australia was led by Hugh Morgan AC (then CEO of WMC Limited) and Richard Woolcott AC (former Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade).

Asia Society Australia Institutional Independence Policy

• The Asia Society Australia is a not-for-profit, non-governmental and non-political organisation, registered in Australia under the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. We seek to promote mutual understanding and public debate about Asia and Australia-Asia relations.
• Asia Society globally (including all its centres) takes no institutional position on policy issues and has no affiliation with any government. Where opinions and recommendations are expressed in Asia Society publications and at our events, they reflect the views of the author or authors.
• The independence of what we do is very important to Asia Society Australia and to the Asia Society Policy Institute. We will not allow limitations or conditions to be placed by funders and members — individuals, governments or companies — that compromise the independence of our research, projects, programs, products, or speaker selection.