Gen A Relaunch Sydney: Redefining the Asia Opportunity | Asia Society Skip to main content

Unsupported Browser Detected.
It seems the web browser you're using doesn't support some of the features of this site. For the best experience, we recommend using a modern browser that supports the features of this website. We recommend Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge

  • Back to asiasociety.org
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Past Events
    • Global Live Webcasts
    • Program Streams
  • Issues
    • Complex Asia
    • Trade Smarter
    • Living with China
    • Generation Asia
  • Analysis
    • Australian Election Policy Briefs 2022
    • Briefing MONTHLY
    • China Executive Briefing
    • Disruptive Asia
    • Southeast Asia and COVID-19 Project
    • Webcast Videos
    • Explainers
    • Looking Ahead
  • Initiatives
    • Generation Asia Research Reports
    • Asia Taskforce
    • CEO Roundtables
    • Viet Nam Initiative
    • Australia and Korea: Middle Power Parallels
    • Australia-Japan: Stepping up a Special Strategic Relationship in Asia
  • Experts
    • Asia Society Policy Institute in Australia
    • Distinguished Fellowships
    • Scholar-In-Residence
    • Media Enquiries
  • News
  • Members and Partners
    • Become a Member
    • Our Members
    • Our Partners
  • Support Us
    • Support Asia Society Australia
    • Donate now
    • Planned giving
  • About
    • About Asia Society Australia
    • Our Strategic Plan
    • Our Programs
    • Our People
    • Our Board and Advisory Council
    • For the Media
    • Careers and Internships
    • Contact Us
Australia
Search
Australia
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Past Events
    • Global Live Webcasts
    • Program Streams
  • Issues
    • Complex Asia
    • Trade Smarter
    • Living with China
    • Generation Asia
  • Analysis
    • Australian Election Policy Briefs 2022
    • Briefing MONTHLY
    • China Executive Briefing
    • Disruptive Asia
    • Southeast Asia and COVID-19 Project
    • Webcast Videos
    • Explainers
    • Looking Ahead
  • Initiatives
    • Generation Asia Research Reports
    • Asia Taskforce
    • CEO Roundtables
    • Viet Nam Initiative
    • Australia and Korea: Middle Power Parallels
    • Australia-Japan: Stepping up a Special Strategic Relationship in Asia
  • Experts
    • Asia Society Policy Institute in Australia
    • Distinguished Fellowships
    • Scholar-In-Residence
    • Media Enquiries
  • News
  • Members and Partners
    • Become a Member
    • Our Members
    • Our Partners
  • Support Us
    • Support Asia Society Australia
    • Donate now
    • Planned giving
  • About
    • About Asia Society Australia
    • Our Strategic Plan
    • Our Programs
    • Our People
    • Our Board and Advisory Council
    • For the Media
    • Careers and Internships
    • Contact Us

Breadcrumb

  • Gen A Relaunch Sydney: Redefining the Asia Opportunity

Gen A Relaunch Sydney: Redefining the Asia Opportunity

VIEW EVENT DETAILS  
Gen A Networking Sydney

Join us for an evening of professional networking with your fellow Gen As, members of Asia Society Australia’s Board and Advisory, as well as select lead members.

In an era defined by disruption, fragmentation, social distancing, and limited mobility, we explore what an Asia-engaged career looks like. Join Merriden Varrall, Director of Australia Geopolitics Hub, KPMG, and Natasha Jha Bhaskar, General Manager of Newland Global Group in-conversation with Chris Khatouki, Gen A member and Associate at Asia Society Australia, as they share their experiences of working within the ‘Asia opportunity’ and how this has evolved over the years. Gen A members are also invited to come ready to share their own experiences – social or professional - of connecting with the region as we relaunch this dynamic platform.

This is a ‘Gen A plus’ event so please register yourself and a colleague. Contact Eloise on edolan@asiasociety.org for further enquiries.

Date: Wednesday 18 May 2022
Time: 5:30 – 8 p.m. AEST
Venue: Sydney CBD (Details in invitation)

Please note, guests must be fully vaccinated and will be expected to show proof of vaccination status upon entry. 


About our Speakers

Merriden Varrall

Merriden Varrall, Director of Australia Geopolitics Hub, KPMG

Dr Merriden Varrall is Director of the Australia Geopolitics Hub at KPMG, where she helps business understand and navigate the complex global geopolitical environment. She provides business-relevant insights into global, regional and local geopolitical trends and works with clients to develop strategies and solutions.

A former UN diplomat based in China, Merriden is a sought-after commentator on geopolitics, East Asia, China’s foreign policy, and Australia’s bilateral relationship with China.

From 2014-2018, Merriden was the Director of the Lowy Institute’s East Asia Program. Before joining the Institute, Merriden was the Assistant Country Director and Senior Policy Advisor at United Nations Development Programme, China, where she worked on China’s role in the world, focusing on its international development cooperation policy. Prior to that she worked for the Australian Government Treasury and the Department of Family and Community Services.

Merriden spent almost eight years living and working in China, including lecturing in foreign policy at the China Foreign Affairs University and conducting fieldwork for her doctoral research.

Merriden has a PhD examining Chinese foreign policy from Macquarie University, Sydney, and the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam. She has a Master’s Degree in International Affairs from the Australian National University, and completed her undergraduate studies in international studies at the University of Technology Sydney. Her analyses have appeared in academic journals, as well as publications such as The Quarterly, The New York Times, Nikkei Asian Review, Foreign Policy, The East Asia Forum, and the Lowy Interpreter, among others.

Natash Jha Bhaskar

Natasha Jha Bhaskar, General Manager of Newland Global Group

Natasha is General Manager of Newland Global Group, a leading corporate advisory firm headquartered in Sydney, Australia, which aims at simplifying and strengthening trade and investment between Australia and India. With her 12 years of work experience at the Indian Parliament in policy analysis, advocacy and communication, Natasha is driven by the ambition to build connections, insights, and capabilities, within the bilateral trade and investment ecosystem.

She is a frequent contributor to media and think tank publications, been a delegate to Parliament conferences of SAARC, ASEAN, BRICS, participant to National Legislators Conference, ORF's Raisina Dialogue, speaker at ORF's Colaba Conversation and India Global Week 2020, among many others.

Natasha has contributed to bilateral strategy papers; is Non-resident Indo Pacific fellow 2022 at The Perth USAsia Centre; 2022 UN Women Australia MBA scholarship recipient; Deliberative Democratic Exchange Fellow 2019 (Kettering Foundation, USA); Commonwealth Travel Bursary recipient; Young Professional of the Year, 2019 and Youth Ambassador 2021 and 2022 (India Australia Business and Community Awards (IABCA)).

Natasha holds Bachelor degree in History from LSR, Delhi University, Master of Public Policy as a Commonwealth scholar from UBD, Brunei Darussalam and Postgraduate Diploma in Mass Communication from MCRC, JMI University, New Delhi.

Chris Khatouki headshot

Chris Khatouki, Associate, Asia Society Australia  

Chris Khatouki joined Asia Society Australia in February 2021. He is a PhD Scholar in International Political Economy at the University of New South Wales, where his research focuses on the contentious dynamics of economic transformation in East Asia. He currently holds a Graduate Fellowship with The Korea Foundation.

From 2018 to 2021, Chris also served on the Executive Council at the Australian Institute of International Affairs, NSW. As councillor, he assisted in the coordination of high-profile events and worked towards expanding the institute’s outreach to younger audiences. Prior to this, he worked at the Gyeongsangnam-do Office of Education in South Korea.

Chris’s writings on international affairs have featured on a number of global publications including the South China Morning Post, The Diplomat, Australian Outlook, and the Asia Society Policy Institute. He holds a First-Class Honours Degree in International Relations from the University of Wollongong, where he was awarded the University Medal for Academic Excellence.


Gen A (Generation Asia) is Asia Society Australia’s young leaders network. It is a learning and leadership development platform for early career professionals (under 35) from our member and partner organisations. Gen A activities are content-driven and designed to enrich participants understanding of Asia and Australia’s place in the region. Gen A members gain access to leading business, policy, trade, diversity and cultural thinkers on Asia and join a network of peers who are passionate about our region from the business, political, educational and cultural institutions that make up the Asia Society network.  

Event Details

In-person
Wed 18 May 2022
5:30 - 8 p.m.
Sydney Time
Calculate your local time »
20220518T173000 20220518T200000 America/New_York Asia Society: Gen A Relaunch Sydney: Redefining the Asia Opportunity

For event details visit https://asiasociety.org/australia/events/gen-relaunch-sydney-redefining-asia-opportunity
For event details visit https://asiasociety.org/australia/events/gen-relaunch-sydney-redefining-asia-opportunity
  • Upcoming Events
  • Past Events
About
  • Mission & History
  • Our People
  • Become a Member
  • Career Opportunities
  • Corporate Involvement
visit us
  • Hong Kong
  • New York
  • Texas
global network
  • Australia
  • France
  • India
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Northern California
  • Philippines
  • Southern California
  • Switzerland
  • Washington, DC
resources
  • Arts
  • Asia Society Magazine
  • ChinaFile
  • Current Affairs
  • Education
  • For Kids
  • Policy
  • Video
shop
  • AsiaStore
initiatives
  • Arts & Museum Summit
  • Asia 21 Young Leaders
  • Asia Arts Game Changer Awards
  • Asia Game Changer Awards
  • Asia Society Museum: The Asia Arts & Museum Network
  • Asia Society Policy Institute
  • Asian Women Empowered
  • Center for Global Education
  • Center on U.S.-China Relations
  • China Learning Initiatives
  • Coal + Ice
  • Creative Voices of Muslim Asia
  • Global Cities Education Network
  • Global Talent Initiatives
  • U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit
  • U.S.-China Dialogue
  • U.S.-China Museum Summit
Connect
Email Signup For the media
Asia Society logo
©2022 Asia Society | Privacy Statement | Accessibility | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap | Contact

Asia Society takes no institutional position on policy issues and has no affiliation with any government.
The views expressed by Asia Society staff, fellows, experts, report authors, program speakers, board members, and other affiliates are solely their own. Learn more.

 

 

  • Visit Us
  • Hong Kong
  • New York
  • Texas
  • Global Network
  • Australia
  • France
  • India
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Northern California
  • Philippines
  • Southern California
  • Switzerland
  • Washington, DC