Asia Society Australia is pleased to invite you to an exclusive member-only Executive Briefing with our Senior Policy Fellow, Dr Natalie Sambhi.

Southeast Asia is at the nexus of the Indo-Pacific region, not just geographically but in increasingly economic, trade and security terms. What happens in this vibrant and diverse region, which sees itself as the custodian of Indo-Pacific architecture and norms, and in individual Southeast Asian states matters to Australia.

In light of this year’s ASEAN–Australia Special Summit, celebrating 50 years of Australia’s Dialogue Partner status, Dr Natalie Sambhi will explore the need to further promote mutual cooperation and understanding between Australia and Southeast Asia. She will also explore how a failure to grasp differences in identities and priorities could inhibit Australia’s security and prosperity in the region.

Natalie’s deep knowledge on Southeast Asia, expertise on Indonesia, and military and security, ensures she is uniquely placed to discuss the implications of a new political dynasty in Indonesia, the Quad and middle power dynamics.

Following remarks from Natalie, participants will be invited to ask questions and share their perspectives on opportunities and challenges in Australia’s relationship with Southeast Asia. 

Date: 8 July 2024

Time: 12:15 pm arrival for a 12:30 pm start. The event will conclude at 2:00 pm.

Venue: Brisbane

Please note that this event is member-only and held under Chatham House Rule. Registration is essential as tickets are limited. For any enquiries, please contact [email protected].

This Executive Briefing is hosted by the University of Queensland.

About our Speaker

Dr Natalie Sambhi, Senior Policy Fellow, Asia Society Australia

Natalie Sambhi is a Senior Policy Fellow with Asia Society Australia. She is also the Founder and Executive Director of Verve Research, an independent think tank focussed on Southeast Asia, and a Non-resident Fellow with the Brookings Institution’s Foreign Policy Program.

Natalie holds a BA (Asian Studies) (Hons) from the University of Western Australia, a MA (International Relations) and Master of Diplomacy from the Australian National University, and a PhD from the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, the Australian National University on the Indonesian military’s history.

Since 2022, Natalie has worked as an academic with Deakin University, convening modules for the Australian War College’s Defence and Strategic Studies Course (DSSC) and Australian Command and Staff Course (ACSC). She has previously worked as a Research Fellow at the Perth USAsia Centre, as an Analyst and Managing Editor of ASPI’s blog, The Strategist, at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), the Australian Department of Defence, University of Canberra and for the academic journal Asian-Pacific Economic Literature. In May 2014 and in January 2016, Natalie was a Visiting Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) in Washington, DC.

Natalie has been a guest lecturer and presenter at the Australian National University, Australian National Security College, Australian War College, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Indonesian National Resilience Institute (LEMHANNAS), Indonesian Defense University, Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Canadian Department of National Defence and several international think tanks and universities. Her writing has appeared in the National Bureau of Asian Research, Security Challenges journal, South China Morning Post, War On The Rocks, The Diplomat, The Interpreter and The National Interest.

Natalie has previously been involved with the Australian Institute of International Affairs ACT; the US-based Center for International Maritime Security (CIMSEC) and was a founding member of ASPI’s Women in Defence and Security Network (WDSN). Follow her on Twitter @securityscholar.