The Director's Chair

In the first episode of this new series of The Director’s Chair, the Lowy Institute’s Executive Director Michael Fullilove is joined by respected Australian journalist Leigh Sales. They discuss Leigh’s experience as a foreign correspondent in Washington, the shifts in American society that led to the rise of Donald Trump, why she still believes that journalists should be impa

From Ukraine to the Middle East, we are confronted by serious challenges to peace and security. Meantime, the prospect of Donald Trump's return to the White House looms. Around the world there has been a startling rise in illiberalism. Fareed Zakaria joins Michael Fullilove on this episode of The Director’s Chair to discuss these issues, the state of the world today, and a life s

In this episode, Michael Fullilove speaks with leading strategist and historian Eliot Cohen. They discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine, the intelligence failures that led to the 7 October attacks on Israel, the prospect of Trump returning to the White House, and why people who care about international politics should read Shakespeare.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio

In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks to the leading Indian scholar and diplomat, Shivshankar Menon. They discuss Hamas’s attack on Israel, how India manages its relationship with China, and why he is an optimist about the relationship between India and Australia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with Kaja Kallas, the Prime Minister of Estonia. They discuss Estonia’s strong support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s invasion, the future of Russia in world affairs, and why democracies must work together to counter aggression and reinforce support for the international rules-based order. Kaja Kallas has

In this episode of The Director's Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with Dr Henry Kissinger, the former US Secretary of State and National Security Adviser. They discuss the role of individuals in history, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the future of Australia's relationship with China. Dr Henry Kissinger was National Security Adviser to both the Nixon and Ford administrations, an

In this special episode of The Director's Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with Sanna Marin, the Prime Minister of Finland. They discuss Finland's decision to join NATO, and the security challenges facing all of Europe as a consequence of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This conversation was recorded at a live event at the Lowy Institute on 2 December 2022. Sanna Marin was appointed

In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with Sir Lawrence Freedman, who is in Australia as the Lowy Institute’s 2022 Distinguished Fellow for International Security. Michael and Sir Lawrence discuss Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the lessons it offers for military strategists around the world. They discuss the implications for China and Taiwan, and how

In this episode of The Director's Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with author and journalist Susan Glasser about next week's US midterm elections and the likely results. They discuss US political perspectives on the war in Ukraine, the Biden Administration's performance on foreign policy, and the continued influence of former president Donald Trump on US politics. Susan Glasser is

In this episode of The Director's Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with His Excellency José Ramos-Horta, the President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. José and Michael discuss the fallout from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, relations between Timor-Leste and Australia and the role of China's in the Indo-Pacific region. José reflects on his time in leadership roles, and t