The future of the global economic order is in flux. Beijing's coercive economic policies, President Trump’s unprecedented tariffs, and the embrace of industrial policies around the world have cast doubt on the future of international economic rules. Globally, countries like Australia are being forced to contend with a more fragmented economic landscape that is affecting trade and technology flows, supply chains, multilateral institutions, and relations with the major powers.

In this era of unpredictability, critical questions arise:

• Where are Trump's tariffs heading and how will they impact US economic relations and the United States as a place to do business?
• Are the US and China heading for economic decoupling?
• How should countries like Australia, Japan, South Korea, and India navigate great power competition and economic pressure?
• What is the impact on alliance relations?
• What role will minilateral and regional groups play in shaping a post-tariff global order?

These questions were discussed by leading expert in diplomacy and economic affairs in East Asia, Ambassador Kurt Tong and USSC CEO, Dr Michael J. Green, at a public event moderated by USSC Director of Economic Security Hayley Channer.

To launch USSC senior lecturer Dr Kathryn Schumaker's new book, Tangled Fortunes: The Hidden History of Interracial Marriage in the Jim Crow South (Basic Books, 2025), Dr Schumaker was joined by scholars Dr Michael Green, Associate Professor Frances Clarke, and Dr Aaron Nyerges to discuss the themes of the book.

Prior to the US Supreme Court’s 1967 ruling in Loving v. Virginia, most American states prohibited interracial marriages at one time or another. But as Dr Schumaker reveals in Tangled Fortunes, such laws did not effectively prevent interracial marriages. Indeed, enforcement of such laws was inconsistent when it came to relationships between white men and Black women. In some Southern communities, such unions were tolerated – though often subject to social disapproval. The book offers a new narrative of the rise and fall of racial segregation from the perspectives of ordinary people whose primary goal was to keep their families together in the face of great difficulty.

• Read the Wall Street Journal review of Tangled Fortunes.

Out of sight, out of mind. Low Earth Orbit has undeniably become busier, with upwards of 10,000 satellites and millions of pieces of space debris currently in orbit. With vital services—ranging from communications to climate monitoring, national defence, and financial services—increasingly reliant on space, the proliferation of space assets and debris, and the associated risks of collisions, explosions, and anti-satellite warfare have become a major political issue.

Countries have developed new tools and cultivated norms to improve traffic management and space sustainability. However, amid a proliferation of space stakeholders; the absence of binding international agreements; and challenges in monitoring activities in space, significant gaps remain.

How are public and private actors navigating the challenges of growing congestion in space? How can international frameworks like the Outer Space Treaty be strengthened to address these risks? And how can space sustainability be integrated into the national security policy debate?

To address these questions, the United States Studies Centre was pleased to host a webinar with Audrey M. Schaffer. Ms Schaffer is an internationally recognised expert in space policy, currently serving as Vice President of Strategy and Policy at Slingshot Aerospace and Non-Resident Senior Associate with the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She previously served in the US government for over 15 years, holding positions in the Executive Office of the President, Department of Defense, Department of State, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Ms Schaffer led the US delegation that negotiated the UN Guidelines for Space Sustainability and, from 2021–23, served as Director for Space Policy on the National Security Council of the Biden-Harris Administration.

This webinar was hosted by Dr Kathryn Robison, Lecturer in American Studies at the United States Studies Centre and Senior Research Fellow at the Australian Centre for Space Governance.

This event was made possible with funding from the US State Department.

As space technologies proliferate and international political competition heats up, space has become a hotly contested strategic and operational domain. The rise of space-related threats, from increased orbital congestion to the proliferation of anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons now threatens to upend the international balance of power and drive crisis instability and arms racing between the world’s major powers.

What are the strategic implications of the militarisation of space? How have space threats evolved since the Cold War ‘Space Race’? What measures exist to safeguard critical space infrastructure and to manage space traffic? And how are space-based threats reflected in Australian policy and strategic thinking?

To discuss these issues, the United States Studies Centre hosted a panel featuring the following experts:

• Audrey Schaffer, an internationally recognised expert in space policy and former Director for Space Policy on the National Security Council staff. Ms Schaffer is currently the Vice President of Strategy and Policy at Slingshot Aerospace and a Non-Resident Fellow with the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
• Professor Melissa de Zwart, Deputy Director and Chief Investigator of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plants for Space, and Professor of Space Law and Governance at the University of Adelaide. Professor de Zwart is a prominent legal scholar, working in the areas of commercial and military uses of outer space, encompassing both domestic and international space law.
• Aude Vignelles, Director of Vignelles Space and former Chief Technology Officer of the Australian Space Agency. At the Australian Space Agency, Ms Vignelles was a core contributor in the development of the technical roadmaps of the Australian Civil Space Strategy.

The event was moderated by Dr Kathryn Robison, Lecturer in American Studies at the United States Studies Centre and a Senior Research Fellow at the Australian Centre for Space Governance. The panel will be followed by audience Q&A.

This event was made possible with funding from the US State Department.

The United States Studies Centre hosted an exclusive event in partnership with The Sydney Morning Herald.

April 30 marked 100 days of the second Trump administration. While many expected the return of an unconventional administration, the speed and degree of actions thus far have surprised even the most seasoned of analysts.

What do the first 100 days tell us about the next four years? Is this an aberration or the new normal? How should Australia navigate this administration?

The Sydney Morning Herald's foreign affairs and national security correspondent Matthew Knott unpacked the key issues of the second Trump administration with political and international editor Peter Hartcher and world editor Catherine Naylor.

They were joined by USSC experts, Chief Executive Officer Dr Michael Green, who previously served on the National Security Council at the White House from 2001 to 2005, and Director of Research Jared Mondschein.

Export controls and investment screening are taking centre stage in the United States as Washington attempts to protect military and industrial advantages against China while simultaneously exploiting commercial opportunities for its high-tech industries and expanding technological cooperation with allies and partners. Within this complex policy context, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia are seeking greater harmonisation of national export control systems to unlock new defence and technology trade opportunities and deliver on the AUKUS partnership.

These developments raise critical questions for Australian stakeholders. What is the state of play for export controls in the United States, and what can we expect under a second Trump Administration? Will we see alignment on export controls between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia? And what does this all mean for Australia and the AUKUS enterprise?

To address these questions, the United States Studies Centre hosted a webinar with Kevin J. Wolf, Partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld and a former Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration under the first and second Obama Administrations (2010–17). Mr Wolf has more than 30 years’ experience advising on export controls, sanctions, and international trade, with expertise in US Export Administration Regulations (EAR), International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

This conversation was hosted by Tom Corben, Research Fellow in the Foreign Policy and Defence Program at the United States Studies Centre. Mr Corben is the co-author of Breaking the barriers: Reforming US export controls to realise the potential of AUKUS and AUKUS enablers? Assessing defence trade control reforms in Australia and the United States.

This event is made possible with funding from the US State Department.

As US-China technology competition intensifies, governments across the world are keeping a tighter grip on the advanced semiconductor chips, AI models, and investments that underpin AI. This is complicated by the fact that the private sector — not government — is at the cutting edge of AI and associated technology innovations. With emerging technology now considered central to national security, both government and the private sector must find new ways to coordinate and collaborate.

What impact will the new Trump administration have on US-China competition? Are the controls around semiconductor chips and AI models a sustainable approach? How can governments coordinate their export controls, investment screening and other regulation efforts? Will we gradually see international alignment on these issues – what are the current barriers?

To unpack these questions, the United States Studies Centre brought together an esteemed panel:

• Kevin J. Wolf is Partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP and former Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) under the first and second Obama administrations (2010–17). Kevin has more than 30 years of experience advising on export controls, sanctions and other international trade issues, with particular knowledge across the US’ Export Administration Regulations (EAR), International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and regulations administered by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Kevin J. Wolf’s trip to Australia is made possible by the generous support of the US Department of State.
• Dr Alan Dupont AO is founder and CEO of geopolitical risk consultancy the Cognoscenti Group. He is also Defence and National Security Advocate for the Northern Territory Government. One of Australia’s best-known strategists he has an international reputation for his expertise on geopolitical risk, defence and national security having worked extensively at the interface of security, politics, business and technology in government, the private sector and academia.

Moderating the discussion was Hayley Channer, the Director of the Economic Security Program with the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. Hayley has a diverse background having worked as an Australian Government official, Ministerial adviser, think tank analyst, and represented global non-profit organisations.

On Monday, 20 January 2025, President-elect Donald Trump was sworn in as 47th President of the United States. He has said he’ll end the war in Ukraine before he takes office and war continues to escalate in the Middle East. Australia itself will host a federal election in 2025 which may shift international relationships.

What sort of impact would Trump’s economic, trade, and technology policies have on Australian businesses? How do the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East impact the Indo-Pacific? What are the key international watch points for Australia in 2025?

To discuss these issues and provide a briefing on geopolitical trends and what they mean for government and business, United States Studies Centre (USSC) CEO Dr Michael Green and Director of Economic Security Hayley Channer hosted a public briefing followed by audience Q&A.