PIVOT

Reach for the stars: space as the final frontier in foreign policy

Space is being widely viewed as the next domain of politics, diplomacy and warfare, and Australia is taking the space domain seriously.

This is demonstrated by the creation of the Australian Space Agency (ASA) in 2018 to protect commercial Australian interests, and the Defence Space Command in 2022 to protect Australian sovereignty in space. The establishment of these two stations comes from a long history of humanity turning its attention to space as the final frontier that signals where Australian national interests lie. … Continue readingReach for the stars: space as the final frontier in foreign policy

Indonesia’s Reformasi 2.0: the political echoes of 1998 movements with contemporary 17+8 demands

On 25 August, 2025, nationwide social unrest sparked across Indonesia. These demonstrations emerged amid broader civil unrest over economic hardships and a planned increase in housing subsidies for parliamentarians. Since early 2025, Indonesian citizens have been grappling with rising costs of living, widening inequality, and limited job opportunities, especially among young people. This movement has drawn similarites to the Reformasi movement of 1998, which ended three decades of dictatorial, rule, ushering in a new democratic age. In both cases, economic hardship, corruption, and public anger at elites’ privilege have became catalysts for mass mobilisation. … Continue readingIndonesia’s Reformasi 2.0: the political echoes of 1998 movements with contemporary 17+8 demands

Australia-Canada: the alliance growing in importance

The uncanny similarities between the two recent Australian and Canadian elections are not a mere coincidence. They are reflective of the political convergence between Australia and Canada in a world that is becoming increasingly uncertain under the second Donald Trump presidency. Indeed, the two countries share historical, political and cultural ties that date back over a century. Both countries have fought wars together, are members of the British Commonwealth, have diverse multicultural populations and, at least until recently, been staunch allies of the United States. … Continue readingAustralia-Canada: the alliance growing in importance

The Kennedy legacy: A Gen Z twist, family divisions, and an all-American love story

Kennedy served as a symbol of patriotism and political hope until his untimely death. Currently, his retrospective approval rate sits at a whopping 90 per cent. Despite only serving just over 1,000 days as President, Kennedy left a monumental legacy which would follow his family for generations. It was ultimately his assassination that crowned him as “the martyred prince of American politics”. … Continue readingThe Kennedy legacy: A Gen Z twist, family divisions, and an all-American love story

History v geography: understanding Australia’s approach to national defence

Defensive has become offensive. Yet Australian defence policy remains entrenched in stagnant, myopic directives that do not consider long term challenges, as we are experiencing today. It can be said that we are witnessing a polycrisis unfold: multiple global catastrophes playing out with such force that strategic shocks are now the new norm, leaving policymakers to answer the difficult question of how best to respond. This question renews calls for a better directed national defence stratagem, if it is to withstand our current predicament. While our historical partnerships with countries like the US remain important, we must acknowledge our place in the world, and make the most of our regional potential. … Continue readingHistory v geography: understanding Australia’s approach to national defence

ASEAN’s dilemma in the Myanmar crisis: the diplomatic deadlock

It has been over four years since the democratic administration of Aung San Suu was overthrown in a coup d’état, an act that caused a profound rupture in Myanmar’s political and economic stability. Following February 2021, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar descended into a full-scale humanitarian crisis, drawing the attention of various regional and international actors. Among these, the Association of South East Nations (ASEAN) assumed a central role in diplomacy, in an attempt to de-escalate the conflict within their fellow member state. … Continue readingASEAN’s dilemma in the Myanmar crisis: the diplomatic deadlock

Authoritarianism, democracy and the climate: comparing the EU and China’s climate governance

The idea of ‘eco-authoritarianism’ calls for authoritarian technocratic governance to push necessary reforms that address the climate crisis. Yet are authoritarian governments really better at tackling climate change? With COP30 just around the corner, the comparison of autocratic and democratic regimes, focusing on the People’s Republic of China and the European Union (EU), including its 27 member states, becomes all the more salient. … Continue readingAuthoritarianism, democracy and the climate: comparing the EU and China’s climate governance

Protector or puppeteer: Israel’s weaponisation of sects and sovereignty in Syria

After 13 brutal years of war, the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December, following a flash offensive by Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), a breakaway faction of Al Qaeda, felt like a long-awaited victory for many Syrians.

The authoritarian state that had ruled through fear, censorship, and brutality had finally fallen. Relief bloomed, and along with it, hope for a new beginning, not dictated by differences but by unity. But, that moment of relief was short-lived. … Continue readingProtector or puppeteer: Israel’s weaponisation of sects and sovereignty in Syria

The Restarting of History and the Decline of the Liberal Democratic Order

In 1989, American political scientist and philosopher Francis Fukuyama wrote a now famous essay titled, ‘The End of History.’

36 years on from that monumental declaration, we find ourselves facing a world in which liberalism, the dominant global ideology, faces fatigue. The dream of a world of western democracy seems increasingly challenged and the history of global development seems far from settled. … Continue readingThe Restarting of History and the Decline of the Liberal Democratic Order

Who are the Tehrik-Taliban Pakistan and why are they important to Afghanistan-Pakistan relations?

The Tehrik-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, are a terrorist organisation that have created a significant security risk to Pakistan and aided further destabilisation in Central Asia. With the Taliban looking to play a legitimate role in the central Asian region, it looks like the TTP will be used as a bargaining chip in the Afghan-Pakistan relationship. … Continue readingWho are the Tehrik-Taliban Pakistan and why are they important to Afghanistan-Pakistan relations?