Past events
Australia and COVID-19—Successes and Failures
Thursday 10 June 05:00pm
The manner in which the Covid-19 pandemic has been handled has thrown light on the institutions and political culture of all contemporary societies. Concerning Australia there are many questions—flattering, puzzling and sometimes disturbing.
Getting to Zero: Alan Finkel and Tim Flannery
Thursday 15 April 05:00pm
There is no question of greater significance for the future of humankind than global warming. There is no task more pressing and difficult than the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.
Australian stories – culture, identity and the importance of our cultural industries
Monday 15 March 05:00pm
ABC Managing Director David Anderson will speak about the role of the ABC not only as a trusted source of valued news, information and entertainment but also the importance of supporting Australian stories across the creative industries.
Online event: A Farewell to Arts? On the Morrison Government’s University Legislation
Thursday 19 November 05:00pm
There was a time, not so long ago, when it was almost universally accepted that one of the principal purposes of the university was the provision of a broad education in either the Arts or the Sciences. That time has passed. In October 2020, the Morrison Government successfully introduced new legislation where the training of the next generation of professionals was implicitly regarded as the sole purpose of the university and where, quite nakedly, the price mechanism was used to persuade students not to study for a degree in the Arts.
Online event: COVID-19 and the Mental Health of Australians
Wednesday 21 October 05:00pm
La Trobe University’s Ideas and Society Program has brought together a distinguished panel—Professors Patrick McGorry AO, Michael Kyrios and Jennifer McIntosh AM—to discuss some of the most pressing questions about the coronavirus and the mental health of Australians.
Online event: The China Challenge: Can a New Cold War be Avoided?
Thursday 27 August 05:00pm
In 2020, the threat of a new Cold War between China and the United States deepened. A trade war between the United States and China is now being conducted. President Trump routinely blames China for the coronavirus pandemic. He refers to China not as a competitor but as an “enemy”. But what of Australia? For years, we claimed that Australia did not have to choose between the US and China. Recently relations have changed. Canberra angered Beijing by banning Huawei from its 5G network and calling for a truly independent investigation into the origins of the pandemic. Beijing responded by placing a ban on Australian imports and warning about Australian racism. At La Trobe’s Ideas and Society Program the former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, and Linda Jakobson, the director of “China Matters”, will discuss three questions critical to the future. Why have relations between China and the United States deteriorated? Why has Canberra apparently followed the lead of Washington? Can a new Cold War between China and the United States and its allies be avoided?