US Studies Centre Events

American Australian Association Benefit Dinner

2013-06-06T18:30:00+10:00

The American Australian Association hosts Benefit Dinners to recognise prominent individuals who have made significant contributions to business, economic, social and cultural relationships between the United States and Australia. Proceeds from the dinner go towards building the Association's Education Fund. This year the AAA is proud to honour Mr Andrew Liveris, Chairman and CEO of the Dow Chemical Company and Richard Warburton AO LVO, Chairman of Westfield Retail Trust, Magellan Flagship Fund and Citigroup Pty Ltd.

Michael Fried lecture: Thomas Demand's Pacific Sun

2013-05-24T19:00:00+10:00

The US Studies Centre is partnering with the Power Institute and Sydney Ideas at the University of Sydney to present a lecture by international guest speaker Michael Fried. In his lecture Fried will show Demand's two minute long stop-motion film Pacific Sun (2011) (the name of a cruise ship struck by seven powerful waves off the coast of New Zealand several years ago), and will discuss the film and artist in detail.

China, friend or foe?

2013-05-23T16:00:00+10:00

China is becoming the key economy of the current era. It’s tipped to overtake the US within 10 years. But what other effects will economic power have on China? Will China’s rise be ‘peaceful’, or something the world outside needs to be apprehensive about? Join China-watching experts Dr Bates Gill (Rising Star: China's New Security Diplomacy), Mobo Gao (The Battle of China's Past: Mao and the Cultural Revolution) and Feng Chongji (The Chinese Communist Party: from Chen Duxiu to Li Shenzhi) for a discussion moderated by Kerry Brown.

The US Electoral College: An 18th Century Relic in the 21st Century

2013-05-15T17:30:00+10:00

The framers of the United States Constitution forged a workable, if awkward, institution when they created the Electoral College as the means for selecting the president. This lecture addresses multiple shortcomings – in theory and practice – in the Electoral College and argues that some change, from the technical to a complete overhaul, would produce a more coherent and more democratic means of choosing the American president. At this special event, you will hear from Fulbright Flinders University Distinguished Chair in American Political Science, Professor Burdett A. Loomis.

Founders talk with Genovation Cars: Green transport in the 21 century

2013-04-16T13:00:00+10:00

Andrew Saul is CEO and founder of American green car company Genovation Cars. He will discuss the innovative development his company is conducting at the University of Maryland and the industry-related challenges ‘green car’ companies face today, including product design and fundraising. One key discussion topic will explore the barriers of green car uptake amongst consumers. At the moment, the most critical component to achieve widespread adoption of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids is the efficiency of the propulsion battery pack. Whilst significant engineering resources are invested into developing more efficient electric motors, inverters, chargers and other components, the cost and weight of the battery continues to need more attention. Currently, large and heavy lithium packs are required to meet daily driving needs and lithium packs can only accept a limited amount of the kinetic energy created during braking, without significantly impairing the battery pack’s lifecycle.

Delivering a Sustainable Future City: Three Day Workshop

2013-04-04T09:00:00+10:00

The US Studies Centre has developed the Delivering a Sustainable Future City program to support local government leaders in building low carbon, sustainable and liveable communities. As part of the program this three day workshop, led by experts in urban re-design and sustainable development from the United States and beyond, will focus on the issues that each community brings for discussion, strategic options and strategy formulation. Follow this link to learn more about the program and express your interest in participating.

Reinventing Fire: Changing the energy rules for a growing economy

2013-04-03T19:00:00+10:00

The Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) is a US based organisation which specialises in delivering sustainable options and strategic scenarios for communities to improve the liveability of cities. Its mission is “to drive the efficient and restorative use of resources” especially via integrative design and systems thinking. Their strategic focus, executed through specific initiatives, is to map and drive the transition from coal and oil to efficient and renewable energies and holistic approaches to develop liveable cities. Since 1982 they have designed and applied many innovations to help make the world richer, fairer, cooler, and safer – from contributions toward tripled-efficiency cars, trucks, and airplanes, energy and water efficiency, renewable energy, community economic development, and more. In this talk, Managing Director of RMI, Robert ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson, will focus on strategies for Australia to create a new energy future.

Thomas Crow lecture: The Death and Life of Pop Art in the 1960s Counter-Culture

2013-03-19T18:30:00+10:00

The US Studies Centre is partnering with the Power Institute and Sydney Ideas at the University of Sydney to present a lecture by international guest speaker Thomas Crow. In The Death and Life of Pop Art in the 1960s Counter-Culture Crow discusses the legacy of pop and its influence in other areas of culture.

Kurt Campbell on the US, Australia and China

2013-03-14T17:30:00+10:00

Former US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Kurt Campbell, said he was bullish about the US/China relationship in his first public address since leaving office earlier this year. Widely recognised as a key architect of the Obama administration’s pivot to Asia, Dr Campbell was a central figure in advancing the US-China relationship and was a key player in the historic normalisation of bilateral ties between the United States and Burma/Myanmar. He is currently Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Asia Group and is writing a book about his experiences in the Obama administration with the title The Pivot.

Low carbon jet fuel: The industry flight path

2013-02-26T14:00:00+10:00

Commercial aviation is critical to national and international trade, transport and economic growth. Demand for capacity is projected to increase about five-fold by 2050 from the 2005 base. Growth is not possible without mitigating the environmental impact of the additional air traffic by the introduction of energy efficiency and low carbon fuel options. Thus, the international and Australian aviation industries are engaging with the whole supply chain to secure commercial supply of sustainable jet fuel that is interchangeable with kerosene. To highlight the most promising near and medium term opportunities for the production of sustainable jet fuel, the Australian Initiative for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (AISAF) hosted the Low Carbon Jet Fuel: The Industry Flight Path conference in partnership with AIRSHOW 2013 and the US Studies Centre. The Conference featured high-level international and national industry leaders.

New South Wales Advanced Biofuels Industry Roundtable

2013-02-22T08:30:00+10:00

The NSW Advanced Biofuels Industry Roundtable brought together Australian and American experts from the agricultural, aviation, maritime and defence sectors. They considered a NSW-based approach to this emerging industry, as well as public policy frameworks that will enable the industry to achieve its full potential, maximize the State’s existing competitive advantages and add value to the State’s resources and economy. The experts discussed how to leverage the US Navy’s interest in sailing the Great Green Fleet into Sydney Harbour in 2016 and the success of the Sustainable Maritime Fuels Forum that the US Studies Centre convened in February 2012.

Delivering a Sustainable Future City: Open House

2013-02-07T16:00:00+10:00

The US Studies Centre, with the support of the New South Wales Government, invites local communities in New South Wales to participate in an exciting program which aims to provide leaders of cities and towns the opportunity to explore, discover and test innovative ways to address some of the challenges they face. There will be an Open House to provide all prospective participants of the Delivering a Sustainable Future City program the opportunity to discuss the program further on 7 February at 4pm. Follow this link to learn more about the program and express your interest in participating.

Evidence-based policymaking: Best practices for policy design and evaluation

2013-01-29T09:00:00+10:00

The term evidence-based policy; is in wide use today, but there is a large gap between the empirical analysis that academic experts recommend and what is typically done in policymaking circles. Partly this reflects a lack of communication between scholars and practitioners about advances in methodologies. A major development in the social sciences in the past two decades has been the refinement and application of experimental and quasi-experimental techniques for empirical analysis. In particular, scholarly work has emphasized the value of randomised evaluations as a method for measuring the effects of policies and programs. The approach has been applied to study a diverse range of issues, including job training, policing of domestic violence, health insurance, school vouchers, immunizations, microfinance, and household savings.

Election Day Spectacular

2012-11-07T10:00:00+10:00

After months of intense campaigning by Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, Americans finally went to the polls to decide who would hold the keys to the White House for the next fours years. Friends, colleagues and political foes gathered to witness the US election results live at the Manning Bar. This special event included live CNN coverage, prize giveaways, an opportunity to have your photo with the presidential candidates, as well as complimentary popcorn and fairy floss. US Studies Centre experts were on hand to offer analysis.

Defence workshop

2012-10-29T09:00:00+10:00

Leading defence and security strategists from America and Australia will meet in Canberra next week to discuss the future of the Australia-United States alliance with regard to defence force collaboration, nuclear disarmament and the threat of Islamic terrorism.

US Election: America at a crossroad

2012-10-24T18:00:00+10:00

The US presidential election comes at a time when the two major parties are especially divided. But, regardless of the outcome, Americans and their leaders are going to have to make difficult choices on how to confront a still struggling economy, growing national debt, and the country’s uncertain role on the international stage.

Our panel of experts discussed these challenges and how the US can and should proceed in the years ahead. The panel also provided an opportunity to discuss not only who will win the election but its implications on US domestic and foreign policy.

Everything to play for

2012-10-23T18:30:00+10:00

With less than a month to go before the United States presidential election, the result is anybody’s guess. Until the first presidential television debate early this month the election looked like Obama’s to lose. But Mitt Romney’s commanding performance in that debate created a surge of enthusiasm for the challenger, coupled with a feeling that Obama’s repetitive and sometimes long-winded statements had been over-rehearsed in the days of preparation he’d spent in Las Vegas before flying to Denver. The Australian Institute of International Affairs NSW assembled a well-qualified panel to discuss the prospects for the US presidential election.

Presidential debate on foreign policy

2012-10-23T12:00:00+10:00

It was a full house at the US Studies Centre for a free screening of the third presidential debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney on foreign policy. US Studies Centre experts were on hand to offer analysis and answer questions after the debate, which is now available to watch.

American Studies Honours - Information Session

2012-10-18T15:00:00+10:00

Students considering enrolling in the American Studies Honours program are invited to the US Studies Centre for an information session. Academics will be on hand to answer any questions about the program.

Second presidential debate

2012-10-17T12:00:00+10:00

It was a full house at the US Studies Centre for a free screening of the Town Hall-style second presidential debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney on foreign and domestic policy. US Studies Centre experts were on hand to offer analysis and answer questions after the debate, which is now available to watch.