US Studies Centre Events

Pacific Triangles: Australia, China, and the Reorientation of American Studies

2012-08-10T08:00:00+10:00

This symposium will examine ways in which the twenty-first century has already reoriented the field of American Studies in relation to the People's Republic of China and Australia, and how this process is likely to continue and develop. It brings together scholars from around the world working within and across American Studies, Asian Studies and Asian diasporic studies, to look not only at shifting relationships between the Chinese mainland and the West, but also how these shifts resonate in the Asia Pacific region.

UPE10 Symposium - Next City: Planning for a new energy and climate future

2012-07-24T18:00:00+10:00

Following the successful City of the Future Conference held in 2010, the US Studies Centre have joined with the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning at the University of Sydney to host the International Urban Planning and Environment Association’s 10th Symposium (UPE10). The Symposium will be held in Sydney, Australia from 24-27 July 2012.

Reflections on the Shift of Economic Gravity from the Atlantic to the Pacific

2012-05-28T18:00:00+10:00

Join former Prime Minister Paul Keating as he reflects on Australia’s most important international relationship in conversation with Australia’s preeminent print journalist Paul Kelly. From helping found the APEC leaders meeting and the WTO to contributing to humanitarian interventions and peacekeeping in Africa, the Keating government worked closely with the administrations of George HW Bush and Bill Clinton. Since leaving office former Prime Minister Keating has been an influential commentator on Australia’s alliance with the US in the context of emerging Asia and the rise of China.

The Savage South: Reflections on an Image

2012-05-24T12:00:00+10:00

This talk by University of North Carolina Professor of English, Fred Hobson, examines the prevailing image of the US South from colonial days of the 17th and 18th centuries forward, as the backward, violent, uncivilized and generally benighted part of the United States.

President Obama's health care reform: The Supreme Court and the future of the American health system

2012-05-23T18:00:00+10:00

A presentation for the Sydney Law School Distinguished Speakers Program by Professor Lawrence Gostin, the Director of the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University. Professor Gostin is also the Director of the World Health Organisation’s Collaborating Centre on Public Health Law and Human Rights.

Nearly 30 years after President Nixon proposed the first major overhaul of the health care system, comprehensive reform became a reality when President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) on March 23, 2010. The ACA is expected to cover 32 million currently uninsured people by expanding Medicaid, offering subsidies to purchase insurance, and prohibiting pre-existing condition exclusions. Like Presidents Carter and Clinton before him, Barack Obama campaigned on a promise of health care reform. Opposition to the ACA was immediate. At least 26 federal lawsuits were filed challenging its constitutionality. The US Supreme Court has allotted an unprecedented 5 1/2 hours for oral arguments on four issues: the individual purchase mandate, severability, the Medicaid expansion, and the Anti-Injunction Act. This is a rare moment in America’s history where the Supreme Court could determine whether the United States coalesces behind an historical health system reform or retreats from it.

Foreign policy and the US presidential election: Why it matters

2012-05-11T12:00:00+10:00

Many pundits contend that with the economy such an important issue in the US presidential election, foreign policy does not matter. It actually does, politically as well as for the US role in the world. In this seminar, Bruce Jentleson, Professor of Public Policy and Political Science at Duke University, will examine the dynamics of the campaign thus far and the likely terms of foreign policy debate as we move towards election day.

Contesting “America”: Research presentations by the Postdoctoral Fellows of the US Studies Centre

2012-05-03T11:00:00+10:00

The 2011-2012 cohort of postdoctoral fellows presented their research at this mini-conference run over two days.

UN Rio+20 Side Event - Responding to the Global Soil Crisis

2012-04-24T09:00:00+10:00

Global soil degradation is increasingly being recognised as a threat to food security, biodiversity and fresh water security. Scientists, alarmed that the rate of topsoil loss is now exceeding the rate of soil formation, are determining the environmental sustainability thresholds for soil erosion and calculating the timescales at which the world runs out of topsoil. At the same time, the fundamental role of soil in the delivery of ecosystem services including food and fibre production, fresh water regulation and support of biodiversity, has largely been ignored in international policy. Given projected increases in global population this issue now has critical significance.

Rethinking America’s Great War

2012-04-18T12:00:00+10:00

Douglas Craig is a Reader in History at the Australian National University. At this research seminar he spoke about "Rethinking America’s Great War".

It has long been a commonplace (more often repeated than explored) that the United States’ experience of the First World War was so different from the rest of the Western world’s that it established a twentieth century version of American exceptionalism that deeply affected not only Americans’ national self-image but also how outsiders saw the United States for the next century.

A Politician Thinking: The Creative Mind of James Madison

2012-04-04T12:00:00+10:00

James Madison is generally regarded as America’s leading constitutional theorist, with his famous essays in The Federalist representing the classic statements of his thought. In this talk, Stanford University Professor of History and American Studies, Jack Rakove, examined Madison from a related but distinct perspective, as a political actor thinking his way through a novel set of constitutional questions.

NASA: A Presentation

2012-04-04T10:30:00+10:00

The United States considers the sustainability, stability, and free access to, and use of, space vital to its national interests. In July 2011, NASA launched its final space shuttle mission and turned the page in a remarkable period in America’s history in space, while beginning the next chapter in America’s extraordinary story of exploration. American leadership in space will continue to at least the next half century because the US has laid the foundation for success. NASA is not ending human space flight but rather recommitting itself and taking the necessary steps to ensure America’s preeminence in space exploration for years to come. President Obama has given NASA a mission to focus again on the big picture of exploration and the crucial research and development. NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden spoke about how NASA plans to carry out this Mission, followed by Q&A with the audience.

Entrepreneurship and human rights: Knights Apparel’s ethical business model

2012-03-27T16:30:00+10:00

Founder of Knights Apparel, Joe Bozich, shared how Alta Gracia, a brand of Knights Apparel, is replacing what has been seen as a sweatshop model of manufacturing with a new model of ethical business through its factory in the Dominican Republic. Formed in 2001, Knights Apparel is the largest supplier of college licensed apparel in the United States, a position previously held by Nike. Knights Apparel also holds exclusive apparel rights with the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) in America.

Luck, Leadership, and Legitimacy in transitions to democracy

2012-03-13T15:15:30+10:00

In this research seminar, Ian Shapiro discussed "Luck, Leadership, and Legitimacy in transitions to democracy: Lessons from South Africa and the Middle East." Ian Shapiro is Sterling Professor of Political Science at Yale University, where he also serves as Henry R. Luce Director of the MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies.

Same old story? Obama and the Arab Uprisings

2012-03-09T12:00:00+10:00

In this research seminar Dr Jeremy Pressman discussed America's approach to the Arab uprisings.

The United States has taken a cautious approach to the Arab uprisings. Most Obama administration decisions are what one would have expected given longstanding US tendencies regarding alliances and stability. In particular, the United States government has called for regime change and democratisation with adversaries (e.g. Libya, Syria) but been reticent to do so with allies (e.g. Bahrain, Egypt). Despite pressure from elements in the US Congress and punditry for more aggressive policies, Obama officials have neither pushed a broad freedom agenda nor endorsed US-led military intervention other than in Libya (at least thus far). The only exceptions are the tentative dealings with Islamists political actors. All these US decisions are taking place against a crucial reality that is often ignored: these uprisings are driven in the particular countries, not in Washington. The United States did not start the process and does not and cannot control it.

Super Tuesday Trivia Night

2012-03-07T17:30:00+10:00

On Wednesday 7 March the Super Tuesday excitement kicked on into the evening with a trivia competition. Twelve teams flexed their grey matter with three rounds of questions focused on the US elections past and present.

Super Tuesday Results - Live Coverage

2012-03-07T10:30:00+10:00

On Wednesday 7 March the large crowd at the Manning Bar watched the results unfold on the most important day of the US primary calendar.

Live coverage of the results was followed by a panel discussion moderated by ABC NewsRadio host John Barron. The audience heard a panel of US Studies Centre experts deconstruct the results as they came to light. Panel members included CEO Professor Geoffrey Garrett, Chair in US Media and National Correspondent of The Atlantic Monthly Professor James Fallows and Research Associate and Editor of The Spectator Australia Tom Switzer.

Unconventional gas production and water resources: Lessons from the US on better governance

2012-02-27T09:00:00+10:00

As part of the US Studies Centre's Australia and United States Climate, Energy and Water nexus project guests were invited for an afternoon of expert presentations on unconventional gas production and water resources in Brisbane. This event brought together Australian policy makers and relevant interest groups with three experts from the United States to explore and learn from that country’s experience with the challenges that unconventional gas production poses for water resources.

Pacific 2012 International Maritime Conference

2012-01-31T08:30:00+10:00

As part of the Pacific 2012 Maritime Conference, Dr Susan Pond chaired a forum on Sustainable Maritime Fuels, co-sponsored by the United States Studies Centre and Maritime Australia Limited.

This forum included Australian and International speakers. Topics discussed included drivers and demand for fuel diversification, advanced maritime biofuels and maritime fuel infrastructure. The Sustainable Maritime Fuels Forum also had a dedicated Sustainable Maritime Fuels Showcase for exhibitors wishing to participate in this event.

Australia’s Green Building Solutions Forum

2012-01-19T11:00:00+10:00

A panel discussion on how Australia has become a global leader in the green building industry, its dominant role in the Asia Pacific region, and on the opportunities that exist for North American organisations to partner with Australian companies in the emerging growth centres of Asia Pacific. Featuring a presentation by the US Studies Centre's Robert Hill discussing the Australian Government’s Renewable Energy policy and effects of the carbon tax.

Emerging Asia working group

2012-01-18T14:00:00+10:00

Under the Alliance in the 21st Century project, the first meeting of the Emerging Asia working group took place in Washington DC. Participants included Nicholas Burns (Harvard University), James Fallows (Atlantic Magazine), Sean Gallagher (US Studies Centre), Devesh Kapur (University of Pennsylvania), Manik Suri (Harvard University), Michael L’Estrange (Australian National University), Andrew MacIntyre (Australian National University), Huw McKay (Westpac Bank), Kishore Mahbubani (National University of Singapore), Susan Shirk (University of California, San Diego) and Michael Wesley (Lowy Institute for International Policy).