Politics in Action 2026

• Date: Thursday, 14 May 2026
• Time: 6:00pm–8:00pm (registration from 5:30pm)
• Location: Sydney Nanoscience Hub (A31), Lecture Theatre 4002 (Messel) - Enter via Level 3, Physics Road, University of Sydney, Camperdown

Our expert speakers will examine three Southeast Asian countries undergoing significant change – Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam – and what these shifts mean for ASEAN cohesion, Australia’s regional positioning, and the practical realities of research, business and diplomatic engagement in 2026.

Building on these expert insights, the forum will wrap up with a dynamic geopolitical panel discussion moderated by Professor Justin Hastings, drawing these national trajectories together to assess their collective implications for Australia. The panel will be followed by a Q&A with the audience and an opportunity for networking.

If you’re a researcher, business leader or policymaker focused on Southeast Asia, Politics in Action 2026 is essential. This is your opportunity to gain insights into the critical political and geopolitical context needed to support productive engagement and collaboration across the region.

Associate Professor Michael Barr is lecturer of International Relations at Flinders University, South Australia, and Head of the Asian Studies Section of the Australian Academy of the Humanities. He is a regular commentator and writer on Singapore politics and history. His next book, The Ruling Elite of Singapore: Leadership beyond Lee, is scheduled for publication in November. 

Dr Sana Jaffrey is a Research Fellow in the Department of Political and Social Change at the Australian National University, Canberra, and a non-resident scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She has over 15 years of experience conducting research on Indonesian politics. Her co-edited volume, The Jokowi Presidency: Indonesia’s Decade of Authoritarian Revival, published in 2025, examines the political legacy of Joko Widodo’s presidency. 

Dr Nguyen Khac Giang is a Visiting Fellow at the Vietnam Studies Programme, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore. Previously, he led the Political Research Unit at the Vietnam Institute for Economic and Policy Research in Hanoi. His work has appeared in numerous leading journals. He is also a widely cited analyst on Vietnamese politics, including in The Economist, Financial Times, Reuters and BBC.