Boyer Lectures
2026 ABC Boyer Lecture Series — Australia-Asia Engagement: Strengths and Challenges
Curated by ABC Chair Kim Williams AM and featuring distinguished speakers from across Australia, Singapore and Indonesia, this year’s Boyer Lecture series explores the opportunities and challenges of Australia’s engagement with Asia in the 21st century.
At a time when major political, demographic and economic changes are underway both at home and abroad, the series provides a fresh consideration of how connections with Asia will shape Australia’s long-term outlook, and explores new possibilities for sharper policy focus, better planning and deeper integration with Asia in Australian thinking.
This year’s keynote is Sam Roggeveen, Director of the Lowy Institute’s International Security Program. His lecture Four Forces: Australia in the New Asia argues that Australia’s future will be determined by how we respond to transformational shifts currently underway in our region: the decline of one empire; the rise of another; the emergence of a powerful neighbour on our doorstep; and at home, an unmistakeable change in the character of our democracy.
The second lecturer is Louisa Lim, award-winning author, Associate Professor of Journalism at the University of Melbourne and the co-host of the ANU’s The Little Red Podcast. Her lecture Tell It Slant argues that Australia needs to reckon with its own uncomfortable history before it can meaningfully engage with the region.
Renowned economist, former World Bank Managing Director, and Indonesian President’s Special Advisor for International Trade and Multilateral Cooperation Dr Mari Pangestu delivers the third lecture Australia and Indonesia: Neighbours by Choice, which argues that the choice confronting Australia is not whether it is part of Asia, but whether it is prepared to make that reality a permanent part of its national character.
And in the final lecture, Engaging Asia from Down Under, Singapore’s former Prime Minister and current Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong provides an invaluable insight into how Asian governments hope Australia will respond to this critical geopolitical moment.
The keynote lecture will be broadcast on October 17 on ABC-TV and on consecutive Sundays starting October 18 on ABC Radio National’s Sunday Extra program, at 8.05am.
On Sunday 18th October, you can hear Sam Roggeveen’s lecture Four Forces: Australia in the New Asia.
On Sunday 25th October, you can hear Louisa Lim’s lecture Tell It Slant.
On Sunday 1st November, you can hear Dr Mari Pangestu’s lecture Australia and Indonesia: Neighbours by Choice.
On Sunday 8th November, you can hear Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s lecture Engaging Asia from Down Under.
The keynote lecture can also be watched via ABC iView and all four lectures heard at any time on the ABC Listen App.
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