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Australia-Korea Leadership Forum

Welcome to our Australia-Korea Leadership Forum Site! On behalf of the Australian National University, I am pleased to introduce you to the 2nd Australia-Korea Leadership Forum 2009, a closed-door high-level policy forum with 20 experts, 10 from Korea and 10 from Australia, to be held on 5-6 November 2009 in Seoul, South Korea.  This year’s theme is Middle Power Partnership and Cooperation which will consist of three key sessions:   Global Economic Crisis and Green Energy Led New Growth; Australia -Korea Security Cooperation, and Australia -Korea Cultural and Human Capital Cooperation.

Keynote addresses will be given by Professor Ian Chubb, Vice Chancellor/President, Australian National University, and the Honourable Mr Lee Youn Ho, Minister of Knowledge Economy, Republic of Korea.  

The Korean peninsula is, of course, a vital component of Australia’s economic and political security interests in Northeast Asia, just as Australia is one of South Korea’s most important trading partners.  As middle powers in the rapidly changing world, especially post global economic crisis and in the context of international uncertainty, both countries are active in strengthening their capacity to build coalitions not just for the maintenance of the existing international order but also toenhance their diplomatic negotiating positions through multilateralism in world politics. Indeed, the success of middle-powers essentially rest on how effectively they can adhere to what Gareth Evans, former Australian Foreign Minister and current President of the International Crisis Group, termed “good international citizenship” by recognizing the interdependence between states and the need to address global problems in collaboration. The imperative for Australia and Korea to work together has been publicly acknowledged by both the Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, and Korean President, Lee Myung-bak.

To support and promote the opportunities to enhance this new coalition-building environment, the Australian National University in Canberra, together with the East Asia Institute (EAI) in Seoul, are jointly organizing this high level policy forum and are inviting government, business, political, security and academic leaders to activate their respective networks with a stake in developing a robust Korean-Australian partnership as middle power in regard to both regional and global issues affecting today and into the future.