- What is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or the IRGC?
by Andrew Thomas, Lecturer in Middle East Studies, Deakin University on August 27, 2025 at 6:14 amThe organisation behind antisemitic arson attacks in Australia is now considered a terrorist group. Here’s how the enormously powerful group operates.
- Taxpayer bailouts are common, yet rarely make economic sense. Here’s how to strike a better balance
by Susan Stone, Credit Union SA Chair of Economics, University of South Australia on August 20, 2025 at 8:12 pmNo government wants to be blamed for the job losses that often follow a company collapse. But taxpayer support must get some key things right.
- Granting visas to enter Australia is a delicate balancing act – whether you’re a politician or not
by Danielle Ireland-Piper, Associate Professor of Law, National Security College, Australian National University on August 20, 2025 at 8:49 amAustralia’s process of granting (and cancelling) visas is back in the spotlight. It’s a complicated issue, both legally and politically.
- Foreign interference can be hidden in plain sight. Here’s how countries use ‘sharp power’ in Australia
by Ihsan Yilmaz, Deputy Directory (Research Development), Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation & Research Professor of Political Science and International Relations, Deakin University on August 8, 2025 at 6:04 amAuthoritarian nations are using new tactics, from emotional manipulation to digital surveillance, to sway diaspora attitudes in their favour.
- After years of backsliding, the ADF is growing again. What’s behind the recruitment uptick?
by Robert Hoffmann, Professor of Economics, Tasmanian Behavioural Lab, University of Tasmania on August 5, 2025 at 7:03 amAfter years of warnings of a recruitment crisis in defence, new data show its suddenly risen by 17%. There’s a combination of reasons why.
- Congress has a chequered history of overseeing US intelligence and national security
by Luca Trenta, Associate Professor in International Relations, Swansea University on July 23, 2025 at 2:04 pmUS Congress has a long history of supporting the intelligence priorities of the governing administration.
- Trump administration’s lie detector campaign against leakers is unlikely to succeed and could divert energy from national security priorities
by Brian O’Neill, Professor of Practice, International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology on July 9, 2025 at 12:32 pmHistorically, the aggressive use of polygraphs in government is associated with weakening morale and diminished information flow.
- Trump’s justifications for the latest travel ban aren’t supported by the data on immigration and terrorism
by Charles Kurzman, Professor of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on June 5, 2025 at 8:17 pmForeign terrorism accounts for a miniscule portion of violence in the United States.
- Friday essay: let’s rethink Australia’s national security – and focus on fairness and climate action, not blind fealty to the US
by Emma Shortis, Adjunct Senior Fellow, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University on June 5, 2025 at 8:14 pmWe do not have to weather whatever Trump’s America throws at us, hoping in vain for rare scraps of benevolence. There is another way, writes Emma Shortis.
- Golden Dome: An aerospace engineer explains the proposed US-wide missile defense system
by Iain Boyd, Director of the Center for National Security Initiatives and Professor of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder on May 22, 2025 at 11:11 pmPresident Trump has set aggressive goals for Golden Dome, but many parts of the system already exist.
- National security advisers manage decision-making as advocates or honest brokers
by Gregory F. Treverton, Professor of Practice in International Relations, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences on May 5, 2025 at 12:42 pmIn foreign affairs, the national security adviser plays a coordinating role, setting the flow of recommendations to the National Security Council and the president.
- After its landslide win, Labor should have courage and confidence on security – and our alliance with the US
by Joanne Wallis, Professor of International Security, University of Adelaide on May 5, 2025 at 3:47 amIt might be tempting for Labor to continue a ‘small target’ when it comes to Donald Trump. But the new government needs the courage to ask difficult questions.
- Without women, Australia’s defence force will struggle to recruit enough people
by Sarah Percy, Professor of International Relations, The University of Queensland on April 7, 2025 at 6:05 amWe need women in the military, including in combat roles. Without them, recruitment targets will fail. It’s not diversity, equality and inclusion: it’s reality.
- Defence is shaping up to be a key election issue, whether politicians like it or not
by Peter J. Dean, Director, Foreign Policy and Defence, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney on April 1, 2025 at 7:04 pmWhile politicians would rather talk about the cost of living, global events are forcing them to discuss an issue that rarely wins them votes.
- How is classified information typically shared and can officials declassify secrets whenever they want? A national security expert explains
by Dakota Rudesill, Associate Professor of Law, The Ohio State University on March 29, 2025 at 12:43 pmGovernment officials with classified information clearance typically have a range of secure ways they can view or discuss classified information.
- Signal-gate: a national security blunder ‘almost without parallel’
by Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor, The Conversation on March 27, 2025 at 6:03 pmWas this the biggest security blunder in American history?
- Ecological disruptions are a risk to national security
by Bradley J. Cardinale, Professor, Ecosystem Science and Management, Penn State on March 27, 2025 at 12:39 pmOverfishing, disease and environmental crimes cause social and political instability, economic strife and strained international relations.
- Australia may no longer be ‘deputy sheriff’, but its reliance on the US has only grown deeper since 2000
by David Andrews, Senior Manager, Policy & Engagement, Australian National University on March 26, 2025 at 11:42 pmThe US has been a constant in Australia’s foreign policy since the year 2000. The Trump administration, though, is raising concerns of over-reliance on our top ally.
- Why is the US group chat on Houthi attack plans so concerning? A military operations expert explains
by Jennifer Parker, Adjunct Fellow, Naval Studies at UNSW Canberra, and Expert Associate, National Security College, Australian National University on March 25, 2025 at 5:46 amTop US officials discussed plans to strike Houthi rebels on an unclassified platform with a journalist. Here are 3 questions answered by a former ADF operations specialist.
- Why Canada must treat its food system as a matter of national defence
by Karen Foster, Associate Professor, Sociology and Social Anthropology and Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Rural Futures for Atlantic Canada, Dalhousie University on March 18, 2025 at 4:58 pmFaced with both a trade war and annexation threats, Canada must confront whether its domestic food systems can feed its population in a crisis.
- The US military has cared about climate change since the dawn of the Cold War – for good reason
by Paul Bierman, Fellow of the Gund Institute for Environment, Professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Vermont on March 17, 2025 at 12:59 pmDuring the Cold War, the US poured support into Arctic military outposts and climate research amid fears of a Russian invasion. Climate change is still on the military’s radar as a threat multiplier.
- The EU will spend billions more on defence. It’s a powerful statement – but won’t do much for Ukraine
by Jessica Genauer, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, Flinders University on March 7, 2025 at 5:45 amA new agreement will see an unprecedented increase in defence spending on the continent, but the goal is a longer-term one, not one aimed at winning the war in Ukraine.
- The ASIO threat assessment is a dark outlook for Australia’s security. Are our laws up to the task?
by Sarah Kendall, Adjunct Research Fellow, The University of Queensland on February 20, 2025 at 2:56 amThe chief of the intelligence agency is warning of deeper, wider security threats over the next five years, from both friends and foes. Is the law ready to respond?
- Why Americans need well-informed national security decisions – not politicized intelligence analysis
by Mark S. Chandler, Professor of Practice and Director, Government Relations – Intelligence and Security Studies Department, Coastal Carolina University on February 7, 2025 at 1:19 pmDuring the first Trump administration, intelligence workers at many levels made political judgments about the information they assembled.
- Is DOGE a cybersecurity threat? A security expert explains the dangers of violating protocols and regulations that protect government computer systems
by Richard Forno, Teaching Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, and Assistant Director, UMBC Cybersecurity Institute, University of Maryland, Baltimore County on February 6, 2025 at 11:54 pmNews reports paint a frightening picture of DOGE staff trampling time-tested – and in many cases legally required – management and security practices.
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