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A letter from the CEO

COVID-19 is changing the way the US Studies Centre goes about its business in that we are no longer hosting events and have had staff working from home this week. But our analysis and commentary — its quality and quantity — isn’t being diminished. In fact, just the opposite.

The US Studies Centre is adding public health experts to our roster, their voices soon to be joining our experts on foreign policy, economics and innovation. Dr Stephen Kirchner’s analysis of US and Australian fiscal and monetary policy responses appears regularly in the nation’s op-ed pages. Our foreign policy and defense team, led by Ashley Townshend, is working through the security implications of the pandemic, a stark reminder of the United States and Australia’s reliance on global supply chains and weak points in both countries’ resilience and sovereign capabilities. Claire McFarland is examining the response of the US tech sector, both independently and in concert with government. Our academic teams have worked hard to switch to online teaching.

As you’ll see in this edition of The 45th and in the weeks and months ahead, COVID19 has heightened the relevance of the mission of the US Studies Centre and the value of our analysis of America, delivering insight for Australia.

Professor Simon Jackman
CEO, United States Studies Centre