October Seminars

#2523 New Zealand’s Indo-Pacific Challenge

- navigating the geo-politics of a changing region

Speaker         Roberto Rabel

Date               Saturday 11^th October 10am - 1pm

Venue            WaikanaePresbyterian Church, 43 Ngaio Road, Waikanae

Emeritus Professor Roberto Rabel is a Professorial Fellow at the Centre for Strategic Studies Victoria University of Wellington.From 2006 to 2016, he was Pro Vice-Chancellor (International). Since retiring from that role, he has taught in International Relations at VUW and at theUniversity of Warsaw in Poland. He has authored or edited over 50 books and articles.

Over recent decades, New Zealand’s ‘grand strategy’ has been to position itself as an engaged Asia-Pacific actor pushing for a more integrated region based on a liberal, multilateral and rules-based order. Until recently, the country was well served by its ‘liberal bet’ that the region will continue to enjoy peace and prosperity, fuelled economically byChinese growth, protected militarily by American power and connected politically through ASEAN-centred mechanisms for regional dialogue. However,NZ’s ‘liberal bet’ is challenged by the reconceptualising of the region and requires an incremental adaptation of its Asia-Pacific strategy to reflect amore diffuse, complex and contested region. This talk examines how NZ has been navigating the challenges posed by the region’s rapidly and dramatically changing geo-political environment.

#2524 Members end-of-year function

Speaker         TBC

Date               Saturday 18^th October 10am - 1pm

Venue             Waikanae Presbyterian Church Hall, 43 Ngaio Road, Waikanae

The End-of-Year function will include a speaker, morning tea and a discussion of ideas for our 2026 programme.