New Zealand

This year marks the sixth anniversary of the Otago National Security School, and the Aspen Institute New Zealand is honoured to partner with the University of Otago and the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) to host the Aspen-Otago National Security Forum 2025.

In an era of rapid technological change and shifting geopolitical power, this non-partisan forum brings together leading voices to explore escalating and emerging risks, examine what’s at stake, and discuss practical responses to mitigate risks and build a more secure future for New Zealand, its partners and the region.

Private Forum | 9:00am–3:00pm

The private forum is an invitation-only session under the Chatham House Rule, gathering senior leaders from government, intelligence, defence, business, and academia to engage in candid dialogue on the region’s most urgent strategic challenges.

Topics include:

Shared Threats: The Australian-New Zealand Threat Landscape

Youth and Violent Extremism

Espionage and AI

Foreign Interference in Elections

National Security Strategies and Independent Intelligence Reviews

Trading Influence: South Pacific Perspectives on China

Frozen Conflict? Will Antarctica Become a Contested Space?

Mischief or Malice? North Korea and Regional Security

Shared Solutions: What Can Australia and New Zealand Learn from Each Other?

Confirmed speakers include senior leaders from the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS), the New Zealand Defence Force, and experts from academia and civil society. Keynote sessions will feature:

Andrew Hampton, Director-General of Security, NZSIS, joined by his Australian counterpart, Mike Burgess, Director-General of Security, ASIO (joining virtually, tbc), on the evolving threat landscape across Australia and New Zealand.
Anne Neuberger, former White House advisor on Cybersecurity and Emerging Technology, National Security Council (joining virtually), speaking on AI and Espionage, moderated by Chris Taylor, Director, Statecraft and Intelligence Centre, ASPI.
Richard Schmidt, Deputy Secretary, Defence Policy and Planning, NZ Ministry of Defence, providing an overview of initiatives to modernise the Australia–New Zealand alliance under the Defence Capability Plan 2025, to strengthen joint readiness and protect shared interests in an increasingly challenging strategic environment.

A full list of speakers will be announced closer to the event.

If you’re interested in attending the private forum, please contact us:

Private Forum – Register Interest

Public Forum + Drinks & Canapés | 4:00pm–5:30pm

The public forum is open to all and offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from senior security and intelligence leaders from New Zealand and Australia. The panel will discuss key public-facing topics, including:

Cybersecurity & Critical Infrastructure: How prepared are we for the threats we face?

Tourism & Terrorism: How can New Zealand’s open borders remain secure?

Regional Security: The future of cooperation across our neighbourhood.

The session includes a moderated panel, audience Q&A, and a networking reception with drinks and canapés.
Whether you work in security, policy, tourism, business, or simply care about keeping our region safe, this is your chance to be part of the conversation. Tickets available here, venue space is limited.

Very happy to share that we are teaming up with Tend Health Ltd to celebrate Women’s Health Week New Zealand from 11th-17th August.

Join us for an evening of open and honest conversations about women’s health, focusing on the things that are often hard to talk about – pelvic floor health, incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and more…

We have a fantastic line up of experts including Hannah Orr a pelvic floor physiotherapist, Dr Niki Dykes a specialist urogynaecologist, Dr Siobhan Trevallyan a GP with a special interest in Women’s health – and Jennifer Kruger from JUNOFEM

We are really looking forward to seeing you on the 12th. Bring your friends, your questions and come and support women’s health week.

Maximum Return @ Kea, Thursday 28 August 2025, 5:30-7:30pm

Kea invites you to an evening that’s as refreshing as it is inspiring. Maximum Return @ Kea is designed for globally minded Kiwis and friends of New Zealand who want more than the usual “So, what do you do?” networking. Your feet might be on kiwi soil but international ideas and experiences have shaped who you are and the connections you seek to thrive.

Hosted in Meredith Connell’s Terrarium space, the event is inspired by Kiwi Peter Mandeno’s globally successful Wok+Wine concept. Expect a relaxed, human-first atmosphere where conversations feel simultaneously surprising and familiar.

28 July 2025

Raising the Bar returns on Tuesday 26 August with 20 talks across 10 Auckland bars. Register now to save your spot.

Raising the Bar gives alumni and the general public a chance to directly engage with top academics from the University of Auckland.

Raising the Bar is back, pouring the University of Auckland’s most fascinating and future-shaping research straight into bars across the inner city.

Among the topics on the menu at this year’s event on Tuesday 26 August are the power of urban design to create and connect communities, how cutting-edge science is personalising health treatment like never before, the science of safer drug use and why big tech’s unchecked AI development is a code red for democracy.

These talks bring important ideas into everyday spaces, sparking conversations about health, technology, culture and more – conversations that extend far beyond the University.

Mark Bentley, director of Alumni Relations and DevelopmentWaipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland

With 20 talks held across ten bars in Auckland’s CBD on one night, Raising the Bar gives alumni and the general public a chance to directly engage with top academics from the University of Auckland, all while enjoying their favourite drop.

“At its heart, Raising the Bar is about making research real and relevant,” says Mark Bentley, Director of Alumni Relations and Development at the University of Auckland. “These talks bring important ideas into everyday spaces, sparking conversations about health, technology, culture and more – conversations that extend far beyond the University.”

Originally launched in New York in 2013, Raising the Bar is now a global initiative – and the University of Auckland has proudly brought the event to local audiences since 2017.

This year’s talks will be held at bars across Auckland’s CBD, including in Wynyard Quarter, Victoria Park and City Works Depot. Each venue will host two sessions, starting at 6pm and 8pm, with punters free to move from one bar to another to catch their preferred talks.

All talks are free, but with the event expected to sell out early registration is recommended.

Visit the Raising The Bar website to register your place now.

This year’s full line-up:

Merryn Tawhai – Reimagining healthcare with human digital twins
Rhys Ponton – From lab coats to late nights: the science of safer drug use
Simon Young – Broken knees, bionic fixes and the rise of robot surgeons
David Krofcheck – Out of this world: the smallest and most surprising liquid in the Universe
Justin O’Sullivan – Swab, sequence, surprise! How science is personalising your health
Mohsen Mohammadzadeh – Robo-rides and city life: what could go right…or wrong?
Andrew Erueti – The limits of liberal equality and the future of Māori self-determination
Christina Stringer – Closer than you think: migrant exploitation and modern slavery in Aotearoa
Olaf Diegel – 3D printing the future
Darren Svirskis – The quest to find a cure for spinal cord injury
Claire Meehan – Not just jokes: how misogyny online is shaping teen culture
Alexandra Andhov – Code red for democracy: when big tech becomes bigger than government
Sophie Tomlinson – ‘Tragical-comical-historical-pastoral’: Shakespeare’s Cymbeline
Marcelo Rodriguez Ferrere – We know animals are sentient. What does that mean for their legal status?
Chris Ogden – Global authoritarianism: how to spot it and how to stop it
Joel Rindelaub – Breathing plastic: Aotearoa’s invisible pollution problem
Antje Fiedler – Rewriting the playbook: how Kiwi businesses can thrive in a changing world
Lee Beattie – Beyond buildings: urban design’s power to create and connect communities
Laura Burn – A human history of looking up: from stargazing to space lasers
Tom Allen – A carbon fibre yarn: weaving fossil fuel roots into a sustainable future

Media enquiries

Email: [email protected]

Join Gut Cancer Foundation for a compelling business breakfast exploring the power of purpose-driven partnerships. Discover how aligning your brand with a trusted charity can elevate your business, enhancing employee engagement, brand loyalty, and social impact.

Hear from keynote speaker Nigel Latta, respected clinical psychologist, and author, as he shares insights on the psychological benefits of partnership – how a shared purpose can inspire belonging and loyalty among staff and customers alike.

Event Programme

This is a unique opportunity to explore how your organisation can make a difference while strengthening your people, your brand, and your community.

Our programme includes:

Keynote speaker Nigel Latta: how a shared purpose can inspire belonging and loyalty
Q&A and panel session with existing Gut Cancer Foundation partners including:
- Cumulo9
- PIC Insurance Limited
- Oxford Finance Limited (Turners Automotive Group)
Gut Cancer Foundation Executive Officer, Liam Willis outlining the benefits of business partnership with charities in general, and the specifics of a mutually beneficial partnership.
A delicious breakfast and refreshments

Tickets are available now for $49. Capacity is limited so book your spot now!

**Asians in Business – 1st Year Anniversary!**

We’re turning ONE and would love for you to join us in celebrating this milestone!

Date: 17th May (Saturday)
Time: 3:00pm – 6:00pm
Venue: Black & White Café, Harewood
Entry: $20 (includes coffee & nibbles)
Early Bird: First 50 registrations only $15!

**Register here:**
https://airtable.com/appE1AJufHzWHB4kV/shr0rL4oqwVE0idlD

_Note: Registration is essential – Door sales is $20, but coffee/nibbles depend on availablity._

We’ll also be hosting a Fireside Chat with two incredible entrepreneurs 💪

Come connect, be inspired, and celebrate with us!

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