13/05/2026
Last night we had the honour of welcoming Professor Amitav Acharya to deliver the 2026 Des Ball Public lecture. Professor Acharya examined whether world order can survive the decline of the West, drawing on his research into the long history of world ordering, as well as recent developments, including the second Trump Presidency.
Many thanks to Associate Professor Amy King, Head of our Strategic and Defence Studies Centre (SDSC), for her opening remarks and for chairing a lively and wide-ranging Q&A, and to Jascha Ramba Santoso for closing the evening with some thoughtful remarks.
Professor Acharya joins our Strategic and Defence Studies Centre as the 2026 Des Ball Visiting Chair in Strategic Studies. A UNESCO Chair in Transnational Challenges and Governance and Distinguished Professor at the School of International Service, American University, his research has had world-leading impact on Asia-Pacific security, global order, and the study of Southeast Asia in International Relations.
The Des Ball Visiting Chair in Strategic Studies brings leading strategic thinkers to ANU to promote research, teaching, and scholarship in strategic studies, defence studies, and regional security. The Visiting Chair is supported by the Des Ball Strategic Endowment, which builds on the remarkable legacy of Professor Desmond Ball AO and his work in nuclear strategy and intelligence, Asia-Pacific security, and Thailand-Myanmar security.
➡️ Professor Acharya has written some thoughtful reflections on Des Ball and SDSC which you can read here: https://quicklink.anu.edu.au/jbp5
