The Emerging Leaders Dialogue, the flagship event of the Australia-Papua New Guinea Network, is open for registrations. Here is what you need to know.

Emerging Leaders. Credit: Lowy Institute

The Australia-Papua New Guinea Emerging Leaders Dialogue is the flagship annual event of the Aus-PNG Network at the Lowy Institute. It brings together 20 young leaders from PNG and Australia to explore pressing development and security issues affecting PNG-Australia relations. The program includes exchanges with experts, dialogues with leading academics and policymakers, opportunities for networking, site visits, and interactive learning activities over five days.

This year, participants will examine the theme of First Nations Foreign Policy and what it means for Australia-Papua New Guinea relations through a broad range of discussions across economic development, politics and society, business, sport, arts, and social media. Participants will have the opportunity to shape and identify the topics for discussion under the ‘First Nations’ theme. We will hone participant speaking, media engagement and written communication skills.

Participants will be drawn from a range of experience, expertise and industry and society groups. We are interested in emerging leaders with a strong vision for shaping the future. In previous years, the Dialogue has provided insight into topics including health, leadership, economic empowerment, art, politics, and civil society.

The 2023 Emerging Leaders Dialogue will be held in Queensland from 16 to 20 October.

Participants’ insights are documented in an outcomes paper, which is forwarded to the two countries’ Foreign Ministers and is published on the Network’s website.

Nominations for the Dialogue are now open.

Applicants must:

• Be a citizen or permanent resident of either Papua New Guinea or Australia;
• Hold a passport, if applying as a Papua New Guinean citizen or resident;
• Be COVID-19 vaccinated;
• Be aged 40 years or younger at 1 December in the year of application; and
• Be able to demonstrate personal qualities and attributes to contribute to a stronger relationship between PNG and Australia.

How to apply

Write a short statement (no more than 250 words) in support of your application, including telling us about yourself and why you would like to participate in the Emerging Leaders Dialogue.

Email your statement, your current resume, and contact details for a referee who can speak in support of your nomination to auspngnetwork@lowyinstitute.org.

The deadline for submissions is 31 July 2023.

Advertiser:  Lowy Institute Website:  Email:  auspngnetwork@lowyinstitute.org Phone: