Alan Dupont
BA UNSW; MA (Hons) ANU; PhD ANU
Professor; Director
Room 379
H04 Merewether Building
The University of Sydney
NSW 2006 Australia
Phone: +61 2 9351 3092
Fax: +61 2 9351 6635
Professor Alan Dupont is the foundation Michael Hintze Chair of International Security, the Director of the Centre for International Security Studies at the University of Sydney and a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Lowy Institute for International Policy. He holds a PhD in International Relations from the Australian National University and is a graduate of the Royal Military College, Duntroon, and the US Foreign Service Institute. He has worked on Australian defence and Asian security issues for more than thirty years as a strategist, diplomat, policy analyst and scholar. Professor Dupont was Senior Fellow for International Security at the Lowy Institute for International Policy, a Sydney based think tank, a Senior Fellow at the Australian National University's Strategic and Defence Studies Centre and the acting CEO of the University of Sydney's United States Studies Centre. During his time in government he served in the Departments of Defence and Foreign Affairs and Trade which included postings with the Australian embassies in Seoul and Jakarta, the latter as Counsellor. He has also worked as a freelance journalist in South America.
Professor Dupont has published widely on Australian defence and international security issues including a major book entitled 'East Asia Imperilled: Transnational Challenges to Security (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001) which has become a standard text on non-military security threats to East Asia's stability. His academic publications include more than 60 scholarly articles, book chapters and monographs on Australian defence and national security, force modernisation, intelligence, Asian values, ASEAN, Japanese and Indonesian security policy, East Timor, and the security implications of illegal migration, transnational crime, environmental security, disease pandemics, food and water scarcity, energy instability and climate change. He was the lead author on the national security implications of climate change for the 2008 Garnaut Review on Climate Change, prepared for the Federal and State Governments.
Professor Dupont has been a regular contributor to several leading international and Australian newspapers including the International Herald Tribune, Australian Financial Review and The Australian where he wrote a regular column on foreign policy and defence for several years. He frequently comments on defence and security issues for the electronic media, especially CNN, CNBC Asia, the BBC, Voice of America, Reuters, Al Jazeera and Phoenix and has been interviewed for most Asian dailies as well as leading newspapers in the US and Europe including the New York Times, Washington Post, Financial Times, Le Monde, The Wall Street Journal and The Economist.
Professor Dupont is a member of the International Advisory Board of CQS, a leading European hedge fund, and an Australian representative to the Asean Regional Forum's Register of Experts and Eminent Persons. He is also a member of the Board of Management of the Army's Land Warfare Studies Centre, the Australian Committee to the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific and the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Professor Dupont previously served as a special advisor on foreign policy and national security to East Timor's President, Jose Ramos Horta, and was a member of the Foreign Affairs Council (an advisory body to the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade); the Australian Defence Minister's Defence and National Security Advisory Council; and the Council of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.
Research Expertise
- Australian foreign and defence policy
- Intelligence
- East Asian security
- Foreign policies of Japan, North Korea, China, Indonesia, ASEAN
- Non-military security issues
- Food, water and energy security
- Climate change
- Infectious disease threats
- Illegal migration
- Transnational organised crime
Publications
Books and Monographs
‘Heating up the Planet: Climate Change and Security’, co-authored with Dr. Graeme Pearman (Monash University), Lowy Institute Paper 013, June 2006, pp. 1-143.
‘Unsheathing the Samurai Sword: Japan’s Changing Security Policy’, Lowy Institute Paper 003, November 2004, pp.1-85.
East Asia Imperilled: Transnational Challenges to Security, (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2001), 336pp.
‘The Environment and Security in Pacific Asia’, Adelphi Paper 319, (Oxford University Press for the International Institute of Strategic Studies, London, 1998), pp.1-94.
‘Australia's Relations with the Republic of Korea: An Emerging Partnership’, Australia-Asia Papers No.58, February 1992, (Centre for the Study of Australia-Asia Relations, Griffith University), pp.1-49.
‘Australia's Security Interests in Northeast Asia’, Canberra Papers on Strategy and Defence No.84, 1991, (Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University, Canberra), pp.1-119.
‘Australia's Threat Perceptions: A Search for Security’, Canberra Papers on Strategy and Defence No.82, 1991, (Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University, Canberra), pp.1-105.
Book Chapters
‘The Strategic Implications of Climate Change’ in William T. Tow and Chin Kin Wah (eds.) Towards Closer Engagement in a New Asia, (ISEAS Publishing Singapore, 2009), pp. 129-150.
‘Transnational Security’ in Robert Ayson and Desmond Ball (eds.), Strategy and Security in the Asia Pacific, (Allen and Unwin, Crows Nest NSW, 2006), pp. 103-120.
‘Transnational Violence in the Asia Pacific: An Overview of Current Trends’, in Paul J. Smith (ed.), Terrorism and Violence in Southeast Asia: Transnational Challenges to States and Regional Stability, (ME Sharpe, Armonk, New York, 2004), pp. 3-18.
‘The Strategic Implications of an Independent East Timor’, in James J. Fox and Dionisio Babo Soares, (eds.), Out of the Ashes: Destruction and Reconstruction of East Timor, (Crawford House Publishing, Adelaide, Australia, 2000), pp. 192-203.
‘Maritime Environmental Security’, in David Wilson and Dick Sherwood, (eds.), Ocean Governance and Maritime Strategy, (Allen and Unwin, St. Leonards, NSW, 2000), pp. 129-138.
‘Force Modernization and Security Dilemmas in Southeast Asia’, in Jeffrey A. Larsen and Thomas D. Miller, (eds.), Arms Control in the Asia-Pacific Region, (USAF Institute for National Security Studies, US Air Force Academy, Colorado, August 1999), pp. 183-194.
‘The Future of the ASEAN Regional Forum: An Australian Perspective’, in Khoo How San, (ed.), The Future of the ARF, (Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 1999), pp.31-48.
‘Preventive Diplomacy and Transnational Security Issues’, in Desmond Ball and Amitav Acharya, (eds.), The Next Stage: Preventive Diplomacy and Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region, (Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, The Australian National University Canberra in association with The Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, Nanyang Technological University, The Republic of Singapore, 1999), pp.157-172.
‘New Dimensions of Security’, in Denny Roy, (ed.), The New Security Agenda in the Asia-Pacific Region, (Macmillan Press, Hampshire, 1997), pp.31-50.
Journal Articles
Co-authored with Professor William J. Reckmeyer, ‘Australia’s National Security Priorities: Addressing Strategic Risk in a Globalised World’, Australian Journal of International Affairs, vol. 66, no. 1, 2012, pp. 34-51.
Co-authored with Mark Thirlwell ‘Are We Entering a New Era of Food Insecurity?’, Survival, vol.51, no.3, June-July 2009, pp.71-98.
‘The Strategic Implications of Climate Change’, Survival, vol. 50, no. 3, June-July 2008, pp. 29-54.
‘Japan: The Schizophrenic Superpower, The National Interest, Number 79, Spring 2005, pp. 43-51.
‘Intelligence for the Twenty First Century’, lead article in special edition of Intelligence and National Security, vol.18, no.4, Winter, 2003, pp.15-39.
‘Transformation or Stagnation: Rethinking Australian Defence’, Australian Journal of International Affairs, vol.57, no.1, April 2003, pp.55-76.
‘The Kopassus Dilemma: Should Australia Re-engage?’ Agenda, vol.10, no.1, 2003, pp.19-26.
‘ASEAN’s Response to the East Timor Crisis’, The Australian Journal of International Affairs, vol 54, no.2, July 2000, pp. 163-170.
‘East Timor’s Failure: Penury or Prosperity?’, Communication, Pacifica Review, vol.12, no.1, February 2000, pp.86-91
‘Food, Water and Security: What Are The Connections?’, Food, Water and War: Security in a World of Conflict, (The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Monograph No.73, Canberra, Australia, 15 August 2000), pp.39-59.
‘Transnational Crime, Drugs and Security in East Asia’, Asian Survey, vol. 39, no.3, May/June 1999, pp.433-455.
‘Unregulated Population Flows in East Asia: A New Security Dilemma?, Pacifica Review, vol.9, no.1, May/June 1997, pp.1-22.
‘Indonesian Defence Strategy and Security: Time for a Rethink?’, Contemporary Southeast Asia, vol.18, no.3, December 1996, pp.275-297.
‘The Australia-Indonesia Security Agreement’, Australian Quarterly, vol. 68, no. 2, Winter 1996, pp. 49-62. (Refereed journal). A revised version was subsequently published in The Indonesian Quarterly, vol.24, no.2, Second Quarter 1996.
'Is There An Asian Way'?, Survival, vol. 38, no. 2, Summer 1996, pp.13-33.
Policy Papers
Living with the Dragon: Why Australia needs a China strategy, Lowy Institute Policy Brief, June 2011. >
Report on Assessing National Security Risk: An Integrated Methodological Framework for Australia, co-authored with Professor William J. Reckmeyer (Stanford University) for Australia’s National Security Advisor, Mr. Duncan Lewis, May 2010.
Report on Managing the Terrorist Threat from Southeast Asia: A Strategic Response, co-authored with Dr. Leanne Piggott (University of Sydney) for The Australian Federal Police, April 2009.
Report on The Security of East Timor in the Regional Context, Portuguese Institute of International and Strategic Studies (IEEI), Lisbon, June 2002, pp.1-86. (Report contributor).
‘Refugees and illegal migrants in the Asia-Pacific region’, in Christian Reus Smit (ed.), Refugees and the Myth of the Borderless World, Keynotes, no.2, February 2002, pp.9-15.
Report on Australia’s Future Defence and Security Relationship with East Timor, Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), Canberra, May 2002, pp.1-48. (Report contributor).
Report on HIV/AIDS: A Major International Security Issue, for the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Asia Pacific Ministerial Meeting, Melbourne, 9-10 October 2001, pp.1-11.
Conference papers
‘The Virtues of the US Alliance’, The Sydney Papers, (The Sydney Institute Publications Pty. Limited, Sydney) Spring 2007, Vol. 19 No. 4 pp. 53-58.
‘Implications of global climate change for international security’, address delivered at the Institution’s 119th Anniversary Dinner on 17 August 2007, The Journal of The Royal United Service Institution of New South Wales, vol.58, no.4, December 2007, pp.13-16.
‘Public Health and International Security’, Future Summit 2006 Task Force Report, The Australian Davos Connection, May 2006, pp.1-6.
‘Recalibrating Australian Defence’, The Sydney Papers, vol.15, no.2, Autumn 2003, pp.102-110.
Keynote paper, ‘Will there be Water Wars?’, to the Conference on Water Security and Conflict in the 21st Century, an initiative of the ANU’s National Institute for the Environment, National Institute for Asia and the Pacific and AusAID, Canberra, 19-20 August 2003.
‘Fighting Avian Flu: Addressing the Problems’, in Mohamed Jawhar Hassan, (eds.), Asia Pacific Security: Challenges and Opportunities in the 21st Century, (ISIS Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, 2003).
‘Energy and Water: Meeting Future Challenges’ in Mohamed Jawhar Hassan, Stephen Leong and Vincent Lim (eds.), Asia Pacific Security: Challenges and Opportunities in the 21st Century, (ISIS Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, 2002), pp.539-553.
‘Non-traditional threats to Thailand’, in Cavan Hogue (ed.), Thailand, Australia & The Region, Proceedings of the Thai Update 2001, 26-27 April 2001, (National Thai Studies Centre, The Australian National University), April 2002, pp.93-105.
‘Intelligence: Strategic Trends, Issues and Implications for Australia’, in Desmond Ball, (ed.) Maintaining the Strategic Edge: The Defence of Australia in 2015, Canberra Papers on Strategy and Defence No.133, (Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University, Canberra, 1999), pp.355-380.
‘New Security and Defence Cooperation’, in Idris.F.Sulaiman, G. Hanafi Sofyan and Shannon Luke Smith (eds.), Bridging the Arafura Sea: Australia-Indonesia Relations in Prosperity and Adversity,(National Centre for Development Studies, Development Issues Series No.10, Australian National University, Canberra, 1998), pp.52-58.
‘Environmental Conflict in East Asia: Some Issues for the Region’ and Introduction in Alan Dupont, (ed.), The Environment and Security: What are the Linkages?, Canberra Paper on Strategy and Defence No.125, (Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University, Canberra, 1998), pp.1-6, and pp.23-33.
‘The Asian Economic Crisis: Prospects for Governments and Internal Security’, in The Asian Currency Crisis: Report on a Seminar on the Asian Currency Crisis and its Effect on Australia, (Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, 19 March 1998), pp.59-68.
‘Environmental Challenges To The Security of East Asia’, in Mohamed Jawhar Hassan, (ed.), A Pacific Peace: Issues and Responses, (ISIS Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, 1998), pp. 505-522.
‘Environmental Security For The Asia-Pacific Region’, in Kent H. Butts, Environmental Change and Regional Security, (Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies, Honolulu, Hawaii, September 1997), pp.V-8 to V-25.
‘Population Movements: Impact on Politics, Society, Economics and Security,’ in Mohamed Jawhar Hassan Thangam Ramnath, (ed.), Bringing Peace To The Pacific, (ISIS Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, 1997), pp.621-633.
‘Comprehensive Security and The Issue of Migration and Ethnic Conflict’, in Mohamed Jawhar Hassan Thangam Ramnath, (ed.), Conceptualising Asia-Pacific Security, (ISIS Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, 1996), pp.67-80.
‘Regional Security Concerns into the 21st Century’, in John Ciccarelli, (ed.), Transnational Crime: A New Security Threat?(Australian Defence Studies Centre, Australian Defence Forces Academy, Canberra, 1996), pp.71-77.
‘Potential Linkages Between Economic and Regional Security Fora: ASEAN and Northeast Asia,’ in Hadi Soesastro and Anthony Bergin, (eds.), The Role of Security and Economic Cooperation Structures In The Asia Pacific Region: Indonesian and Australian Views, (The Center for Strategic and International Studies, Jakarta, in cooperation with the Australian Defence Studies Centre, Canberra, 1996), pp.59-65.
‘Australia and Southeast Asia: Comprehensive Engagement’, in Dipankar Bannerjee, (ed.), Towards An Era Of Cooperation: An Indo-Australian Dialogue, (The Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi, 1995), pp.172-182.
‘Concepts of Security’, in Jim Rolfe (ed.), Unresolved Futures: Comprehensive Security in the Asia-Pacific, (Centre for Strategic Studies, Wellington, New Zealand, 1995), pp.1-15.
Book reviews
Homer-Dixon, Thomas, The Upside of Down, The Weekend Australian, Book Review, July 21-22, 2007 p.12.
Camilleri, Joseph A., Regionalism in the New Asia-Pacific Order: The Political Economy of the Asia-Pacific Region, Volume II (Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK, 2003) for Global Change, Peace & Security, vol. 16, no.3, October 2004, pp.262-264.
Narine, Shaune, Explaining ASEAN: Regionalism in Southeast Asia (Boulder, Colorado and London, Lynne Reiner Publishers, 2002) for Contemporary Southeast Asia, vol. 25, no.1 April 2003, pp.157-159.
Tow, William T. Asia-Pacific Strategic Relations: Seeking Convergent Security, (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2001) for the Australian Journal of International Affairs, vol.57, no.1, April 2003, pp.133-155.
Catley, Bob and Dugis, Vinsensio, Australian Indonesian Relations since 1945: The Garuda and the Kangaroo; (Ashgate, Aldershot, UK, 1998), for the Australian Journal of Political Science, vol.35, no.2, June 2000, p. 347.
Alagappa, Muttiah (ed.), Asian Security Practice: Material and Ideational Influences, (Stanford University Press, Stanford University, 1998), for the Journal of Asian Studies, vol.58, no.3, August 1999, pp.774-775.
Lingle, Christopher, The Rise and Decline of the Asian Century: False Starts on the Path to the Global Millennium, (Asia 2000, Hong Kong,1997), for Survival, vol.40, no.4, Winter 1998/99, pp.197-198.
McDougall, Derek. The International Politics of the New Asia Pacific, (Lynne Rienner, Boulder, Colorado, 1997), for the Australian Journal of International Affairs, vol, 52, no. 3, November 1998, pp.353-354.
Bell, Roger, McDonald, Tim and Tidwell, Alan (eds), Negotiating the Pacific Century - The ‘New’ Asia, the United States and Australia, (Allen and Unwin in association with the Australian Centre for American Studies, St. Leonards, NSW, 1996), for Contemporary Southeast Asia, Vol.19, No2, September 1997, pp.205-209.
Davis, M. Jane (ed.), Security Issues in the Post-Cold War World, (Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, UK, 1996), for the Australian Journal of International Affairs, Vol. 51, No. 2, 1997, pp.278-279.
Newspaper Opinion Pieces
'Hello again America. It's just like you never left', The Australian, 14 November 2011.
'Let's end muddled thinking on China', The Australian, 22 June 2011.
‘Future of food policy must start at home’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 10 January 2011.
‘Time to attack cyber crime with a strong security policy’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 13 October 2010.
‘US enlists China’s worried neighbours’, The Australian, 3 August 2010.
‘Few shared values with China’, The Australian, 12 April 2010.
‘Oiling the wheels of energy management’, Australian Financial Review, 16 December 2009.
‘Consensus lies far from Copenhagen’, The Australian, 11 November 2009.
‘Our forces must first be functional’, The Australian, April 14 2009.
‘Defence has battle at home’, The Australian, 20 November 2008.
‘Don’t neglect uneasy Japan’, The Australian, 9 June 2008.
‘Security fears if trust in the US keeps eroding’, The Australian, 10 December 2007.
‘Labor careless with trump card’, The Australian, 1 November 2007.
‘Benefits offset costs of US alliance’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 3 October 2007.
‘Not the time to deal out Beijing’, The Australian, 26 March 2007.
‘Scorched earth an insecure place’, The Australian, 5 February 2007
‘Heat building as governments ignore danger’, The Australian, 13 June 2006.
‘We need to tell Condi some blunt truths’, The Australian, 15 March 2006.
‘We have to bring out the big guns’, The Australian, 29 November 2005.
‘Place at the table essential, The Australian, 29 July 2005.
‘Neighbours back on track’, Australian Financial Review, 31 March 2005.
‘Regional tensions awaken’, Australian Financial Review, 3 March 2005.
‘Japan flexes its vocal cords’, The Straits Times, 29 November 2004.
‘Let’s help Japan play Asian role’, The Australian, 15 November 2004.
‘Latham needs to iron out the flaws in his doctrine’, The Australian, 8 April 2004.
‘Strategic shift from defence’, The Australian, 14 November 2003.
‘Crying poor over defence costs is an unaffordable risk’, The Australian, 7 August 2003.
‘ADF needs more combat power’, Australian Financial Review, 9 July 2003.
‘Asia enters a new security era’, The International Herald Tribune, 5 June 2003.
‘Three blocks and your’re out’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 18-20 April 2003.
‘Straitjacket off as defence gets real’, The Australian, 27 February 2003.
‘Talk your way out of this one’, The International Herald Tribune, 2 January 2003.
‘Carrot and a stick to rein in Kim’, The Australian, 2 January 2003.
‘Hill’s chance to rally troops’, Australian Financial Review, 4 December 2002.
‘Modern wars can’t be based on obsolete battle plans’, The Australian, 14 November 2002.
‘Freedom can discredit terrorism’, The International Herald Tribune, 17 October 2002.
‘Information a vital weapon against terror, Australian Financial Review, 17 October 2002.
‘The world does seem to have changed’, The International Herald Tribune, 6 August 2002.
‘Dealing with a new America’, Australian Financial Review, 31 July 2002.
‘Howard’s offshore agenda’, Australian Financial Review, 19 June 2002.
‘From little things big things grow’, Australian Financial Review, 20 May 2002.
‘Bush is worrying Asians’, The International Herald Tribune, 11 February 2002.
‘Adroit diplomacy needed to tackle Asian security’, Australian Financial Review, 8 February 2002.
‘Advance Australia: Asia awaits’,Australian Financial Review, 10 January 2002.
‘Old Responses can’t work against new threats’, The Australian, 7 December 2001.
‘Security needs overhaul to counter new menaces’, The Australian, 24 October 2001.
‘It’ll take more than military force to win this war’, The Australian, 3 October 2001.
‘Big trials for plucky little state’, The Australian, 30 August 2001.
‘US tripartite push can only alienate China’, The Australian, 24 August 2001.
‘A dependable ally, according to our capacity’, The Australian, 7 July 2001.
‘For Asia’s Sake, America Needs to Pay More Respect to Japan’, The International Herald Tribune, 12 July 2001.
‘Dubya cosies up to difficult bedfellow’, The Australian, 10 July 2001.
‘USA und China als strategische Konkurreten’, Tages Anzeiger, 6 June 2001.
‘End is Nigh for Floundering Wahid’, The Australian, 23 May 2001.
‘The Daughter Also Rises: Megawati’s Wait Is Almost Over…’, The International Herald Tribune, 10 May 2001.
‘Indonesia’s best bet is Megawati’, The Australian, 8 May 2001.
‘Welmacht Japan vor dem Abstieg’, Tages Anzeiger, 14 April 2001.
‘U.S. and China Have Drawn New lines in the Sand’, The International Herald Tribune, 14 April 2001.
‘When a powerhouse becomes a basket case’, The Australian, 16 March 2001.
‘Weakened Japan Faces Decline as a Global Power’, The International Herald Tribune, 12 March 2001.
‘Its risky deputising in Asia’, The Australian, 15 February 2001.
‘AIDS is an enemy to us all’, The Australian, 9 January 2001.