Choose asia
More than ever before, Australia’s future security and prosperity will be determined by our ability to be influential in our own region, Asia. If Australia is going to navigate our own path in the coming decades, we must choose Asia.
Asia capability - the knowledge of the languages, cultures and histories of Asia needed to be effective in the region - is a vital sovereign capability for Australia in the 21st century. But Australia’s Asia capability has been declining for decades, particularly when it comes to language study.
Developing the sovereign capability needed to build Australia’s future security and prosperity in Asia won’t just happen. We need the sovereign capability to do these things for ourselves, as Australians, across government, business and civil society.
Acknowledging this requires us to make a choice.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education has launched an inquiry into the development of Asia Capability within our nation. This includes the mix of cultural understanding, language facilities and regional experiences Australia needs to be effective in Asia.
We welcome written submissions and recommendations in response to the terms of reference by 7 November 2025.
You can join us here at Choose Asia where we are building a community of practice to promote this whole of nation challenge. We will spotlight stories, work through obstacles and share the challenges of building Australia’s Asia capability - online, on Substack and on Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn.