WASHINGTON, December 1, 2021: The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is pleased to announce the launch of the CSIS Australia Chair. The Australia Chair will sharpen the focus on U.S.-Australia relations and contribute innovative policy ideas to the rapidly expanding regional and global challenges that call for greater coordination and action by Canberra and Washington. CSIS is the first Washington-based think tank to establish an Australia Chair, at the very moment when the U.S.-Australia relationship has become a focal point of U.S. strategy. The Chair is supported through the generosity of Australian businessman Anthony Pratt, chairman of Visy and Pratt Industries, leaders in sustainable packaging in Australia and the United States.
Dr. Charles Edel, a thought leader on U.S. strategy in the Indo-Pacific and a well-recognized public policy voice in U.S.-Australia relations, will serve as the inaugural Australia Chair and senior adviser. The Chair will be supported by an advisory council of former senior officials and business leaders led by James Carouso, former chargé d'affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Canberra with senior diplomatic experience across the region.
Dr. John J. Hamre, president and CEO of CSIS, welcomed the announcement, noting: “From AUKUS and the Quad to technology decoupling and regional economic statecraft, there is no policy issue in this complex new era of strategic competition where we do not need Australian ideas, influence, and capacity.”
Senior Vice President for Asia Dr. Michael J. Green added: “Charles and Jim will bring a wealth of experience, insights, and connections to our expanding work on the Indo-Pacific. The U.S.-Australia alliance is already at the center of much of the work we do in the region, and this new Chair will help broaden our reach and impact.”
The Honorable Arthur Sinodinos, Australia’s ambassador to the United States, said: “I am delighted that Charles Edel will occupy the new Australia Chair at CSIS and that Jim Carouso will head the advisory board. Both bring great experience to their roles and strong commitment to the bilateral relationship.”
Anthony Pratt, chairman of Visy and Pratt Industries, welcomed the inauguration of the Chair: “As the largest Australian employer in the United States, employing 10,000 Americans in well-paying, green-collar manufacturing jobs and a further 7,000 Australians, we’re honored to support the establishment of the CSIS Australia Chair. I congratulate President Biden and Prime Minister Morrison for their leadership and commitment to the U.S.-Australia alliance recently renewed by AUKUS, a partnership that will ensure peace, prosperity, and security in the Indo-Pacific.”
Learn more about the CSIS Australia Chair by visiting the program page here.