Sam Roggeveen to open 2026 ABC Boyer Lecture series – Lowy Institute director Sam Roggeveen will deliver the keynote address in the 2026 ABC Radio National Boyer Lecture series. His lecture will open a four-part look at Australia’s relationship with Asia.
The event will be recorded before a live audience at ABC Ultimo Studio 22 on Wednesday 14 October. Viewers can watch it on ABC News Channel on 17 October. Listeners can hear it on ABC Radio National on 18 October.
The Boyer Lectures are a major ABC forum for ideas and public debate. This year, four speakers will consider Australia’s place in the region. They will explore changing demographics, politics and strategic alliances.
Australia and Asia
Roggeveen leads the Lowy Institute’s International Security Program. He said four forces are changing Australia’s position in the region. They include the decline of one empire, the rise of another and a powerful neighbour nearby.
He also pointed to a change in Australian democracy. “How Australia responds to all four will determine its future,” Roggeveen said.
After the recording, Roggeveen will join a discussion with Global Roaming hosts Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald. Later lectures will also screen on ABC News Channel. They will feature in ABC Radio National’s Sunday Extra.
The 2026 speakers
Other speakers are journalist and academic Louisa Lim, economist Dr Mari Pangestu and Singapore’s Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Lim teaches journalism at the University of Melbourne. Pangestu is Indonesia’s special envoy for international trade and multilateral cooperation. Lee was Singapore’s prime minister from 2004 to 2024.
ABC Chair Kim Williams said Australia needs stronger ties with its neighbours. He said shifting alliances make that work urgent. The four lecturers will examine cultural, economic, political and military links with Asia.
The Boyer Lecture series is named for former ABC Chair Sir Richard Boyer. Each year, it invites prominent Australians to address major social, cultural, scientific or political issues.
For more TV Central ABC news, head here. Find out more from ABC.
