Welcome to TheLookout. This month, we take a closer look at the forces reshaping leadership, strategy, and decision-making - from AI’s impact on the workplace to shifting security dynamics in our region.
In Global Affairs, Aspen panelist Nicholas Khoo responds to a recent op-ed by Helen Clark and Marco de Jong, arguing that China - not the US - is the primary disruptor to New Zealand’s security environment. Critical Conversations explores a report from the Aspen Institute on the leadership skills organisations will need to stay competitive in an AI-enabled economy. In Connected Communities, we share key takeaways from our recent Sister Cities forum, where leaders from Queenstown and Aspen tackled infrastructure dilemmas through a community-first lens. And don't miss out on the Alumni scholarship opportunity to attend the 2025 Global Changemakers workshop in Bogotá, Colombia.
We hope you enjoy this edition.
Ngā mihi - Christine and the Aspen Institute NZ team
Global Affairs
NZ Security Ties: Who Should We Trust?
Amid growing geopolitical friction, Aspen panellist Nicholas Khoo, and international relations scholar Reuben Steff, recently responded to an op-ed on NZ security ties with the US and Australia, by Helen Clark and Marco de Jong. Khoo and Steff counter that China - not the US - is the real disruptor to regional stability. Read the full article here.
Critical Conversations
The AI Upskilling Conundrum: Are You Prepared?
As AI accelerates across sectors, many leaders are underprepared for its workforce impact. A new report, from the Institute's Economic Opportunity Programme, outlines the core competencies organisations must develop to remain competitive to not only support employees, but to future-proof strategy, training, and leadership itself in an AI-enabled economy. Learn more here.
Our recent Sister Cities forum brought Queenstown and Aspen leaders together to rethink transport and energy infrastructure from the ground up. The message was clear: resilience, equity and electrification demand more community involvement. From microgrids to gondolas, the ideas shared were both practical and relevant to all growing communities facing infrastructure dilemmas.
Masters Degree in Cyber Security Coming to Queenstown
Former PM and Deputy PM - National’s John Key and Labour’s Grant Robertson - may seem an unlikely pairing. But in their post-political roles, both are connected to a new collaboration between the University of Otago and global tech company Palo Alto Networks, to deliver a master’s degree in cybersecurity from Queenstown. The programme will help to strengthen Queenstown’s global connectivity and its role in international tech education. More here.
Australian-NZ National Security: Shared Threats, Shared Solutions
In partnership with the University of Otago, this forum brings together senior leaders to address the region’s most pressing security challenges - from espionage and AI to foreign interference in elections.
The Socrates Seminar returns in December this year, with a critical conversation on media trust, misinformation, and democracy - moderated by Aspen Digital’s Vivian Schiller, a former senior executive at NPR, The New York Times, and Twitter.
Master decision-making with EVBDM - a practical, immersive course that equips participants with tools to navigate complexity, reduce risk, and align decisions with both data and values. Led by Aspen NZ Director Neil Jacobstein. Contact us to improve your decision outcomes today.
You select the date and we come to you.
International Scholarship Opportunity
Global Changemakers Workshop - Price of Passage: Borders & Belonging 1- 5 October, 2025 | Bogotá, Colombia
Applications now open for an Aspen NZ youth alumni scholarship to attend the 2025 Global Changemakers workshop - an immersive international forum exploring the complexities and consequences of migration in today’s world.
If you’ve taken part in an Aspen NZ seminar or forum (online or in person) and have a strong interest in migration - whether through your work, studies, or lived experience - this is a unique opportunity to connect with other emerging global leaders. More information available here.
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