Professor Brian P. Schmidt AC, Vice-Chancellor & President of the Australian National University, will address the National Press Club of Australia on Building resilient – and resurgent – democracies for the 21st century.
The Washington Post may have famously declared that democracy dies in darkness, but it is not just the dark that we should be afraid of warns Nobel laureate and public intellectual Professor Brian Schmidt.
From the rise of misinformation, the scourge of inequality and racism and the sharp turn to populism in his home nation of the United States – and other countries around the world – our democracies are starting to feel more fragile than ever.
In this major address to the National Press Club, Professor Schmidt will outline the key ingredients we need to ensure our democracy is resilient (and resurgent) and our society is just and cohesive in the face of 21st-century threats.
He will discuss the vital importance of ensuring Australia confronts racism, overcomes inequality and builds gender justice. He will also outline the role of trusted expertise and why this is so vital not only to democracy and social cohesion but also how it must be harnessed against the rising tides of dis- and misinformation.
Professor Schmidt will round out his address with some reflections on the upcoming US elections and what the possible re-emergence of Donald Trump means for the political fortunes and stability of his homeland, Australia and the world.
Professor Brian Schmidt is the 2011 Nobel Prize winner in physics for his work on the expanding universe. He is one of Australia’s most well-known and respected public intellectuals, regularly speaking at international forums, advising governments and industry, and commentating in national and international media.
As the outgoing leader of The Australian National University – the nation’s most trusted and respected research and education institution – he has collaborated with hundreds of leading scholars to help address some of the biggest challenges we face today, including racism, inequality, social cohesion, fair and sustainable economic growth, and gender-based violence and discrimination.
This National Press Club address is his last major public speech before he steps down as Vice-Chancellor of The Australian National University.
