As economic and national security converge, this Lookout explores leadership, trade realignment and decision-making, and how New Zealand can strengthen its position in a shifting global order.

As the global order shifts from shared norms to strategic competition, security and prosperity are no longer separate conversations. At the recent Aspen NZ closed-door Security Dialogue in Auckland, business and policy leaders examined what this new environment demands of New Zealand - and of those responsible for leading within it.

As 2025 winds down, we’d like to thank everyone who has taken part in Aspen NZ’s work this year - our participants, partners, supporters, directors, and the wider Aspen community. This Summer Review reflects on the people and programmes that shaped the past six months, and the conversations that carry into 2026.

As we head into 2026, three forces are setting the pace: geopolitical realignment, rapid technological change, and an information environment where trust is harder to secure. These pressures make one thing clear - outcomes improve when decision capability and dialogue keeps up.  Across New Zealand, from corporates to community organisations, the message is the same: we need stronger, more confident decision makers who can handle complexity. This edition looks squarely at that challenge.

Welcome to The Lookout. This month we explore how nations and communities are building resilience in a time of rapid change, from shared security challenges across the Tasman, to migration debates that shape public understanding and reflect the experiences of the people at their centre.

As global risks grow more complex, the Aspen-Otago National Security Forum 2025 brought together leading experts from New Zealand, Australia, Asia, and the US to explore how shifting geopolitics, emerging technologies, and social cohesion are reshaping regional resilience, and why collective awareness and action are key to national security.

Welcome to The Lookout. This month we examine China’s growing influence in South-East Asia, reflect on the future of the global order, and pay homage to the leadership of one of our founding Trustees and Chair.

Welcome to The Lookout. This month, we explore the escalating threats in cyberspace, the potential of AI to tackle one of humanity’s most urgent challenges, and the enduring impact of visionary leadership.

Welcome to The Lookout. This month, we look at what it takes to keep our footing in a world of shifting power, overlooked essential workers, and the power of the 'commons' to guide us through rough waters.

Todd Breyfogle, Executive Director of Seminars and Executive Leadership marks the 75th anniversary of the first Aspen convening, of what would become the Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies in 1949.

The inaugural Evidence and Values Based Decision Making (EVBDM) course at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds for Te Kahui Hononga / Northland Intersectoral Forum Regional Leadership Group provided a unique platform to explore and enrich decision-making skills in our community.

A message to the Aspen Institute community from CEO Dan Porterfield, in light of the recent Hamas attack in Israel.

The final forum of the Aspen Summer Series on Geopolitical Challenges tackled one of the most critical issues of our era: the shifting landscape of Great Power Rivalry. Moderated by former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sir Don McKinnon, who referred to the panel as “AAA rated” with Robert Patman from the University of Otago, Rosemary Banks, former NZ Ambassador to the US, and Tom Udall, current US Ambassador to NZ.

In the second forum in the Aspen Summer Series on Geopolitical Challenges, focus turned to security risks in North Asia and the trade implications for NZ, featuring NZ's top experts in the region, panellists Simon Draper (Director, Asia NZ Foundation) and John McKinnon (Chair, NZ China Council) and moderator SungYong Lee (Assoc Prof, National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Otago).

The Aspen Summer Series on Geopolitical Challenges started with a bang with a scintillating forum on the Indo Pacific.  With NZ's top experts on the topic, Suzannah Jessep, Nicholas Khoo and Natasha Hamilton-Hart, the forum was skilfully moderated by Alan Bollard. 

As Russia’s war spills into cyberspace, there is a growing risk of large-scale cyber disruptions well beyond Ukraine. How did the digital world become so vulnerable to big shocks? What can be done to create resilience?