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The October Lookout: The Choices Ahead
The October edition of The Lookout reflects on the Aspen NZ Security Forum, which brought together 70 senior leaders in Queenstown to explore the connections between New Zealand’s economic prosperity and national security. We share six key themes from the discussions, alongside Aspen NZ alumnus Alexander Plimmer’s reflections on AI, leadership and human agency, following his participation in the Global Changemakers Workshop in India. Also featured: upcoming New Zealand Security Dialogues.
New Zealand’s Place in a Contested World: The Choices We Cannot Avoid
How can New Zealand strengthen its security and resilience in a more contested world? The Aspen NZ Security Forum brought together leaders and experts to consider the choices ahead, from Pacific security and emerging technologies to defence capability and economic resilience.
Press release: Aspen NZ Security Forum examines NZ’s security and resilience
The Aspen NZ Security Forum brought together leaders and experts from across government, intelligence, defence, business and academia in Queenstown on 16 October 2026 to discuss New Zealand’s changing security environment.
The September Lookout: The Longer View
The September edition of The Lookout explores the evolving relationship between national security and economic prosperity, the role of AI in scientific discovery, and how emerging leaders are navigating decision making in an age of AI, with a reflection from scholarship recipient, Arne Larson, on his time in India at the recent Global Changemakers Workshop.
Decision Making in an Age of AI
Aspen NZ scholarship recipient Arne Larsen reflects on the 2026 Global Changemakers Workshop in Hyderabad - four days exploring AI, power and decision making, from Plato to a live policy simulation, and the question that stuck with him most.
The August Lookout: Three Shifts Worth Watching
The August edition of The Lookout looks at three shifts shaping the world around us: changing security dynamics in the Indo-Pacific, the forces driving global AI investment and growth, and the evolving relationship between news, technology and trust. Together, they raise important questions about how global changes are shaping New Zealand’s future.
Arotake-Makariri: The Winter Review 2026
The Arotake-Makariri - Winter Review reflects on Aspen NZ’s work over the first half of the year, as New Zealand navigates an increasingly contested and uncertain world. From the launch of our Security Programme and regional Security Dialogues to new decision making initiatives and opportunities for emerging leaders, we share highlights from the conversations, relationships and partnerships helping strengthen New Zealand’s leadership capability, resilience and place in the world.
The June Lookout: Mid Year Signals
The June edition of The Lookout considers how leaders are navigating security, trust and New Zealand’s place in a more contested world. We explore signs of common ground in international affairs, what AI cannot replace in leadership and decision-making, and introduce two New Zealand scholarship recipients preparing to represent Aspen NZ at the Global Changemakers Workshop in India. Also featured: upcoming events and opportunities to connect with Aspen NZ.
The May Lookout: The Long Game & The Opportunity Ahead
The May Lookout introduces Aspen NZ's new report on the NZ-India FTA and what it opens up for New Zealand businesses, alongside a look at cybersecurity governance in an age of AI, and why trust matters more than technical knowledge in determining whether breakthrough science succeeds
The April Lookout: From awareness to action
The April Lookout explores how global shifts are moving from theory to practice, with a focus on China’s economic direction and what a more complex security environment means for New Zealand.
Economic and National Security: From Awareness to Action
Senior leaders from business and government gathered for Aspen NZ's Wellington Security Dialogue to examine what is required of leadership in this rapidly evolving security environment. As co-patron Sir Donald McKinnon observed: "There has never been a time when national security has required such sustained attention."
The March Lookout: Local, regional and global upheaval
Geopolitics is back, and economics is paying attention. The March Lookout explores what the current global upheaval means for New Zealand's trade, security and resilience.
The February Lookout: Our Place in the World 2050
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.
Economic and National Security: A Whole-of-Society Approach
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.
The Summer Review | Arotake Raumati 2025
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.
The November Lookout: Improving Outcomes for 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.
The October Lookout: Resilience in a Time of Change
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.
Complex Security Environment Requires Collective Awareness and Action
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.