AAA is pleased to offer the American Political Science Association (APSA) Congressional Fellowship in 2012. Applications close 28 February!

Program: work on Capitol Hill to gain an understanding of the U.S. legislative process
Duration: 9 months starting November 2012
Open to: political scientists, journalists, federal executives or international scholars
Funds: up to US$40,000

For more application information, click here.

University of Queensland Fellow: William Hatleberg
Bowdoin College / University of Queensland
Research Interest: Evolutionary Biology

Sir Keith Murdoch Fellow: David Wilson
Barrow Neurological Institute / Centre for Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery
Research Interest: Neurosurgery


Sir Keith Murdoch Fellow: Rachelle Johnson
Vanderbilt University / St. Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research
Research Interest: Bone Cell Biology

Sir Keith Murdoch Fellow: Rebecca Sweet
Yale University / Australian National University
Research Interest: Autoimmunity

Sir Keith Murdoch Fellow: Talia Mota
UC Davis / University of Melbourne
Research Interest: HIV Latency

Sir Keith Murdoch Fellow: Ashley Moon
Johns Hopkins University / University of Queensland
Research Interest: Medicine

Jeweller and pen designer, Glen Curtis, will join industry heavyweights and high-flyers from the world of film and fashion to judge Rio Tinto’s inaugural design competition in New York.

Glen Curtis, managing director of Curtis Australia said he is honoured to be selected as a judge.

Australians commemorated the tenth anniversary of 9/11 with events in Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney on Sunday 11 September.

Canberra – US Ambassador Jeffrey Bleich led a service on the banks of Lake Burley Griffin. The event was attended by Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and other senior government officials. Mr Bleich read a letter from President Barack Obama to Ms Gillard thanking Australia for its “extraordinary” support. Mr Obama said Australia’s support was shown immediately and the enduring support since “has won the lasting affection and gratitude of Americans”.

Melbourne – A commemorative service was held at St Paul’s Cathedral. US Consul General Frank Urbancic Jr attended alongside the Hon. Simon Crean and the Hon. Sophie Mirabella representing the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition respectively. Young musicians from Two Bright Lakes and harpist Imelda Pagliaro provided reflective music.

Sydney – More than 1200 people gathered at an interfaith memorial service at St Mary’s Cathedral including family members of the 10 Australians who died during the attacks. US Consul General Niels Marquardt and representatives from several religious denominations spoke. The American Australian Association provided the musicians for the event which included William Barton playing the didgeridoo and David Campbell singing a moving “Bring Him Home” from Les Miserables.

On 4 September, the US Consulate General in Sydney held a tree planting service in honour of the 9/11 Australian victims. 60 representatives from eight of the ten victims' families attended.

The large Hoop Pine and a plaque inscribed with the ten victims' names sits prominently in the Royal Botanic Gardens between the Opera House and Mrs. Macquarie's Chair.

US citizens and lawful permanent residents residing in countries without US Citizenship and Immigration Services offices are now able to file Form I-130 family-based immigrant petitions with the agency’s Chicago lockbox facility. Overseas petitioners residing in a country with a USCIS office can elect to file at that office or use the lockbox. For more information and to view additional immigration updates, click here.

To facilitate intellectual alliances and collaboration between Australia and the United States, AAA awards 15 Fellowships to leading Australian post-graduate scholars to undertake research and study on environmental sustainability, engineering and medicine at prestigious American institutions.

In addition to last year’s Education Fellowship programme, the Association awarded three new corporate Fellowships through the support of ConocoPhillips, Westfield and Pratt Industries. Since the inception of the Association’s Education Fund in 2002, over $3 million dollars have been awarded in Fellowships to over 100 outstanding Australian and American scholars.

For more information on the Education Fund and Fellows, click here.

On 30 June at the Harvard Club, AAA in conjunction with the New South Wales Government hosted a private Finance & Investment lunch for the Hon Andrew Stoner MP, Deputy Premier, Minister for Trade and Investment and Minister for Regional Services and Infrastructure.

During his luncheon address, Mr Stoner noted that Australia has the 13th largest economy which is in its 18th consecutive year of growth. Australia currently has AUD $1.5 trillion funds under management, is ranked by the World Economic Forum as the number 1 global centre in Asia and has the 7th largest foreign exchange. He also stressed that ‘NSW is the engine room of the Australian economy’ contributing 32% of the nation’s GDP in 2008-09. Sydney, the capital city of NSW contributes 25% of Australian GDP.

For more information on the luncheon and Mr Stoner’s address, click here.

Impian Films announces production of two Australian and US feature films:

The Drowner - An epic tale of building Australia and the mining industry during the gold rush (echos of today's mining boom). Based on the award winning novel by Robert Drewe and the story of CY O'Connor, one of Perth's enduring legendary characters.

Shallows - A 3 generational tale of anti-whaling brought into the modern day. Based on the Tim Winton novel.

To find out more about the Australian and US co-productions, including opportunities for investment, email Jack Drewe at jack@impianfilms.com.

Costco is a membership warehouse club dedicated to bringing its members the best possible prices on quality brand-name merchandise. They provide a wide selection of merchandise, plus the convenience of specialty departments and exclusive member services.

To learn more about Costco or to join the club, click here.

Andrew Brookes is a lawyer specialising in energy and climate change matters. He has advised a range of government and corporate clients on emissions trading, renewable energy, carbon capture and storage, electricity and gas regulation and energy sector transactions. While practicing as a lawyer, Andrew completed a research Masters in International Politics at the University of Melbourne. His thesis explored the procedural and communicative fairness of the negotiations within the international climate change regime.

Founded in 1953, the APSA Congressional Fellowship Program is the nation's oldest and most prestigious congressional fellowship. For more information about APSA and the Congressional Fellowship, click here.

In a media release on 3 May, The Hon Wayne Swan MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer, announced the appointment of Greg Medcraft as ASIC Chairman.

Mr Medcraft joined ASIC as a Commissioner in February 2009, taking responsibility for the oversight of investment banking, investment managers, super funds and financial advisers.

Glenn Stevens, Governor, Reserve Bank of Australia addressed American and Australian financial services leaders on 13 April at the AAA Annual Spring Lecture Lunch in New York. The Governor’s speech America, Australia, Asia and the World Economy centered on the economic growth of Asia, in particular China and India and the impact the continuing development and integration of these economies would have on Australian and US trading patterns, global markets and future holdings of financial assets.

To read a transcript of the Governor’s speech, click here.

On 10 March, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard delivered a speech to a Joint Meeting of Congress, only the fourth Australian PM to do so. The prime minister spoke about the ANZUS treaty, signed in 1951 solidifying the alliance between the US and Australia. She personalised her remarks with the story of an Australian fireman who tracked down the sons of a New York fireman who died leading a team into the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. One of the dead man's sons, also a fireman, was in the viewing gallery along with his Australian counterpart, who had returned the helmet his father had signed.

Other topics discussed included Afghanistan, the global economy, the G20 and free trade. To watch the PM’s full address, click here.

On 9 March, the AAA hosted a dinner for the Prime Minister of Australia, the Hon Julia Gillard MP. The dinner marked the occasion of Ms Gillard’s inaugural visit to the United States as Prime Minister of Australia and provided her with the opportunity to address senior American and Australian business and financial leaders, including Andrew Liveris, Dow Chemical Company; Jeff Immelt, GE; James Mulva, ConocoPhillips; James Gorman, Morgan Stanley; Melody Meyer, Chevron; Jac Nasser, BHP Billiton and film maker Baz Luhrmann.

For more information on the PM’s visit to New York, click here.