Asia is more important to Australia’s security and prosperity than ever before. It has also become more complex and more challenging to navigate. Australian statecraft is more active in the region than ever before, but at home, building Asia Capability has not been a priority in our education system for more than a decade.  

Asia Capability, the range of language skills, cultural knowledge, in-country experience and networks necessary to be effective in Asia, is now a vital sovereign capability.  

Australia's interests in Asia are unique.  We cannot rely on other countries to share our priorities or perspectives. Australia needs to be able to understand Asia on our own terms in order to be able to make our own way in the region.  Sovereign Asia Capability is a prerequisite for an independent foreign policy in the region.   

Despite this, Australia’s schools and universities are not currently producing the Asia capability Australia needs to be self reliant in the region. Asian language learning and area studies programs are facing an existential crisis.  

The Albanese government is currently leading the most active foreign policy agenda in Asia in our nation’s history. But the Asia experts supporting this agenda are the products of investments made in Australia’s Asia capability decades ago. We are not making the same investments in the Australian education system today.  

We must act now. Unless we choose to make building Australia’s sovereign Asia capability a priority today, we’re choosing to leave our security and prosperity in the region to be determined by others tomorrow.