Our 2023 graduates Angus Royal, Jon Connor and Tim Rice, and Engagement Officer Zachary Jorge attended the NATO and War in Europe: Implications for Global Security Order event presented by the Australian Institute of International Affairs. The key presenter at the event was Mr Janis Sarts, the Director of the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence. He discussed the possible reasons for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, lessons learnt from the conflict and what it potentially means for NATO in the future.
What has the conflict in Europe taught us? Here are our graduates’ key takeaways from the event;
Angus Royal
I had the opportunity to attend the NATO and War in Europe: Implications for Global Security Order event, where I gained valuable insights into our NATO partners' perspectives on the ongoing war in Ukraine. One key insight that stood out was the pressure felt by nations like Latvia as the conflict enters its first year. As a member of NATO, Latvia has a keen interest in maintaining stability and security in the region. During the event, Janis Sarts stressed the importance of continuing to support Ukraine by providing necessary supplies and fostering partnerships between NATO and other western nations to address the situation. It became clear that collaboration is essential in promoting peace and security in the region.
Overall, attending the event helped me to better understand the complexity of the situation and the significance of NATO's role in addressing the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Tim Rice
Attending the event on NATO and War in Europe presented by Jānis Sārts, Director of NATO's Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, was a great learning experience. Sārts emphasised the importance of strategic communication in the current global environment, especially considering the ongoing conflict caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I found it fascinating to learn about Sārts' background as a recognised expert in strategic communication and emerging technologies who has served in various positions related to defence and security. His perspectives on disinformation, the impact of social media, and national security aspects of emerging technologies were particularly relevant to the current strategic environment.
Jon Connor
The event NATO and War in Europe provided some insightful and interesting points. The speaker Jānis Sārts, Director of NATO's Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, highlighted the importance of social media in Ukraine's media landscape and noted that much of Ukraine's media efforts are driven by its people posting on social media. His presentation provided valuable insights into the evolving nature of conflict communication.
Additionally, he highlighted that despite the West's expectations, the Russian armed forces were not as competent as many had believed, as evidenced by their failure to take Kiev within the anticipated two-week timeframe. This shed new light on the military strategies employed in the Ukraine conflict and challenged some of the prevailing assumptions about the balance of power in the region. However, the event also highlighted some stark contrasts between strategic concerns in Europe and those in the Asia-Pacific region. Notably, China was not mentioned as a concern.
This event provided our graduates with a general overview of the current environment and an understanding of the emerging and disruptive technology capabilities that can be implemented by the Australian Defence Force. This was also the first work event that these graduates attended while representing the Meikai Group.
Meikai Group
Meikai is a Professional Services Consultancy dedicated to facilitating and solving capability problems and challenges for our clients. Meikai specialises in the provision of engineering, project management and program delivery services to support the implementation of emerging and disruptive technology within the ICT, simulation, and training domains.
Meikai holds a R&D/Futures branch, that looks to explore emerging technology. This ensures we foster cutting edge thinking, skills and competence in our workforce, to continue to providing value and quality to our clients. Meikai knows that research into Blockchain, Web 3.0 and NFTs is essential to building an innovative future.
Authors
Angus Royal – Graduate - Project Manager
Angus is our Graduate Project Manager committed to supporting projects within the Professional Services Portfolio and assisting the government with the implementation of emerging and disruptive technology. Angus graduated with a Bachelor of Politics and International Relations from the University of Canberra (UC) in 2022. During his studies, he undertook an internship which provided him with exposure to the Defence industry.
Tim Rice – Graduate – Systems Engineer
Tim is Meikai’s Graduate Systems Engineer committed to supporting projects within the Professional Services Portfolio and assisting the government with the implementation of emerging and disruptive technology. With a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours from The Australian National University Tim brings a unique perspective and a well-rounded balance of strategic thinking and interpersonal skills to the table.
Jon Connor – Graduate – Solutions Architecture
Jon is Meikai’s Graduate Solutions Architect who is committed to supporting projects within the Professional Services Portfolio. With a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and extensive undergraduate teaching experience, Jon brings a great wealth of knowledge to the table. His passion for leveraging emerging and disruptive technologies drives him to create complex, cutting-edge solutions.
Zachary Jorge – Engagement Officer
Zac is our dedicated Engagement Officer responsible for Meikai's External and Internal Engagement Strategies. With his academic and work experience, Zac has the tools and knowledge to help build an organization that confidently implements emerging and disruptive technology. Zac recently graduated with a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from the University of Canberra. His studies focused on entrepreneurship, business development, and sport management, providing him with a well-rounded skillset that he can apply to his role at Meikai.
Comments