The ASEAN-Australia Centre (the Centre) builds on the Australian Government’s commitment to deepen engagement with Southeast Asia for a peaceful, stable and prosperous region. It delivers programs and initiatives across four strategic pillars – Southeast Asia literacy, economic linkages, education and cultural connections. 

The Program supports the ASEAN-Australia Centre’s work to build a network of future ASEAN leaders with strong connections to Australia, who will drive positive change across Australia and Southeast Asia. 

This Emerging Leadership Program responds to a regional demand for applied learning, leadership development, and policy collaboration, fostering new cohorts of foreign policy professionals equipped to advance security, stability, and cooperation in the region.

The Program aims to:

• Analyse the relationship between political priorities, policy advice, diplomatic objectives and negotiating mandates.
• Prepare effective briefing notes, talking points, interventions and negotiating instructions.
• Identify the political, economic, strategic and domestic factors shaping another country's negotiating position.
• Navigate formal and informal aspects of multilateral diplomacy.
• Analyse the interests, influence and negotiating positions of different states and stakeholder groups.
• Build and maintain coalitions across countries and institutions.
• Apply consensus-building techniques in culturally and politically diverse environments.
• Develop a comprehensive negotiation strategy, including objectives, priorities, red lines, concessions and fallback positions.
• Recognise when to negotiate bilaterally, in small groups or through broader multilateral processes.
• Negotiate and draft agreed language under time pressure
• Deliver persuasive diplomatic interventions and policy arguments.
• Communicate effectively with senior officials, diplomats and international counterparts.
• Demonstrate ethical, inclusive and culturally intelligent leadership in international policy environments.

This program will be delivered via blended delivery over a maximum of 12 weeks, commencing from early 2027 and completing no later than end May 2027 and an eight day immersion program in-Australia, with one travel day either side.