The ASEAN-Australia Centre Leadership Program (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. 

The Short Course: Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Security in ASEAN aims to strengthen the capacity of emerging and mid-career leaders across ASEAN Member States and Australia to design, implement, and promote climate-smart, bio-secure, and technologically enabled agricultural systems. The Short Course will be delivered over up to 12 weeks in the first half of 2026, through a blend of online learning and a one-week immersion program in Australia.

The Short Course will support participants to:

• Analyse the impacts of climate change, land-use pressures, and transboundary risks on ASEAN’s agricultural productivity and food security.
• Apply principles of sustainable and climate-smart agriculture, including integrated pest management, soil and water management, and adaptive crop systems suited to local contexts.
• Evaluate approaches to biosecurity that safeguard food systems from pests, diseases, and zoonotic threats, in line with ASEAN regional guidelines and international standards.
• Explore how digital transformation and agri-technology—such as precision farming, drones, smart irrigation, and virtual trade systems—can drive sustainability and resilience across the value chain.
• Identify investment and partnership opportunities between ASEAN and Australia in agri-tech innovation, research, and sustainable trade.
• Develop actionable strategies or pilot initiatives that integrate climate adaptation, biosecurity, and digital innovation to strengthen local and regional food systems.
• Foster cross-sectoral and regional collaboration by engaging with policymakers, researchers, and industry counterparts in Australia and ASEAN member states.