Seminar 3. Orcas in the Blue Pacific: Why AUKUS is not for the Blue Pacific, Not Now, Not Ever

Shadow Syllabus, AUKUS and its Discontents

Autumn 2025

School of Social Science, Monash University

This is our third webinar in this series. See our first seminars on YouTube by clicking this link. 

Orcas in the Blue Pacific: Why AUKUS is not for the Blue Pacific, Not Now, Not Ever.

Presentation by Maualaivao Maima Koro, Pacific Research Fellow and academic co-lead of the Regional Perspectives research collaboration, between the Adelaide University with Pacific partners funded by the Defence, Science and Technology Group. 

About AUKUS and its Discontents Shadow Syllabus

A shadow syllabus is an informal or supplementary guide to a formal program. This syllabus emerges from discussion in Dr Samanthi. J Gunawardana's class ATS3697 Gender and International Relations class which was run in Semester 2, 2024. 

AUKUS is a security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Encouraging a diversity of perspectives, we hope to examine both the strategic merits and potential drawbacks of AUKUS. Since its announcement in 2021, AUKUS has been met with a range of perspectives. While many see it as a strategic step forward in strengthening regional security and defense partnerships, others have raised concerns about its necessity and potential implications for people, ecological impacts, human rights, prospects for peace, relationships with Asia-Pacific neighbours, the education sector, and ultimately, Australia’s place in the world. 

This shadow syllabus, consisting of a series of online lunchtime webinars, critically examines the AUKUS Agreement from a broad lens. Open to all, it offers an informal learning environment for considered reflection. The aim is to contribute to informed discussion on peace, security and the future of Australia and our region. The presenters will be academics, representatives of AUKUS related institutions, and members of social movements. 

Recommended Resources (provided access after registration): 

Koro, M. (2025). Mutual Contradictions: Pacific Islands Cooperation for Maritime Security with Global Powers, East West Centre. 

Koro, M., & McNeill, H. (2024). Challenging colonial logics of habit in Australiaʼs economic statecraft with Pacific Islands. Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies, 11(3), e398.

Wallis, J., Koro, M., & O’Dwyer, C. (2024). The ‘Blue Pacific’strategic narrative: rhetorical action, acceptance, entrapment, and appropriation?. The Pacific Review, 37(4), 797-824.