Events

Scholar-in-Residence

Named in honour of noted economist and freedom advocate, Ronald Max Hartwell. Each year, CIS hosts an international scholar for a month-long residency. In 2014, in honour of Max’s legacy, CIS introduced the Scholar-in-Residence program. Since then, we have showcased scholars from the US, UK and Canada. Max Hartwell (1921–2009) was an Australian-born economic historian of the British Industrial Revolution.

Upcoming Scholars

Simon Heffer (February 2025) Simon Heffer is Professor of Modern British History at the University of Buckingham and a long-time Fleet Street journalist. He is the author of High Minds, The Age of Decadence, and Staring at God, and editor of The Diaries of ‘Chips’ Channon. In 2019, Heffer was a guest at CIS, where he authored papers on moral terrorism and identity politics.

Marian Tupy (February 2026) Marian L. Tupy is editor of HumanProgress.org and a senior fellow at the Centre for Global Liberty and Prosperity. He specialises in globalisation, global well-being, and the economics of Europe and Southern Africa. Tupy is co-author of Superabundance (2022) and Ten Global Trends Every Smart Person Should Know (2020). His work has appeared in the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Atlantic. He holds a BA from the University of the Witwatersrand and a PhD from the University of St. Andrews. In 2023, Tupy was a guest at CIS, where he participated in our annual Consilium conference.

Past Scholars

John Judis (November 2024) John B. Judis is editor-at-large at Talking Points Memo and former senior editor at The New Republic. His books include The Politics of Our Time, The Populist Explosion, and The Folly of Empire. Judis holds BA and MA degrees in philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley.

James (Jim) Mann (February 2023) James Mann is an award-winning journalist and former Chief of the Beijing bureau for the Los Angeles Times. He is the author of several books, including The China Fantasy (2007).

Alice Han (November 2022) Alice Han is director of China at advisory firm Greenmantle, specialising in Chinese political economy and fintech. She has published work in The Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, and Foreign Policy. Han holds an AB from Harvard and an MA from Stanford.

James Mann (February 2023) James Mann is a Washington-based author and former columnist for the Los Angeles Times. He is now an author-in-residence at Johns Hopkins University and best known for Rise of the Vulcans.

Doug Bandow (February 2020) Doug Bandow, a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute, specialises in foreign policy and civil liberties. He writes for Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, and National Interest.

Anastasia Lin (August 2019) Anastasia Lin, actress and former Miss World Canada, is the Macdonald-Laurier Institute’s Ambassador for China Policy and a senior fellow at the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights.

James Bartholomew (October 2018) James Bartholomew is a journalist and author focused on the effects of welfare states. He has written for The Spectator, The Daily Telegraph, and The Daily Mail.

Kay Hymowitz (March 2017) Kay Hymowitz is the William E. Simon Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and contributing editor at City Journal. She writes on childhood, family issues, and cultural change.

Theodore Dalrymple (April 2016) Theodore Dalrymple, the pen name of Anthony Daniels, is a former doctor and columnist for The Spectator. He is the author of Life at the Bottom.

Tom Palmer (April 2015) Tom G. Palmer, libertarian author and Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute, is the author of Realising Freedom and editor of The Morality of Capitalism.

Brendan O’Neill (March 2014) Brendan O’Neill is editor of Spiked Online and columnist for The Big Issue and The Australian. He is the author of A Duty to Offend and Anti-Woke.

Student Conferences          Applications Open!

The Liberty & Society Student Program is a conference designed to empower students to test and challenge ideas about freedom and individual liberty. Aimed at undergraduates, recent graduates, and postgraduates, it fosters intellectual inquiry and encourages questioning of conventional answers to social, political, and economic issues.

Given the future of a free society depends on the next generation, our L&S Program identifies and supports individuals exploring the foundations of liberty. It offers an active forum for shaping dialogues on contemporary issues, preparing participants to influence public policy and leadership.

The conference enables university students to debate, network, and connect with like-minded peers, many of whom join our extensive L&S alumni network. Over the weekend, students engage in sessions on individual freedom, private property, limited government, free trade, economics, political thought, law, and public policy. Debates also address foreign policy, education, and social issues, all examined through a classical liberal lens.

For years, Liberty & Society has been a unique platform for young people to challenge consensus views and explore the ideas underpinning a free and open society.

Consilium Conferences           Register Your Interest!

Since its inception in 2000, Consilium has grown into one of Australia’s most distinguished conferences, offering a unique platform for meaningful dialogue. It champions free choice, individual liberty, cultural freedom, and the open exchange of ideas – principles at the heart of the CIS mission.

Designed as a retreat, Consilium facilitates debate, discussion, and networking while delivering intellectually rigorous content and diverse perspectives. Over three days, leaders from business, politics, academia, and the broader community engage in intensive deliberations on Australia’s most pressing economic, social, cultural, and geopolitical challenges.

To learn more or register your interest, visit consilium.org.au.