2025 Southeast Asia Oration
Asialink and the Asia Institute present the 2025 Southeast Asia Oration, with Nobel Peace Prize winning journalist Maria Ressa.
Date and time
28 August 2025, 7:30 am - 10:00 am
Location
The Forum, Melbourne Connect
Price
Free. Registration essential.
Held annually, the Southeast Asia Oration invites a leading voice to discuss the evolving face of politics, society and the economy in our region.
The 2025 Southeast Asia Oration is hosted by Asialink and the Asia Institute at the University of Melbourne, with support from the ASEAN-Australia Centre.
Refreshments will begin at 5.30pm, and formal proceedings will run from 6 - 8.00pm.
Speakers
Maria Ressa co-founded Rappler, the top digital only news site that is leading the fight for press freedom in the Philippines. As Rappler's CEO, Maria has endured constant political harassment and arrests by the Duterte government, being forced to post bail ten times to stay free. For her courage and journalistic integrity, Maria has received numerous accolades. In October 2021, she was one of two journalists awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her "efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace".
Expert panel
- Laura Tingle, the ABC’s Global Affairs Editor
- Nicholas Coppel, author of Myanmar’s Digital Coup and representative President of the Australia Myanmar Institute
- Dr Ken Setiawan, Senior Lecturer in Indonesian Studies at the Asia Institute, University of Melbourne
- Moderator: Professor Michael Wesley, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Global, Culture and Engagement), University of Melbourne
The Southeast Asia Oration is supported by the ASEAN-Australia Centre.
How can we help? Get in touch to discuss how we can help you engage with Asia
