28 September 2018
Hawke EU Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence Inaugural Lecture by EU Ambassador to Australia, H.E. Dr Michael Pulch
On Wednesday 26 September, EU Ambassador to Australia, H.E. Dr Michael Pulch, gave the Hawke EU Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence's Inaugural Lecture. The Lecture was co-hosted by the Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, and was on the topic of: 'Towards a new relationship with Europe: Why 2018 could become a game-changer year for Australia'.
Dr Pulch's wide ranging lecture was introduced by the Chancellor of the University of South Australia, Ms Pauline Carr, and followed by an in-conversation interview by Executive Director of the Hawke EU Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, Prof Anthony Elliott. The wide-ranging discussions that occurred over the evening covered the Free Trade negotiations between the EU and Australia, Brexit and its consequences for Australia's interaction with continental Europe, international action on climate change and the current global geopolitical landscape with increasing European-Russian tensions. Dr Pulch questioned whether it was time to revisit the EU-Australia partnership that for a long-time had been marred by differences over agricultural policy, market access and climate change, as there is now a new push to liberalise bilateral trade and intensify cooperation in a whole range of areas covering foreign and security policy, science and technology, climate change and energy, education and culture.
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST OF THE LECTURE
H.E. Dr Michael Pulch
His Excellency Dr Pulch was appointed to the role of European Union Ambassador to Australia in September 2017. Prior to his arrival in Australia Dr Pulch served as EU Ambassador in Singapore. Dr Pulch previously headed the Russia Division in the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels, where he coordinated EU policies on Russia and chaired the EU Interservice Group on Russia. Prior to that from 2006 to 2011 he was posted to Beijing as Deputy Chief of Mission of the EU Delegation to China, in charge of EU policies on China and relations with Mongolia.
As deputy head of the European Commission's East Asia Division in Brussels until 2006 he worked on political and economic aspects of EU relations with countries in the Far East/Australasia region. He also co-authored the EU's first East Asia Policy Guidelines.
Dr Pulch holds degrees in law and political sciences from the universities of Bonn, Paris and Cambridge. He received honorary citizenships of the State of Tennessee and the City of Little Rock, Arkansas.
