Professional Development

Good policy-making requires good policy-makers. Strategic policy-making requires policy-makers capable of high-level strategic thinking. The Institute for Regional Security has, for nearly two decades, invested in the development of the young policy-makers who will provide such strategic thinking and leadership into the future.

The Institute’s professional development programs are led by its CEO, Chris Gardiner. Chris holds Master of Arts (International Relations), Master of Leadership and Management, and Master of Professional Ethics degrees, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Leaders and Managers ANZ and a Fellow of the Institute of Learning and Performance Asia Pacific.

Future Strategic Leaders Program

Our flagship activity is our Future Strategic Leaders Program (FSLP).

Early-career professionals from Government, the military, police and intelligence agencies, and industry are selected into a program that provides opportunities for individual development, and contribution to the work of the Institute. FSLP members work to shape and deliver our professional development events, ensuring that every development activity we design is informed by the interests and insights of current practitioners.

We ground the development work they undertake on ‘action learning’ which involves real security policy issues, and real program delivery responsibility.

Whilst our program draws individuals from numerous departments, agencies and organisations, FSLP can be delivered in-house for a Government Department or Agency.

Find out more

The Future Strategic Leaders Program is
proudly supported by Noetic Group.

Noetic

NEXT

Young professionals working in a security community – defence, intelligence, policing, defence industry – can submit policy ideas and, if selected, present them in The Institute’s annual TED-type public presentations ‘NEXT’.

Selected presenters are supported to refine their proposal and to prepare for their public presentation.

The proposal recognised as the best proposal may be developed and released as an Institute occasional paper and the author interviewed as part of digital promotion of their work.

Micro Learning Units

The Institute provides three online ‘micro’ learning units as part of its Future Strategic Leaders Program:

  • Leaders and Leadership
  • Strategy and Strategic Thinking
  • Policy Making and Security

These online units are available publicly. Individuals or companies interested in the units can contact the CEO at chris.gardiner@ifrs.org.au or register below.

View all Micro Units

For registered unit participants, login below.

Register your interest

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The Institute is an independent, not-for-profit, charitable organisation. It holds Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status under Australian Government regulations. It also holds the status of an Approved Research Institute (ARI) under such regulations. Donations to the Institute are tax deductible.

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