Show overview
USSC Briefing Room has been publishing since 2023, and across the 3 years since has built a catalogue of 111 episodes, alongside 5 trailers or bonus episodes. That works out to roughly 70 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a fortnightly cadence.
Episodes typically run thirty-five to sixty minutes — most land between 30 min and 42 min — though episode length varies meaningfully from one episode to the next. It is catalogued as a EN-language News show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 5 days ago, with 20 episodes already out so far this year. Published by Mari Koeck.
From the publisher
The USSC Briefing Room is a podcast from the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. It gives you a seat at the table for a briefing on the latest US news and foreign policy. Co-hosts Mari Koeck, Jared Mondschein and Victoria Cooper talk to experts to cover what you need to know and what's beneath the surface of the news.
Latest Episodes
View all 111 episodesWhat can Americans learn about Australian politics with POLITICO’s Ryan Heath
USSC at 20: What’s changed and where to from here?
America at 250 | Geographical implications of the American Revolution
America at 250 | Innovation from America’s founding to the space race
America at 250 | Addressing the contradictions in the Declaration of Independence in an Australian classroom
America at 250 | America’s sacred (yet secular) documents with David Smith
America at 250 | US influence on Australian democracy
How is economic security changing the politics and foreign policy in the UK and Australia?
What next for the AI race?
Will the largest US defence budget clear Congress?
Signals, not spectacle: Dr Michael Green on Takaichi’s visit to Australia
Trump vs the Pope: Politics, faith and power
Is there space for Australia in outer space?
The state of play for Australia-Taiwan relations
Ep 96The future of nuclear risk: Iran, China and the end of New START
From the expiration of the New START Treaty to the war with Iran, headlines about nuclear risks are consistently in the news at the moment.How significant is the expiration of the New START Treaty? How have nuclear risks changed since the war with Iran began? What are the major nuclear threats facing the world at the moment? Dr Daniel Salisbury joined the USSC Briefing Room to discuss these issues. Daniel is Senior Fellow for Nuclear Arms Control, Non-Proliferation and Disarmament at the International Institute for Strategic Studies and the author of Secrecy, Public Relations and the British Nuclear Debate: How the UK Government Learned to Talk about the Bomb, 1970-1983. Subscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Produced by: Elliott BrennanMusic by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat
Ep 95Convenience, choice or necessity? Examining the case for striking Iran
In this episode USSC CEO Dr Michael Green and USSC Director of Research Jared Mondschein sat down with USSC Director of Engagement and Impact Mari Koeck on Friday, 6 March 2026 to discuss the latest on the war with Iran. What led the United States to attack Iran now? How does this compare to the Iraq War and actions of prior administrations? How are US allies responding? Mike draws on his experience in the White House during the Iraq War and Jared addresses broader Middle East dynamics to unpack this issue and what it means for US allies and partners.
Ep 94Is AUKUS Pillar II a solution in need of a problem?
The Trump administration recently completed its AUKUS review, including a directive from President Trump to proceed “full steam ahead” on AUKUS Pillar I. But even after securing the Trump stamp of approval, there has been comparatively little information on how the review handled Pillar II and experts have raised concerns about the growing scope of advanced capabilities it now includes. Is AUKUS Pillar II fit for purpose? Which advanced capabilities can deliver the best return on investment in the near term? Is AUKUS Pillar II a “solution in need of a problem”? USSC Non-Resident Fellow Sophie Mayo and USSC Research Fellow Tom Corben joined USSC Director of Impact and Engagement Mari Koeck on the podcast to discuss these questions. Both experts have recently published on AUKUS Pillar II:Impact and effort: A menu of AI and autonomy options for AUKUS Pillar II – Sophie MayoAUKUS Pillar II under pressure – Tom Corben Subscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Produced by: Elliott BrennanMusic by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat
Ep 93Mike Green and Lavina Lee on Iran, Venezuela, Greenland and Carney’s speech
Are we seeing a rupture or a transition in 2026? USSC CEO Dr Michael Green and USSC Director of Foreign Policy and Defence Dr Lavina Lee sat down with host Mari Koeck to discuss what the geopolitical developments in Iran, Venezuela and Greenland mean for alliances and middle powers. Can NATO survive the Greenland pressure? What is the end game with Venezuela and Iran? How should middle powers like Canada and Australia respond? Tune in to hear Mike and Lavina’s candid assessments of US foreign intervention and the response by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Subscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Produced by: Elliott BrennanMusic by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat
Ep 92India’s changing relationships with the United States, China, Russia and Australia
India’s relationships with key international partners changed significantly in 2025. Following the tariff standoff with the United States, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in close meetings with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Summit. And an Indian Defence Minister visited Australia for the first time in 12 years in October.What is driving these changes in India’s international relationships? Will they have a long-term impact? Where is the future of India-US and India-Australia relationships headed?USSC Maitri Fellow Rushali Saha joined Director of Engagement and Impact Mari Koeck on the podcast to discuss these questions. Rushali is an independent researcher and analyst with Horizon Intelligence and she has previously worked with several New Delhi-based think tanks.Read Rushali’s new report: Securing the Indian Ocean: Elevating the India-Australia Maritime partnership.Rushali’s Maitri Fellowship was supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.Subscribe to the USSC Briefing Room on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Produced by: Elliott BrennanMusic by Dan Phillipson, licensed through PremiumBeat
Ep 91Adm. Lisa Franchetti (ret’d) on the future of US military leadership
Admiral Lisa Franchetti’s career spanned 40 years, nearly half of which was at sea. She was the first woman to serve as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the first woman to serve as Chief of Naval Operations and only the second woman to ever be promoted to four-star admiral in the US Navy. When visiting Australia in November, Admiral Franchetti (ret’d) joined Research Fellow Tom Corben on the podcast to discuss: What has changed in the global security environment from the Cold War to now? What do the changes over the past year indicate about the future direction of the US military? What will be the biggest challenge facing the US military over the next 40 years?