Book launch and panel discussion organised by the NZIIA Auckland Branch in association with the Centre for Defence and Security Studies, Massey University.

Increasing US–China tensions, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, disruptions to supply chains and maritime trade, right-wing extremism, gangs and drug trade . . . These and other international security topics are addressed by New Zealand and international academics and sector experts across defence, diplomacy, intelligence, policy, trade and border management in this new Massey University Press publication State of Threat: The challenges to Aotearoa New Zealand’s national security.

The panel will be moderated by Professor Rouben Azizian and consists of book co-editor Associate Professor Wil Hoverd, chapter authors Associate Professor Damien Rogers, Dr Germana Nicklin and Jose Miguel Alonso-Trabanco. Wil Hoverd will introduce the volume as a whole. Damien Rogers will comment on the challenges impacting intelligence governance in New Zealand. Rouben Azizian will speak to his chapter on the Ukraine conflict and its implications for the rules-based international order. Dr Germana Nicklin will talk to her chapter on New Zealand’s supply chains disruption and uncertainty and Jose Miguel will elaborate on the national and international security impact of digital currencies. The session will end with a Q&A and a chance to mingle and talk to the contributors and purchase a copy of the book.

Books will be available for signing at the event for $50.00 cash (RRP $60.00). There will also be a chance to win a free copy of the book through a lottery.

The book details can be found here: https://www.masseypress.ac.nz/books/state-of-threat/

Ten Questions with the editors can be found here: https://www.masseypress.ac.nz/news/2023/september/ten-questions-with-wil-hoverd-and-deidre-mcdonald/

Biographies

Rouben Azizian is a professor at Massey University’s Centre for Defence and Security Studies. His major areas of expertise are Asia-Pacific security environment and architecture, diplomacy and conflict resolution, security sector governance and post-Soviet politics. Professor Azizian is the Editor-in-Chief of the National Security Journal and member of editorial boards of various international academic journals. Previously he taught at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu (2002-2015) and the Department of Political Studies at the University of Auckland (1994-2001). Prior to becoming a full-time academic, Professor Azizian had an extensive career in the Soviet and later Russian Foreign Service, which included assignments in Nepal (1972-1978), Sri Lanka (1980-1985) and New Zealand (1991-1994). Professor Azizian has published several books as well as numerous book chapters, journal articles and working papers on Asia-Pacific security issues and post-Soviet policies and politics.

Associate Professor William Hoverd is the director of the Centre for Defence and Security Studies (CDSS) at Massey University. CDSS teaches New Zealand’s only qualifications in defence studies, security studies, border and biosecurity, and intelligence. Wil is resident on the Wellington Pukeahu campus, from where he regularly engages with the government security sector. This is his second edited volume on New Zealand National Security with Massey University Press and his fourth book.

Damien Rogers is Associate Professor of International Relations and Security Studies at Massey University, Auckland. His research concerns the ways in which political actors – intelligence and security professionals, governments, and the wider international community – respond to various forms of political violence, including armed conflict, terrorism, and mass atrocity.    

Dr Germana Nicklin is an Honorary Research Associate with Massey University’s School of People, Environment and Planning. From 2016-2022 she taught in the Centre for Defence and Security Studies’ security studies programme. She researches and publishes on border security, maritime security, supply chains and national security, Antarctic borders and bordering, and public policy. Prior to joining Massey, she spent over 17 years as a strategic policy advisor with the New Zealand Customs Service.

Jose Miguel Alonso-Trabanco is an international relations professional who holds a Master’s Degree in Strategic Intelligence and National Security. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Defence and Security Studies at Massey University, New Zealand. His doctoral research project seeks to scrutinise the geopolitical dimension of digital currencies and their strategic implications for security. He has professional experience as an analyst, government official, researcher, foreign policy adviser, consultant, professor, lecturer and author of academic papers for peer-reviewed journals. His research interests are related to geopolitics, geoeconomics, security, statecraft, the changing nature of national power, international rivalries, conflict, the evolution of global hegemony, grand strategy, international political economy, economic warfare and emerging arenas of strategic competition.