Hervé Lemahieu

Director of Research
Areas of expertise

Strategy and geopolitics; global governance; Australian foreign policy; Southeast Asia; Data analysis

Hervé Lemahieu
Biography
Publications
News and media

As Director of Research, Hervé Lemahieu manages the Lowy Institute’s research team and oversees its research agenda and output.

His research interests include Australian foreign policy in Asia and the Pacific, global governance, security and political economy, and Southeast Asia. He is a Consulting Senior Fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore where he advises on the Anatomy of Choice Project: Southeast Asia between the Superpowers.

In 2018, Hervé developed the Lowy Institute’s Asia Power Index, which is an annual data-driven assessment that maps the changing distribution of power in the region. He has worked on other methodologies to improve technical understanding of key issues, including the Global Diplomacy Index and the COVID Performance Index.

Hervé provides regular commentary in Australian and international media, has given evidence in front of congressional and parliamentary committees, and presented his research at the World Economic Forum in Davos. He has also convened a number of bilateral and trilateral strategic dialogues between Australia, ASEAN, the European Union, France and the United States.

Before joining Lowy, Hervé was Research Associate for Political Economy and Security at the London-based think tank IISS. He started his career consulting on early warning and geopolitical risk for governments and international organisations.

Hervé holds an MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy from the University of Oxford, and an MA in International Relations and Modern History from the University of St Andrews. A dual citizen of Australia and Belgium, he grew up in Myanmar among other countries.

COVIDcast Episode 2: virus is declared a pandemic
Podcasts
COVIDcast Episode 2: virus is declared a pandemic
COVIDcast is a Lowy Institute pop-up podcast for anyone interested in understanding the effect of coronavirus on global politics. Each week for the next few weeks, Lowy Institute…
Middle Powers Will Determine the Future of the Asian Order
Commentary
Middle Powers Will Determine the Future of the Asian Order
In the Ambassador's Brief, Herve Lemahieu describes how the changing balance of power in Asia is setting the stage for prolonged great power competition. As the US-led rules…
Soft power goes up in smoke
Commentary
Soft power goes up in smoke
A unique connection to nature is at the heart of our international appeal. Foot-dragging on climate is squandering it. Originally published in the Australian Financial…
Favourites of 2019: Babylon Berlin
Favourites of 2019: Babylon Berlin
A well-crafted look back at the Weimar Republic’s fragile democracy in 1929 shows how societies come apart at the seams.
Is Australia's Asian dream fading?
Commentary
Is Australia's Asian dream fading?
In our rush to step up in the Pacific, we must not make the mistake of stepping down in south-east Asia. Originally published in the Australian Financial Review. Hervé Lemahieu
Australia must perfect the art of sizing up China
Commentary
Australia must perfect the art of sizing up China
Neither the US nor China can dominate the other. That leaves an opening for smart middle powers that know their own strengths. Originally published in the Australian…
Macron tries to put the spark back into the G7
Macron tries to put the spark back into the G7
By keeping Trump from derailing the proceedings, the self-anointed saviour of the West scored a tactical win.
Morrison must think hard about our Pacific plays
Commentary
Morrison must think hard about our Pacific plays
Originally published in The AustralianMichael Fullilove , Hervé Lemahieu
Five big takeaways from the 2019 Asia Power Index
Five big takeaways from the 2019 Asia Power Index
The 2019 Lowy Institute Asia-Power Index, launched today, tracks shifts in the distribution of power over 25 countries.
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