Kevin Rudd

Kevin Rudd, a prominent figure in Australian politics, has transitioned from serving as a two-time Prime Minister to becoming Australia’s Ambassador to the United States and a leading analyst of China. After being elected Leader of the Australian Labor Party in December 2006, Kevin Rudd served as the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. During his first term, he ratified the Kyoto Protocol in 2007 and delivered a historic national apology to Indigenous Australians for the Stolen Generations in 2008. He successfully implemented economic stimulus packages that notably helped Australia avoid recession during the 2008 global financial crisis.

Following his retirement from Parliament in late 2013, Mr. Rudd transitioned into international affairs and academia. He became the inaugural President of the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York in 2015, and subsequently rose to President and CEO of the Asia Society globally in 2020. During this tenure, he founded the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis in 2022, solidifying his role as a leading analyst of China.

Proficient in Mandarin, a skill he developed after studying at National Taiwan Normal University, he continues to leverage his deep expertise in Asian Studies, which he cultivated early in his career, graduating with Honours from the Australian National University in 1981.