It was my birthday this week (yes, another year older) and how did I spend my day? Well I had lunch with Frank Lowy, for starters! Yes I was sitting just 2 seats from Frank Lowy at The Lowy Institute’s Wednesday lunch.
The Lowy Institute is an independent international policy think tank based in Sydney – but apart from the Wednesday lunches on site, everyone can access a huge array of podcasts, research papers and an extensive video library of its presentations via the website.
The objective of The Lowy Institute is to generate new ideas and dialogue on international developments and Australia’s role in the world. Its mandate is broad. It ranges across all the dimensions of international policy debate in Australia – economic, political and strategic – and it is not limited to a particular geographic region.
Most of the events at The Lowy Institute are free to attend but they book out fast so my friend Sue Jackson atWestpac Women’s Markets suggested we join The Lowy Institute’s Wednesday lunch club – to get advance notification of the free lunchtime lectures every week. So along I went to hear about Post-Election Iran from a visiting Israeli Professor and sure enough – at my very first turnout – I met Frank Lowy!
Apparently he doesn’t always attend – he must have made a special effort for my birthday! – but on this occasion he arrived and greeted everyone around him including me. Truly charming!