The Sydney Institute is a privately funded not-for-profit current affairs forum that encourages debate and discussion. The Institute is genuinely pluralist and a wide and diverse range of views are heard at its forums. The Institute conducts about 60 policy forums a year on a wide range of issues – including economics, politics, international affairs, literature, history, film, social policy – alo
ng with a well attended annual dinner/lecture. Speakers at the dinner have included Australian Governor-Generals, Prime Ministers, artists, musicians, scientists and authors as well as significant international figures. George Miller, Shirley Hazzard, Peter Cosgrove, Simone Young, Andy Thomas, Peter Doherty, Patricia Hewitt, William Shawcross, Kate Jennings, Richard Tognetti, Clive James, Tom Friedman, Kevin Rudd, Quentin Bryce and Simon Schama. All speeches given at the Institute are published in The Sydney Papers Online which has a wide and influential circulation list – including business, media, university, college and school libraries. The Institute also publishes The Sydney Institute Quarterly incorporating “Gerard Henderson’s Media Watch” (which commenced publication in April 1988 and was first into the field of media watching in Australia). The Sydney Institute receives support from the Australian business community – but has no agenda beyond supporting debate and discussion.
