Rappler CEO Maria Ressa delivers SEA Oration at University of Melbourne

Rappler CEO and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa delivers the Southeast Asia Oration at the University of Melbourne on August 28, 2025. After the speech, she is joined by Laura Tingle, the ABC’s Global Affairs Editor, Nicholas Coppel, author of Myanmar’s Digital Coup and representative President of the Australia Myanmar Institute, Dr Ken Setiawan, Senior Lecturer in Indonesian Studies at the Asia Institute, University of Melbourne and Professor Michael Wesley, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Global, Culture and Engagement), University of Melbourne. Held annually, the Southeast Asia Oration invites a leading voice to discuss the evolving face of politics, society and the economy in our region. The Southeast Asia Oration invites a leading voice to discuss the evolving face of politics, society and the economy in our region. The 2025 Southeast Asia Oration was hosted by Asialink and the Asia Institute at the University of Melbourne, with support from the ASEAN-Australia Centre.