In recognition of her outstanding leadership and enduring commitment to shaping Australia’s future, 2017 Westpac Research Fellow, Amy King, has been named the 2025 recipient of the Helen Lynch AM Leadership Award.
An Associate Professor in the Strategic & Defence Studies Centre at Australian National University, Amy’s research focuses on China-Japan relations, the economics-security nexus in Asia, and China’s role in shaping the international economic order.
Established in honour of Helen Lynch AM – one of the founding directors of the Westpac Scholars Trust and a trailblazing leader at Westpac – the award provides up to $10,000 to support a scholar whose work demonstrates bold ideas and leadership that matter for Australia’s future.
Since her Fellowship, Amy has evolved from a “solo operator” to a collaborative leader who leads cultural change around gender equality at ANU, educates hundreds of students and government officials about the economics and security of Asia, and builds a thriving, diverse community of early-career scholars researching China and Japan.
A leader shaping culture and knowledge
Amy’s track record of leadership speaks for itself. Among her many accolades she was awarded the Paul Bourke Award for Early Career Research by the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia – one of the most prestigious national recognitions for emerging researchers.
Yet it is not just accolades that define Amy’s contribution. Through the Westpac Research Fellowship, she has pioneered world-class research into how China shapes international economic order. These findings have been published globally, shared through podcasts and media appearances, and briefed at the highest levels of government.
Championing academic freedom in a time of scrutiny
Amy’s leadership has been particularly significant at a time of heightened global scrutiny of China. Both the Australian Academy of the Humanities and the Varghese Report have pointed to an alarming gap in research and teaching capability on China – a gap with profound implications for Australia’s future.
Amid this climate, Amy has worked tirelessly to preserve academic freedom and integrity, ensuring universities remain places where critical knowledge and expertise on China can be developed.
Driving change for Australia
Amy’s impact extends well beyond the university campus. Since 2013, she has delivered over 120 research briefings on China and Japan to government departments, parliamentarians, think tanks, schools and businesses.
Her insights have been sought at critical junctures, such as following the 2024 US election, when she briefed 260 members of Treasury on trade and security.
At the same time, she has worked to advance gender equality and cultural diversity in her academic fields of international relations and security. From developing gender equity strategies and initiatives at the University of South Australia, Oxford and ANU, to ensure that female experts are given platforms in influential forums, Amy has consistently turned principles into practice.
A vision for the future
Looking ahead, Amy sees her role as fostering collective leadership. Her vision for the next five years is to create a community of scholars and practitioners, dedicated to pioneering new knowledge about Asia’s strategic environment and using that knowledge to educate, inspire and spark public debate.
“Success for me will be about harnessing the talents of a diverse group of people to ask the big questions together, to build knowledge that matters deeply for Australia’s future, and to create spaces where we can imagine alternative futures,” she says.
"Amy King embodies the vision of this award – courageous, collaborative and deeply committed to shaping Australia’s future,” says Helen Lynch AM. “She combines intellect and passion with a generosity of spirit that lifts others up, and her leadership is forging vital connections between Australia and Asia. It is a privilege to recognise her with the 2025 Helen Lynch AM Leadership Award."
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