Mihai Sora

Program Director, Pacific Islands
Areas of expertise

Australian foreign policy; geopolitics in the Pacific; Papua New Guinea; Solomon Islands; Fiji; conflict analysis and fragile states

Mihai Sora
Biography
Publications

Mihai Sora is Program Director of the Pacific Islands Program at the Lowy Institute. The Program has a policy research focus on contemporary challenges facing the Pacific Islands region, including geostrategic competition, sustainable economic development, governance, and leadership. The Program comprises four major projects: the Pacific Research Program, the Geopolitics in the Pacific Project, the Australia-PNG Network Project, and the FDC Pacific Fellow Endowment.

Mihai’s research focus is on regional dynamics and the role of the United States, China, and Australia in the Pacific. His analysis has appeared in the Australian Financial Review, The Australian, The Guardian, and The Interpreter. Mihai’s commentary has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Financial Times, Bloomberg, and other major international outlets.

Before joining the Lowy Institute, Mihai was an Australian diplomat, with postings to Solomon Islands and Indonesia, and short-term deployments throughout the Pacific. Mihai was a Pacific Analyst at the Office of National Assessments.

Shared History, Shared Future: the next 50 years of Australia–Papua New Guinea relations
Report
Shared History, Shared Future: the next 50 years of Australia–Papua New Guinea relations
Outcomes from the 2025 Australia–Papua New Guinea Network Emerging Leaders Dialogue, 26–30 May 2025, Port Moresby
Emerging Leaders, Enduring Bonds: Australia–Papua New Guinea relations
Report
Emerging Leaders, Enduring Bonds: Australia–Papua New Guinea relations
Outcomes from the 2024 Australia–Papua New Guinea Network Emerging Leaders Dialogue, 7–11 October, Canberra
Putting a PNG stamp on security
Putting a PNG stamp on security
As world players jostle for influence, the price of admission may be stronger economic engagement.
Aus-PNG Network Leadership Series: Music in PNG
Podcast
Aus-PNG Network Leadership Series: Music in PNG
Mihai Sora is joined by Allen Kedea, also known by his stage name AKay47, to discuss the music scene in Papua New Guinea, and the role that music can play in empowering young…
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