Beyond the headlines and the daily churn of crises, what is happening that escapes our notice? What risks are gathering in the corners of our vision? Which “elephants in the room” remain unspoken, and what blind spots may only become obvious to future generations?

In this provocative, forward-looking discussion, an expert panel convenes with the Emerging Threats community to examine the issues that fall outside today’s policy spotlight but may define tomorrow’s security landscape. We ask: What lies beyond the obvious? From unexplored domains like neurotechnology and brain–computer interfaces, to pop-up crises in critical minerals and fragile supply chains, to under-addressed risks in outer space governance, AI-enabled influence operations, and biosecurity, the panel will bring to light the forces reshaping geopolitics and defence in ways that are often overlooked.

Join us for an evening of debate that challenges conventional wisdom and maps the hidden frontiers of global security with:

Speaker Bios:

Latika M Bourke is The Nightly’s Writer-at-Large in London, specialising in geopolitics. She is a moderator, MC and Expert Associate at the Australian National University’s National Security College. She spent eight years in the Canberra press gallery and previously worked for The Sydney Morning Herald, ABC and 2UE. Latika hosts Latika Takes: The Podcast and regularly appears on the BBC, Sky UK, Monocle and Times Radio.

Dr. Sebastian Seidel is Senior Manager at BwConsulting, advising the German Armed Forces on strategic foresight, emerging security challenges, and technology implications. He teaches scenario planning at the Hertie School and has published on strategic challenges in defense and public sector transformation.

Jutta Doberstein trained as a photographer and cinematographer in Cologne and London, then worked as an interpreter, curator, writer and director for film and theatre in Berlin. After two decades of documentary work, she now produces fiction and scenario work, including the acclaimed television film Ökozid (Ecocide) and the Whose Future? theatre project, featured in the New York Times.

Taylor El Hage is a Security Manager at International SOS, a global private security assistance company, leading crisis management, applied geopolitical risk, and strategic intelligence for clients across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Taylor established and now oversees International SOS’s global crisis response desk, which monitors real-time threats and emerging long-term risks such as climate change and the impact of technological change on conflict. He regularly represents the company in the media, most recently providing commentary for Sky News. Before his current role, he worked in UK politics on two successful election campaigns and spent several years as a published writer and composer. An alumnus of the Oxford Scenarios Programme, he has delivered strategic foresight consultancy for organisations including the European Space Agency, the .au domain authority, and a Russell Group university.

The session is hosted by Dr. Matt Finch, an Associate Fellow of Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, adviser to the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group for Future Generations, and member of the Futures Council at Australia’s National Security College.