Defence Export Controls Seminar + Q&A sessions

Published in the Research School of Physics Event Horizon
Vol47 Issue22 6–10 June 2022

To ensure technical assessors can provide the best guidance/responses on the day, they have requested that we send them any specific or technical questions ahead of the session. You can submit these through the registration form, or by email to dtca@anu.edu.au. 

The seminar will be presented by Dr Michael West, Director, Technical Assessments – see Dr West’s brief biography below:

Dr Michael West has degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Science (majoring in Physics and Geophysics) from the University of Sydney and a PhD in Applied Physics from the Australian National University. His doctoral thesis detailed the first extensive space simulation tests of the Helicon Double Layer Thruster prototype – a new plasma propulsion system for spacecraft.

Dr West has over a decade of experience with the Department of Defence and has worked in engineering analysis, policy and governance, and technical management roles that support the Defence capability development and acquisition process. He has managed a $100+ million research and development project for an emerging military technology in collaboration with a major Australian industry partner. Dr West currently leads Defence Export Controls’ Technical Assessments Directorate, which assesses export applications against the Defence and Strategic Goods List. He also oversees Australia’s technical input to the four key international export control regimes and represents Australia at the Wassenaar Arrangement, which covers military and strategic dual‑use technologies.

Dr West is a Senior Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics (AIAA) and in 2018 received AIAA’s prestigious Lawrence Sperry Award for his contributions to the AIAA and the Australian aerospace sector. Past recipients include Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, and Gene Kranz, NASA’s Chief Flight Director during the Apollo lunar landing missions.

Other Department representatives will include staff from their Risk Assessment team, Regulatory Affairs & Compliance team and Dr West’s Technical Assessment team. We are hoping Assistant Secretary (Defence Export Controls), Alison West, will also be attendance.

For further information on Defence Export Controls and additional resources, please visit the DEC Sharepoint site.