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Growing up in Indonesia, Australia and the Bay Area of California, it’s fair to say Kyle Springer knows a thing or two about these strategically intertwined regions.

Program Associate at the Perth USAsia Centre since 2014, Kyle is an international relations specialist with experience in both Perth and Washington DC.

It was through his time in Washington DC that he met Gordon Flake, CEO of the Centre, and when a position became available it was Kyle who received a call.

“Having lived in Perth previously which also included time at UWA completing my Masters of Arts, I had no hesitation to come back and take up the role,” he says.

Based at UWA, the Centre is an independent, non-partisan, not-for-profit think tank.

“Essentially we promote stronger relationships between Australia, the Indo-Pacific and the USA by contributing to strategic thinking, policy development and enhanced networks between government, the private sector and academia.”

Kyle says they do this through a number of different programs with In the Zone being a key focus for the Centre.

“Perth used to define itself by its distance from the east coast, but In The Zone is about looking north. It’s about taking advantage of our position in the same time zone as Asian countries that are leading the world in economic growth.

“In essence this thinking is at the heart of everything we do,” Kyle says.

Kyle's also working hard to encourage students to talk about foreign policy issues through his podcast .

"A lot of our events are focused on stakeholders who are well advanced in their career, but it's important to engage with the younger generation. We find the podcast is a great way to do this, and we've had really positive feedback from students."

As we await the result from the US Presidential election, Kyle gives his thoughts on America’s political future in the below video.