Position: Visiting Fellow
School and/or Centres: Centre for European Studies
Email: Kyle.Wilson@anu.edu.au
Location: Level 2, Room 2.14, Desk B, 146 Ellery Cres
Kyle Wilson graduated from the ANU with First Class Honours in Russian in 1976. He studied at Moscow and Leningrad State Universities (1977-79). He taught Russian at the University of Queensland before joining the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs in 1981. He had postings in Warsaw (1982-84), Moscow (1988-92) and Beijing (1995-2000). He studied Polish in Lublin and Krakow; and Mandarin at the Beijing Institute of Economics and Management. From 2000 to 2003 he headed DFAT’s China Political and Bilateral Section. From 2003 to 2013 he was seconded to the Office of National Assessments as the Senior Analyst for Russia and the Former Soviet Union. Wilson has served as official Russian interpreter for Australian heads of state, prime ministers and minister. Since retiring from DFAT and ONA he has been a Visiting Fellow at the ANU’s Centre for European Studies.
His interests embrace all aspects of Russia past and present, with a particular focus on Russian national myths and the history of Russian thought; Sino-Russian relations; and the history of Australian-Russian ties.
Vladimir of Taurus: Putin's Syria gambit and his global ambitions, The Interpreter, Lowy Institute, 8-9 October 2015 Putin the Chekist: A Sacred Calling, The Strategist, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, 4 November 2015 Securing Putinism: Russia’s National Security Strategy, The Strategist, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, 29 January 2016 Putin’s Russia: Domestic Disarray, Foreign Triumphs, The Strategist, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, 26 February 2016 The Puzzle of Putin’s Insecurity: Praetorian guards, Stalinist blueprints, The Strategist, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, 18 May 2016
Wilson was awarded an Australia Day medal for his work in Russia and Central Asia and the Solidarity Medal, awarded by the government of Poland.