Mikaela Farrugia commenced as a Policy Officer with AUKUS Technology Transfer Directorate within the Defence Industry Policy Division in September 2023. In this role, she has contributed to the policy development, consultation and passage of the Defence Trade Controls Amendment Act 2024. Her team work with counterparts across the governments of Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States to optimise technology transfer among and between the AUKUS trilateral partners.
Mikaela has a Masters of International Relations from the Australian National University and a Bachelor of International and Global Studies with Honours in English and Irish military history through the University of Sydney.
She wishes to further improve defence trade by breaking down the barriers to information sharing and technology transfer with the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK). Her policy paper will build upon the Defence Trade Control Amendment Act 2024 to make collaboration and cooperation between Australia, the UK and the US more efficient for Australian defence industry, higher education and research sectors.