Makoi Popioco

Storytelling is at the core of Makoi’s work across the media, civil society, public policy and tertiary education and research. Makoi joined the college from the ANU School of Cybernetics where he strategised for the School’s cross-platform content to promote and expand the school’s research impact and cross-sector and cross-industry engagement. Before joining ANU, Makoi spent a decade as a journalist for CNN and other outlets in the Philippines and reported on disasters, terrorism, human rights, transportation and Asian geopolitics. He also co-founded a non-profit that used virtual reality to push for policy reform in human rights and disaster management in the Philippines. He brokered and managed grants from, and cross-industry partnerships with, some foreign governments, INGOs and MNCs.

His reporting on transportation received two joint reporting fellowships by the World Health Organisation and the International Center for Journalists (2018 and 2020). His human rights work was awarded the Hurford Fellowship (2015) by the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington DC.

He has a Master of National Security Policy from ANU and currently completing an executive management certification at UNSW Business School. He regularly writes commentaries on press freedom, Philippines and geopolitics in Southeast Asia.