[2] Lowy, a veteran of the 1947–1949 Palestine war,[2] and close associate of two former Israeli prime ministers,[2] emigrated to Australia and founded Westfield Corporation, a global shopping centre company; he retains a key role in various shopping centres in Australia and New Zealand.

[8] The institute publishes polls, white papers and rankings on various international affairs subjects—particularly regarding Australia and the Asia-Pacific region—and advocates for a proactive and globally engaged Australian foreign policy.

[10] In 2019, Richard McGregor published a Lowy report entitled "Xi Jingping: The Backlash", which looked at how the world is dealing with China's rise to global power.

The cable revealed that US officials monitored pro-Assange protests in Australia for "anti-US sentiment" and warned that there was "increasing sympathy, particularly on the left" for Assange.

It described the institute's Michael Fullilove as a "moderating voice" who, "while calling the leaks 'fascinating', also termed WikiLeaks' conduct reckless in a blog post.

According to former Executive Director Allan Gyngell: "it aims to provide you with fresh insights into international events and a new way to engage with the Institute."

It is wholly funded by the Lowy Institute and its results are widely cited in the Australian and international media.

[23] In 2012, the institute was criticised by Jim Green, national nuclear campaigner of Friends of the Earth Australia, alleging that the institute ran "a disgraceful propaganda campaign" to advocate for Australian uranium sales to India, in contravention of Australia's longstanding policy of refusing to sell uranium to nations who did not join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).