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AUSTRALIA CHINA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION GETS EXCLUSIVE AUSTRALIAN PAVILION TOUR - 2010-03-01

Media Release
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Date: Tuesday 27 February 2010

Release: Tuesday 27 February 2010
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Shanghai, China: The Australian pavilion today played to host to a delegation of over 85 Australian university graduates from the Australia China Alumni Association (ACAA). The delegation was taken on an exclusive tour of the soon to be completed pavilion with Pavilion Director, Peter Sams.

Commissioner-General for Australia, Lyndall Sachs said, “Australia has some of the finest centres of educational excellence in the world. Members of the ACAA are a true testament to this and we were very pleased to welcome them to our pavilion.”

Henry Kong who completed a Masters of International Business and Law at the University of Sydney said, “Spending time studying in Australia has been one of the great highlights in my life and I feel privileged to have been given a sneak preview of what Australia has in store for China and the rest of the world at Shanghai World Expo”.

The Australian pavilion will be profiling the education sector heavily through its targeted business program. In May alone, the pavilion will be holding an event celebrating the finalists of the second Australia-China Alumni Association Awards and a high-level forum involving key leaders in education fields to discuss emerging issues in higher education.

Ms Sachs said, “We are also very pleased to have two of Australia’s best universities on board as sponsors of our pavilion, namely The University of Sydney as a gold sponsor and The Australian National University as a bronze sponsor.

In 2009 students from over 190 countries came to study at Australia’s internationally renowned educational institutions. China contributed 154,000 enrolments to the 224,000 recorded for the whole North-East Asian region in 2009. Enrolments from Chinese students grew by 18 per cent between 2008 and 2009.

The Australia China Alumni Association (ACAA) is an organisation comprising China-based alumni of Australian universities. The ACAA serves as a high-profile umbrella alumni organisation with the aims of promoting the Australian education sector by profiling the success of alumni, and supporting alumni in China through business and social networking.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
For further information, images and footage please contact:

Josh Levin
Communications Director (Australia)
Tel +61 (0) 412 533 382
Janet Tsai
Communications Director (China)
Tel +86 138 1898 6516

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Education: Australia, China look to the future - 2010-03-01

Interview with the Australian Ambassador to China, Dr Geoff Raby

In the past three years, the number of Chinese students travelling to Australia to study has increased by 60 percent. Today, there are over 150,000 Chinese student enrolments in Australia and represent around 25 percent of the total number of international students in the country.

The importance of links between Australian and Chinese universities and other education institutions can not be overstated. As the bonds between the two countries grow ever stronger, Australia’s education focus is now to ensure international students continue to receive high quality education experiences and outcomes, as well as benefiting from living in a new and vibrant culture.

As Australia and China embark on a new decade of co-operation in the education sector, AsianCorrespondent spoke to Australia's Ambassador to China, Dr Geoff Raby, to find out his thoughts on the importance of Australia's education interaction with China.

Q. What educational benefits and opportunities does studying in China offer to Australian students, and vice versa?

A. The benefits of living and learning in Australia or China are both personal and academic. The time that a student spends away from home will give them the best platform to succeed in their career, and prepare them for the challenges of the workplace.

Australian education has a strong international reputation for excellence. Whether you study at a university, school, vocational or English language institute, you will receive a quality education that will form a strong foundation for your future success.

International study enriches your academic or training experience through exposure to different teaching styles and environments, a diversity of students and new places to live and travel. Not only do you experience other cultures, languages and education systems, your eyes are opened to different ways of thinking. This brings lasting benefits for your personal growth, self-confidence, independence and your tolerance of others and the unfamiliar.

Q. US Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman recently announced plans to increase the number of Chinese students travelling to study there. Does Australia have similar plans?

A. Each year, Australia welcomes an increasing number of international students from more than 140 countries to study in our universities, institutes, colleges and schools.

As at November 2009 there were around 155,000 Chinese student enrolments in Australia and represented around 25 percent of the total number of international students in Australia.

Rather than increasing the number of international students, Australia’s education focus is to ensure international students continue to receive high quality education experiences and outcomes.

Q. What can Chinese and other foreign students studying in Australia offer the global economy once they graduate?

A. Students who have studied in Australia are generally job ready and very well prepared to work in today’s global marketplace. This is because, in Australia, there is a focus on practical learning that encourages creative, independent thought and debate. Teachers aim to provide students with a thorough understanding of a topic rather than just teaching them the right words to remember for exams. Students are expected to develop their own thoughts and share them with fellow students during classes, and this class participation is an assessable part of their grade.

These critical thinking skills provide a sound foundation for students entering the global workforce.

Q. To what extent do student exchange programs open up political and cultural understanding between countries?

A. There are numerous opportunities for students to participate in long and short term student exchange programs.

Scholarships are offered by the Australian Government, education institutions and a number of other organisations. They cover various educational sectors, including vocational education and training, student exchanges, undergraduate and postgraduate study and research.

The Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations administers three international student exchange programs which provide funding to Australian higher education institutions for links between Australia and the Asia Pacific and Middle East.

These are:

‐ Endeavour Student Exchange Program (ESEP)

‐ Endeavour Cheung Kong Student Exchange Program (ECKSEP) from Cheung Kong

‐ Australian University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific Student Exchange Program (UMAP)

The Student Exchange Programs aim to:

‐ Increase cooperation between higher education institutions in Australia and higher education institutions the Asia Pacific and Middle East

‐ Provide financial support for Australians and other students in the region to undertake an international study experience

‐ Promote credit transfer arrangements between Australian higher education institutions and eligible higher education institutions overseas with a view to supporting mutual recognition of educational qualifications

‐ The Programs provide funding to Australian higher education institutions to enable undergraduate Bachelor degree students in all disciplines to undertake at least one Semester and no more than two Semesters of study at an accredited higher education institution in an eligible country.

When a student graduates with a qualification from an Australian institution, they become an Australian alumnus. Most universities have alumni associations which individuals can join. Alumni networks are valuable because:

- They help graduates maintain the personal, business, institutional and educational links and friendships you have made while studying in Australia.

- They can expose graduates to business and job opportunities back home and around the world.

- They provide a supportive community of graduates who have shared their experience of leaving home to study in Australia, and returned home as alumni.

For example, the Australia China Alumni Association (ACAA), of which I am the Patron, is an inclusive organisation, open to all China-based alumni of Australian universities. The ACAA organises monthly social and professional networking events, publishes a bi-monthly newsletter, and maintains an up-to-date bilingual database of Australian alumni in China. The ACAA also promotes the development of individual institutional chapters, and serves as a contact point and liaison for alumni.

Q. How have you worked to promote educational opportunities for Chinese students in Australia during your time as Australian Ambassador to China?

A. In the three years that I have been Australia's Ambassador to China, the numbers of Chinese students travelling to Australia to study has increased substantially ‐ by some 60 percent. The key to promoting interest among Chinese students in studying at our education institutions is to increase the awareness of the high quality of the education that Australian providers offer. Our universities have developed an extensive range of collaborations with their Chinese counterparts, both in research and in teaching. Whenever I travel to regional cities in China, I like to visit the leading universities there and discuss with university leaders both the projects they already have with Australian partners and what opportunities exist for new collaborations. Our TAFE system is very well regarded throughout China and opportunities for cooperation in training of skilled workers in China abound.

I believe that returning alumni are the best advertisement for our education and training providers and through my position as patron of the Australia‐China Alumni Association I support the efforts of our universities to develop alumni networks in China. Our education providers regularly participate in fairs and exhibitions around China to promote and market their services - when possible I like to visit these events and meet the Australian representatives. I encourage them to spread their efforts beyond Beijing and Shanghai to the booming regional cities where there is a thirst for quality education.

Education is a topic that is almost always discussed when I meet with senior Provincial Government officials (not least because almost all have friends or even their own relatives who have studied or are studying in Australia). The links and goodwill that flow from our education interaction with China are truly a crucial part of the bilateral relationship.

Q. What more can be done to build bridges between education institutes in Australia and China?

A. Australian education institutes have strong established relationships with China and there is a very active level of engagement. Institutions visit regularly to link and build their relationships with Chinese Institutes. According to Universities Australia there are 735 formal agreement between Australian and Chinese Institutes (May 2009). These agreements include components involving student exchanges, study abroad arrangements, staff exchanges and academic/research collaboration.

In addition, a number of Australian state governments also have offices in China that engage with national and provincial governments and support institutions developing links.

Q. To what extent has modern technology, particularly digital technology, bridged the gap in global education?

A. Australia, together with other countries, shares a strong interest in harnessing the potential of information and communications technologies (ICT) to address geographical and financial barriers to world class education.

ICT is both the platform and driver of 21st Century teaching and learning. It has created the globalised, digital world that young people need to be equipped to live and work in. In most countries, the effective integration of ICT in teaching and learning is seen as an important vehicle to deliver better educational outcomes.

The Australian Government's Digital Education Revolution (DER) recognises the importance of ICT in schooling in the positioning of Australian students to acquire the knowledge and skills to participate effectively in a globalised economy. In addition to providing new ICT infrastructure for all senior secondary schools, the DER is a suite of initiatives designed to promote connectivity, digital content and tools to support teaching, ICT leadership in schools and teacher capability.


8. The new decade is bringing with it a whole new set of challenges and opportunities that today’s students, as the global thinkers of tomorrow, will have to face. How can education prepare them for this, both in Australia and China?

As with each generation, students will face challenges!

An overseas study experience helps make young people global citizens, with enhanced capacity to contribute to the national and global knowledge economies.

The friendships forged through overseas study experiences are life long. As people move through their career pathways these friendships appear in a wide range of settings including government and business. In many cases these relationships have the potential to help us face these challenges and take these opportunities together.

9. Is there anything else you would like to add?

Looking at the bigger picture, I can say that our rapidly growing education links with China have contributed greatly to the development of bilateral relations with China more generally, and on many levels.

As well as our largest source of overseas students and tourists, China is now Australia’s biggest trading partner and our economic, political and strategic interests are intersecting in increasingly complex ways. The growth in bilateral education cooperation is playing a very positive role in deepening and broadening the relationship overall.

For example, hardly a day goes by that I don’t come across a Chinese person who’s either studied in Australia themselves or has a child, relative or close acquaintance at an Australian school or university – and that’s across the board in a whole variety of sectors, from Government officials and businesspeople to media and the cultural milieu.

These alumni are very important because they understand and are receptive to both cultures, and many of them are working actively to build closer links between Australia and China in various fields. In turn, this is helping to advance our broader interests in areas like trade and investment, facilitating closer people-to-people links and promoting joint activities in every sector imaginable, from education and science cooperation to judicial training and law enforcement cooperation. A significant number of these people are in very senior positions, and some were recognised for their achievements at the inaugural Australia-China Alumni Awards held in Beijing last November.

(The interview was conducted and written by Asian Correspondent)

Link to article: http://us.asiancorrespondent.com/australiatop10/education-australia-china-look-to-the-future


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The 3rd edition of Expat Show Beijing - 2010-01-26

The 3rd edition of the Expat Show Beijing will take place on 26-28th March 2010 at the China World Trade Center. Around 150 exhibitors will present their services and products during three days' exhibition.

Since 2008, the Expat Show Beijing is helping foreigners to find all the information, services and products they might need for their life in Beijing. Besides the show, we are bringing interesting features as the Association Village, a Relaxation Area, the Press Area and a Kindergarten for your kids.

NEW FEATURES:

For this third edition we will set up 4 new animations to enjoy your visit:
• Food Festival
• Travel in Asia
• Live Performance
• The Kid Show

The Event is Free! Go to the website to pre register and get a chance to win a amazing week end in Thailand, bottles of wine and much more!

www.expatshowbeijing.com

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PRESIDENT HU JINTAO VISITS THE AUSTRALIAN PAVILION - 2010-01-22

MEDIA RELEASE

Monday, 18 January 2010

Shanghai: On Friday 15 January, Chinese President Hu Jintao visited the
Australian pavilion as part of his official inspection of the Shanghai World

Expo's site preparations.

The Australian pavilion was the only international pavilion included in the
President's tour.

After viewing China's national pavilion and core venues on the expo site,
President Hu visited the Australian pavilion where he spent nearly half an
hour viewing the striking, three-storey building and engaging and informative
exhibitions. He also took the time to meet and shake hands with many of the
Australian and Chinese workers on-site.

"We are honoured by the President's visit to our pavilion," said Australia's
Commissioner-General for the Shanghai World Expo 2010, Ms Lyndall Sachs.

"Australia has consistently led the way among international participants,
achieving a series of construction 'firsts' since work began on the site in
December 2008. We are delighted that President Hu was able to see first-hand
the calibre of our pavilion's design, and also our exhibitions, many of
which have already been installed", Ms Sachs said.

"Australia's strong commitment to the Shanghai World Expo 2010 reflects the
importance the Australian government places on the Australia-China
relationship," said Ms Sachs.

"We look forward to President Hu Jintao and other dignitaries visiting our
completed pavilion later in the year, and to welcoming more than seven
million visitors over the six-months of the expo."

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Harvard, Oxford lose to Sydney University in debating - 2010-01-06

- Sydney University's fifth victory

- 'A really good culture around debating'

- High calibre arts and law faculties

THE University of Sydney out-argued Oxford and Harvard to win the world debating championships.
Sydney's Steve Hind and Chris Croke prevailed in the finals, staged in Antalya, Turkey.

Oxford, Harvard, and the London School of Economics had also reached the finals. Sydney argued against the proposition "that the media should show the full horror of war".

It was Sydney's fifth victory in the World Universities Debating Championship, said Paul McJannett, chief executive of the University of Sydney Union, a campus service body that began life as a debating society.

"We've won more (championships) than any other university," he said. "We've always had a really good culture around debating at Sydney; it's always been very strong."

He suspected this had something to do with the calibre of the arts and law faculties at the university.

This year, about 240 universities entered the competition, which is based on British parliamentary debating.


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QUT Scholarship Course - 2009-12-23

Listed below are links that list the Master of Intellectual Property Law at Queensland Univeristy of Technology. For more information on the degree read the information below.


www.austchinaalumni.org/Event_flyers/QUTTwoFeeWaiverScholarships.pdf

www.austchinaalumni.org/Event_flyers/WIPO-QUTMIPLBrochure29.07.09.pdf

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Famous Australian choreographer teams up with Shanghai ballet - 2009-12-17

Please click here to view the details of this news.

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Spread the word, become a CPA(Aust.) - 2009-12-17

CPA Australia is the largest professional finance, accounting and business body in Australia and one of the world’s largest accounting bodies with over 122,000 members. Its members live in over 100 countries and work across a wide spectrum of industries including commerce, finance, public accountancy and academia.

CPA Australia’s vision is to be the global professional accountancy designation for strategic business leaders. Its primary role is to support members through providing education, training and technical advice that maintain their professional competence as well as add value to their professional development, recognition and standing.

The organisation has offices in all Australian capital cities, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Vietnam and the United Kingdom. Membership in Hong Kong and China currently stands at 12,000 and continues to grow annually.

For more details please view from www.cpaaustralia.com.au or contact CPA Australia Shanghai office (8621) 3218 1860.

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CAELP 10th Anniversary Celebration Successfully Held - 2009-12-16

The following article appeared on the China Education Association for International Exchange website on the 27.11.2009

For more information visit their website: CAELP 10th Anniversary Celebration Successfully Held

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment and implementation of the China-Australia Executive Leadership Program (CAELP). In order to promote the further development of the program, China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE) and the Australian Embassy to China co-hosted a celebration in Beijing on October 30.

Present at the occasion were Dr Hao Ping, Deputy Minister of Education of China, Dr Geoff Raby, Australian Ambassador to China, Professor Liu Bin, President of CEAIE, Dr Jiang Bo, Secretary-General of CEAIE, Mr Lin Zuoping, Deputy Secretary-General of CEAIE, and Mr Iain Watt, Australian Education Minister Counselor, etc. Over 50 participants, including university leaders from Tsinghua University, Peking University, Australian National University, University of West Australia, etc. and program officers from CEAIE and Australian Embassy to China, attended the celebration.

The 10th anniversary celebration involved two parts, e.g. academic seminar and reception. The seminar was presided over by Dr. JIANG Bo and Professor Gu Binglin, Tsinghua University President. Mr. LIU Bin and Mr. Iain Watt delivered opening speeches. At the seminar, the participants carried out a heated discussion over two themes: ‘University Challenges - the Development Strategies for Mass Higher Education in the New Era’ and ‘New Thoughts for the 21st Century –Leadership of a University President’. New problems and challenges for today's university development were discussed at the seminar, including the quality standard for education, the judgment criteria for talents, the matching of university education and social needs, the reform of curriculum in higher education, equal access to education, the relationship between university and government, the application of modern technologies in universities, and the leadership capacity of university leaders. The participating university leaders explored ways to tackle these problems with an aim to encouraging China-Australia educational exchanges and cooperation, as well as promoting the reform and development of higher education in both countries.

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2009 Alumni Award Finalist in the Press - 2009-12-08

Please click here to view the story about one of finalists in 2009 Alumni Award.

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USyd Researchers in World First to Provide Super Efficient Solar Cells - 2009-11-12

World first research to provide super efficient solar cells

10 November 2009


University of Sydney researchers Dr Tim Schmidt and Professor Max Crossley have come up with an ingenious low-cost device to harvest low energy photons, with the potential of significantly boosting the efficiency of conventional solar cells using a process called upconversion.

Schmidt and Crossley, from the University's School of Chemistry, have achieved a massive jump in upconversion efficiency, enabling an efficiency increase in single threshold solar cells of about one-third. This is done by harvesting the part of the solar spectrum currently unused by solar cells.

The team are synthesising unique sensitiser and emitter molecules to bring about tailor-made devices to boost solar energy conversion efficiencies in two types of solar cell: amorphous silicon, and crystalline silicon.

The findings, which are published in the most recent issue of the journal Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, pave the way to boosting the efficiency limit to over 50 per cent under the standard solar spectrum and up to 63 per cent under 100 fold solar concentration.

"All but the most expensive solar cells utilise a material with a Single energy threshold in the material which produces voltage by promoting electrons above this threshold upon absorption of light," said Dr Schmidt. "As a consequence, particles of light (photons) with energy less than this threshold cannot be harvested by the cell. Additionally, energy in excess of this threshold is lost to heat."

"By performing upconversion cheaply, we will lift the ceiling afflicting traditional solar calls and bring a revolution in solar cell efficiencies."

"Australia is the world leader in both of these technologies, and by applying our technology, Australia can lead the world still further," said Dr Schmidt.

Dr Schmidt was an award winner in the recently announced 2009 NSW/ACT Young Tall Poppy Awards.

For further information and for hi-res photographs of the process contact the Media Office on +61 2 9351 4312 or 0421 617 861.

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Study Queensland Seminar - 2009-11-03

Queensland state government and some education institutions in Queensland, including University of Queensland and James Cook University, will host the Study Queensland Seminar starting at 16:00 on 3rd November 2009 in Garden Hotel, Guangzhou.

Mr. Murray Davis, Business Development Director of Trade Queensland Guangzhou, and Mr. Paul Braddy, President of Queensland Education and Training International, will give speech in the seminar.

The seminar is open to the education agents in South China and it is by invitation only. For further details please contact Ms. Tequila Cao, Trade officer of Trade Queensland Guangzhou. Her telephone number: 020-8760 7750, email address: tequila.cao@trade.qld.gov.au

昆士兰州政府联合多家昆士兰州的教育机构，包括昆士兰大学和詹姆斯库克大学，将于2009年11月3日下午4点在广州花园酒店举办昆士兰教育合作交流会。

昆士兰州贸易及国际事务局广州代表处业务发展总监戴维明先生，昆士兰州国际教育与培训署主席保罗•布莱迪先生将在交流会上致词。

该交流会主要是面向华南地区的留学中介，有关详情请联系昆士兰州贸易及国际事务广州代表处曹小姐，电话：020-8760 7750，电邮：tequila.cao@trade.qld.gov.au

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Alumni in the Press! - 2009-09-15

An article profiling five Shanghai-based alumni, and exploring the strong education links between Australia and China was recently published in the West Australian newspaper! The journalist, Paul Murray, attended UTS's formal alumni reception in Shanghai in July, and took the opportunity to chat with several successful alumni, and find out their thoughts on Australia.

The article appeared in the West Australian newspaper on August 27, 2009, on pages 14 and 15 of a pull out magazine about China's relationship with Australia, entitled “Riding the Dragon”.

To view the article, please click here: page 1 and page 2.

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Sydney Symphony Orchestra 2009 Guangzhou Concert - 2009-09-07

One concert you can’t miss this year
Vladimir Ashkenazy & Sydney Symphony Orchestra 2009 Guangzhou Concert

What’s on? Under the direction of Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Vladimir Ashkenazy, the Sydney Symphony is set to embark on a 10-day tour of Asia in October.The tour marks the first time the Sydney Symphony has visited mainland China in its 77-year history.

The concert in Guangzhou is a gala concert as part of celebrations marking the 30-year anniversary of the sister-state relationship between New South Wales and the Chinese province of Guangdong, the first such twinning in modern-day China, giving it special significance and importance to the governments of both countries.

“Mr Ashkenazy constantly refers to the Sydney Symphony as being on the same level as the leading London orchestras and a hidden treasure ‘down under’. We are thrilled to be able to demonstrate this artistic talent to the world and cement our place on the world stage,” said Conde.

A young international pianist will join the Orchestra on tour: 19-year-old Behzod Abduraimov from Uzbekistan, winner of the 2009 London International Piano Competition, performing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1 and Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No.3.

It’s a concert you can’t miss this year.

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra will be performing their inaugural concert in the Xinghai Concert Hall in Guangzhou on 24th October 2009. For details of this concert please visit:
Sydney Symphony Orchestra 2009 Guangzhou Concert

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Now Recruiting: Australian pavilion at World Expo 2010 - 2009-09-04

Australian pavilion logo Full details of the positions available at the Australian pavilion, along with detail on how to apply, are featured on the Australian pavilion website (www.australianpavilion.com).

Please click to view the advertisement in English or in Chinese.

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ACAA's partner universities Curtin and UWA join forces in massive telescope project - 2009-09-01

Adapted from the article from PerthNow by Aleisha Preedy

The ACAA’s partner universities fund an astronomy research centre in Western Australia, boosting the nation's bid to host world’s largest telescope.

The International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) is designed to underpin the country's campaign to build the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), which could one day help unlock the secrets of the universe.

At Tuesday's official opening at the University of Western Australia, WA Premier Colin Barnett said the centre would show Australia, and the state, were capable of delivering world-class technology and facilities.

Funded primarily by Curtin University and the University of Western Australia (UWA), the $100 million centre, hopes to attract astronomy experts to Perth.

Mr Barnett said the ICRAR would attract 30 new scientists and engineers to Perth and over the next five years, form a base of astronomy experts for the SKA.

South Africa and Australia are vying to build and house the $2.5 billion SKA project, which will provide radio telescopes to record radio waves from across the universe.

It has been lauded as one of the globe's most important science projects, with the capability of monitoring an area of more than one million square metres.

The WA government invested $20 million to establish the ICRAR, which Mr Barnett said would create ``opportunities for local industry to participate in the wider SKA project''.

New Zealand is supporting Australia's bid to host the SKA project, which will be built between 2012 and 2020.

A final decision on the host location is not expected until 2012.

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La Trobe University to host centre for Biosciences research - 2009-08-25

La Trobe's new multi-million dollar Biosciences Research Centre will further enhance La Trobe and DPI with one of Australia's leading research facilities, providing a major boost for agriculture bioscience and biotechnology research. The centre will create 390 new jobs while injecting about $690 million into the Victorian economy.

La Trobe has recently started construction on the $230 million Biosciences Research Centre, due to open in 2012. The Centre recently received important funding from the Federal Government ($59.6 million), which is an indication of how much the La Trobe research facilities and scientists are regarded.

‘The real benefit of this centre that its going to be new infrastructure, new equipment and going to bring teams together who work the science spectrum right from the very basic research through to the applied research that can used directly in the field to encourage agriculture,’ says Professor Annabelle Duncan, Executive Director of the Centre.

Plenary Research consortium's successful bid means that construction will begin five months ahead of schedule. This is one of the first projects contracted using the Partnerships Victoria model following the onset of the global financial crisis, and is designed to strengthen Victoria's economy.

‘La Trobe is undergoing rapid change, we are growing and we are evolving. Scientific research is becoming an increasingly important a part of the portfolio of subjects we offer to our students and I have no doubt that the research that will be done here will contribute to the health of Victoria and Australia’s agricultural bioscience sector for decades to come,' says Vice-Chancellor Paul Johnson.

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UWA research project explores health benefits of Chinese green tea - 2009-08-25

By Lindy Brophy (UWA contributed content)

In China, where drinking green tea is a centuries-old tradition, the rate of breast cancer is 18.7 per 100,000 women. In Australia, where fewer than one per cent of the population drink green tea every day, the rate is 94.9 per 100,000.

The parallel seems obvious but, of course, turning anecdotal evidence into epidemiological proof is harder than it appears.

Dr Min Zhang, a senior research fellow in the School of Population Health at University of Western Australia, an ACAA Silver Partner, is directing an Australian-Chinese project to do just that.

She has been working on green tea as an anti-carcinogen for 10 years. A gynaecological oncologist at Zhejiang University in China, Dr Zhang came to Australia in 1997 to study hospital management. But she changed direction and moved into epidemiology, completing a PhD on dietary and lifestyle factors associated with ovarian cancer, and joining the School of Population Health five years ago.

Professor D’Arcy Holman, who holds the Chair in Population Health and is Permanent Guest Professor at the School of Medicine at Zhejiang University, said Dr Zhang’s recent successes with a $1 million National Health and Medical Research Council grant and a competitive Australian Government Endeavour Award were rewards for her determination and perseverance in difficult times.

“Thank goodness for the University’s Safety Net funding,” Professor Holman said. The funding is available for senior researchers who have already been successful with NHMRC funding, but strike a bad year. It can happen to anyone and enables them to continue their work until the next round of funding when they get a second chance to continue with their success.

“Min’s million-dollar grant, followed by her Endeavour Award are evidence that the Safety Net is a worthwhile initiative by the University,” he said.

“Min’s big grant, in my opinion, signals a new direction for the NHMRC. As far as I am aware, this is one of the first of its larger project grants to fund research being done with overseas populations. It signals that the NHMRC sees itself as supporting Australian researchers who aspire to lead major international research collaborations, especially with major trading partners such as China,” Professor Holman said.

With this grant, Dr Zhang is now the Director of the Lu Cha (green tea) Sino-Australian Research Collaboration. It will run a multi-centre program of causal pathways research in China’s Zhejiang and Liaoning Provinces, using genetic biomarkers related to green tea metabolism.

The Endeavour Award will enable her to start the other half of the original vision for Lu Cha, focusing on green tea intervention research.

The Endeavour Award provides high-achieving individuals with support for research collaboration in areas of shared interest between the people of Australia and the Region.

Dr Zhang’s collaborators at UWA include Professor Holman, who is leading the international research project, Dr Max Bulsara and Dr Frank Sanfilippo, also in Population Health, Professor Michael Millward (Medicine and Pharmacology) and Professor Christobel Saunders (School of Surgery).

“It’s been a long road for Min and all of us, but we now have a multi-faceted international research program with China on green tea and cancer control,” Professor Holman said. The public health and epidemiological data analysis will be done here and the genetic testing will take place in the collaborating laboratories in China.

Dr Zhang said early studies had shown that drinking just one cup of green tea every day could be beneficial in helping to prevent cancer.

“But to continue the study here in Australia, we will have to use capsules of green tea extract, as so few people drink green tea here,” she said.

“I am very excited to be beginning this new phase in genetic biomarkers.”

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Sichuan cuisine with University of Newcastle Alumni - 2009-08-25

A meeting with old friends of the University of Newcastle was a key event in the recent itinerary of a visit to Beijing by Professor Kevin McConkey, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and Global Relations) and the Director of the International Office, Ms Tracy McCabe. Professor McConkey visited partners in Shanghai, Beijing, Harbin and Wuhan in June 2009.

The Sichuan food was delicious and the company had a wonderful time reminiscing about Chinese restaurants in Newcastle and how the city has changed since they were last in town. Amongst the jokes and laughs there was serious discussion about what the University is doing with partners such as Harbin Institute of Technology, East China University of Science and Technology and Beijing Institute of Technology. Read more. The alumni shared the excitement the University has for the establishment this year of a new Confucius Institute in Newcastle with our partner Huazhong Normal University.

There were lots of ideas about how the alumni, who graduated from Newcastle degrees more than 5 years ago, can keep connected to their alma mata. While their degrees have taken them on many different, successful paths they were all keen to keep in touch, talk to students who might be interested in study in Newcastle in future and, if they can, make a visit back to the University some time.

Professor McConkey was quick to assure them all that the University would welcome them back. The University has, over the past few years, worked closely with many partners to build a strong network in China. Alumni will be key to the success of any strategy the University has to engage in China.

Photo L to R: Leo Mian Liu, Amy Jia, Molly Wen Li, Liu Xian Peng, James M Jiang, Professor McConkey, Tracy McCabe, Jun (John) Wang, William Jiang

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UWA research project explores health benefits of Chinese green tea - 2009-08-25

By Lindy Brophy (UWA contributed content)

In China, where drinking green tea is a centuries-old tradition, the rate of breast cancer is 18.7 per 100,000 women. In Australia, where fewer than one per cent of the population drink green tea every day, the rate is 94.9 per 100,000.

The parallel seems obvious but, of course, turning anecdotal evidence into epidemiological proof is harder than it appears.

Dr Min Zhang, a senior research fellow in the School of Population Health at University of Western Australia, an ACAA Silver Partner, is directing an Australian-Chinese project to do just that.

She has been working on green tea as an anti-carcinogen for 10 years. A gynaecological oncologist at Zhejiang University in China, Dr Zhang came to Australia in 1997 to study hospital management. But she changed direction and moved into epidemiology, completing a PhD on dietary and lifestyle factors associated with ovarian cancer, and joining the School of Population Health five years ago.

Professor D’Arcy Holman, who holds the Chair in Population Health and is Permanent Guest Professor at the School of Medicine at Zhejiang University, said Dr Zhang’s recent successes with a $1 million National Health and Medical Research Council grant and a competitive Australian Government Endeavour Award were rewards for her determination and perseverance in difficult times.

“Thank goodness for the University’s Safety Net funding,” Professor Holman said. The funding is available for senior researchers who have already been successful with NHMRC funding, but strike a bad year. It can happen to anyone and enables them to continue their work until the next round of funding when they get a second chance to continue with their success.

“Min’s million-dollar grant, followed by her Endeavour Award are evidence that the Safety Net is a worthwhile initiative by the University,” he said.

“Min’s big grant, in my opinion, signals a new direction for the NHMRC. As far as I am aware, this is one of the first of its larger project grants to fund research being done with overseas populations. It signals that the NHMRC sees itself as supporting Australian researchers who aspire to lead major international research collaborations, especially with major trading partners such as China,” Professor Holman said.

With this grant, Dr Zhang is now the Director of the Lu Cha (green tea) Sino-Australian Research Collaboration. It will run a multi-centre program of causal pathways research in China’s Zhejiang and Liaoning Provinces, using genetic biomarkers related to green tea metabolism.

The Endeavour Award will enable her to start the other half of the original vision for Lu Cha, focusing on green tea intervention research.

The Endeavour Award provides high-achieving individuals with support for research collaboration in areas of shared interest between the people of Australia and the Region.

Dr Zhang’s collaborators at UWA include Professor Holman, who is leading the international research project, Dr Max Bulsara and Dr Frank Sanfilippo, also in Population Health, Professor Michael Millward (Medicine and Pharmacology) and Professor Christobel Saunders (School of Surgery).

“It’s been a long road for Min and all of us, but we now have a multi-faceted international research program with China on green tea and cancer control,” Professor Holman said. The public health and epidemiological data analysis will be done here and the genetic testing will take place in the collaborating laboratories in China.

Dr Zhang said early studies had shown that drinking just one cup of green tea every day could be beneficial in helping to prevent cancer.

“But to continue the study here in Australia, we will have to use capsules of green tea extract, as so few people drink green tea here,” she said.

“I am very excited to be beginning this new phase in genetic biomarkers.”

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University of Queensland: International Alumni Awards - 2009-08-20

Nominations are now open for the University of Queensland International Alumni Award. Nominations close on the 4th of September.

For more information, please click here, and to view the flyer, please click here.

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Curtin University Joins China on Energy Research - 2009-07-28

Australia’s Curtin University of Technology and Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) in China have joined together to establish a cooperative laboratory dedicated to new energy research.

The Joint Research Laboratory for Coal and Biomass Utilisation (JRL) will combine the research capabilities of both Curtin and HUST to further develop low-emissions energy technologies.

For more information, view the complete article.

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China's Suntech lands major solar deals - 2009-07-28

Suntech Solar Power Holdings Pty. Ltd., owned by prominent Australian alumni Dr Shi Zhengrong, has reached agreements to develop four major solar plants on the Chinese mainland. To read the complete article, please click here.

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Australia China Alumni Awards: Nominations Now Open and Media Coverage Begins! - 2009-07-28

Xtven and HK alumni receive plaque On the 28th of July, 2009, the ACAA and CPA Australia formally launched the Australia China Alumni Awards at the Australian Embassy in Beijing. The Australian Ambassador to China, Dr Geoff Raby, formally opened the nomination period, which will close on Friday 25 September 2009. The awards are supported by several great sponsors, including CPA Australia, ANZ Bank, Austrade, AusAID and Australian Education International.

The “Australia China Alumni Awards” are a new initiative of the Australia China Alumni Association (ACAA) and CPA Australia, and will be held annually from 2009 onwards. The awards will recognize and promote the exceptional and diverse achievements of Australian-educated university alumni who are now based in China.

Seven awards will be made in different categories, to alumni that have achieved exceptional results in their field of endeavor. The recognition of highly-successful alumni will also demonstrate how an Australian university education can help people to succeed in an international context and across a variety of fields.

Finalists and awards recipients will be recognised at a high-profile, gala dinner in Beijing on the 7th of November 2009. The 2010 Awards Ceremony will be held in the VIP Section of the Australian Pavilion at World Expo 2010, and it is expected that the 2011 Awards will be held in South China.

For more information, please visit the Alumni Awards Website.

And, don't forget to check out Sina.com's coverage of the awards!

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ACAA launches in South China - 2009-07-21

The ACAA is pleased to announce their merger with Australian Alumni - South China to launch Australia China Alumni Association - South China.

On 16th July 2009 in the Grand Ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton, ACAA members, friends and distinguished guests enjoyed drinks, canapes and a buffet dinner while Sean Kelly, the Australian Consul-General to Guangzhou, formally announced the merger. Consul-General Kelly spoke of the great importance of alumni networks in building the relationship between China and Australia. The launch of the South China branch will facilitate a broadening and strengthening of this network through the provision of services and opportunities for alumni based in the region.

ACAA members and supporters from the South-China region (and a few friends from Hong Kong!) jumped at the chance to be a part of the launch and places quickly filled. The event was a huge success with over 140 attendees.

See below for links to Chinese and English language media coverage of the launch:

Chinese:
China News 2009-07-16
China Daily 2009-07-17
Xinmin News

English:
Life of Guangzhou: "Australia-China Alumni Association Launched in Guangzhou" 2009-07-17


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University of Newcastle delegation visit China - 2009-06-24

This article appeared in University of Newcastle News on the 23-June-2009 under the title "University delegation honoured in China". For contact details and further information visit the news website

A University of Newcastle delegation to China has been given the very rare honour of a reception in The Great Hall of the People on Sunday night.

The dinner was jointly hosted by Mr Zhang Shijie, Chairman of the JJL Group - the largest international education agency in Beijing and a long term partner of the University - and Mr Lui Xiaochen, Vice-Chairman of the Beijing People's Congress, and attended by 18 senior officials from Australian and Chinese government departments and private industry.

Leading the delegation, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Global Relations) Professor Kevin McConkey, said the dinner was in recognition of the distinctive educational exchange between the University of Newcastle and China. "This honour is an outstanding recognition of what we have achieved, and a signal of what we will achieve in the future."

At the dinner the Vice-Chairman spoke very highly of the University's partnership with JJL and said the relationship exemplified the success of international educational cooperation between Australia and China.

The University of Newcastle delegation will be in China for 10 days and will visit partner universities, government departments and alumni groups in Shanghai, Beijing, Harbin and Wuhan.

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Deakin design students in China education exchange - 2009-06-23

This article originally appeared in Deakin News on 1 June 2009 under the title "Local knowledge the key to successful advertising in China". For the full article, visit Deakin Newsroom.

With one of the world’s largest populations of consumers, mainland China is a potentially lucrative market for many advertisers, but to successfully communicate their message to Chinese consumers advertisers need a visual strategy that does more than simply ‘stick a dragon on the box’ according to Deakin University lecturer in graphic design Dr Lisa Scharoun.

“Chinese consumers are open to western products and ideas, but if the wrong approach is used it can lead the audience to misinterpret the visual message and be highly offended as a result,” she said. From 2003 to 2005, Dr Scharoun was a lecturer at the Raffles Design Institute in Shanghai and she said it was during this time she became particularly interested in the advertising western companies used in China.

“It’s very important that design students are given the opportunity to gain an understanding of the complexities surrounding advertising in China.” Dr Scharoun believes cross-cultural collaboration at the undergraduate level could be one of the ways to overcome this type of cultural misunderstanding.

“Global Design Strategies: China is a proposed 12-week course for Deakin University graphic design students providing an in-depth exploration of Chinese culture, history and design,” Dr Scharoun said. As part of the course, it is planned for Deakin students to be paired with ‘design mentors’ from Dong Hua University in Shanghai, collaborations Dr Scharoun says she hopes will be ongoing.

“Hopefully through these collaborations students will form relationships they can take forward into their careers. Then when they are presented with a brief for developing advertising for China they can draw on the contacts they made through the course and on the knowledge they gained to develop work that is culturally sensitive and not just stick a dragon on the box.”