There’s never a dull moment in for Australian Alumni in China as the organization caps off another eventful year.
Australia China Youth Dialogue Dinner
More than 80 people gathered for the Australia China Youth Dialogue dinner organized by the Australia China Youth Association and co-sponsored by the ACAA and Australia China Business Council at Capital M restaurant in Beijing on October 4. The dinner kicked off the inaugural three-day event that brought talented Australian and Chinese youth together with key business leaders and thinkers from both countries, with the aim of enhancing Australia-China relations for the future.
Philanthropy Workshop
The Asia Pacific Social Investment and Philanthropy Workshop hosted by the Australia-China Council and held in the Australian Pavilion at World Expo in Shanghai was a resounding success with more than 60 attendees. This event was supported by the ACAA and the Asia-Pacific Centre for Social Investment and Philanthropy at Swinburne University, and was attended by panelists from the University of Sydney and the University of Technology Sydney.
University of Queensland Centenary Celebrations
The University of Queensland held a series of Alumni events across China as part of its centenary celebrations in 2010. Alumni flocked to meet UQ staff, network and hear the university’s vision for the next 100 years at cocktail receptions in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing. The faculty of Business, Economics, Law and Tourism also hosted an international seminar, “The Economics of New World Cities” presented by Faculty Dean Professor Tim Brailsford.
ACAA South China News
ACAA South China is enjoying new digs after moving into new office space shared with AustCham South China and CPA Australia. A recent highlight for many members was attending the grand lighting ceremony held to mark the opening of the new Canton Tower, now the world’s tallest TV tower at 610m high.
Jason Li, ACAA Director for Development South China, will also play an important role in the newly formed Australian Community Advisory Group. This informal group will unite the Australian community organizations in Guangzhou with the aim of hosting joint events and consolidating the information sent out to the Australian community. The first joint event will be a Melbourne Cup reception on November 2.
The ACAA is also pleased to announce our new Shenzhen chapter coordinator, Troy Waller, an alumnus of Monash University, University of Queensland and Queensland University of Technology.
ALUMNI IN THE SPOTLIGHT
ZHOU JING
Working Group Assistant in the European Chamber of Commence and ACYD Delegate
Macquarie University alumnus
How did your experiences at Macquarie University influence you?
I didn’t know very much about Australia before I went there but I had a great experience in Sydney. I lived with an Australian family for almost two years, which helped me gain an insight into “Aussie” life. I made a lot of friends. I think my experience there and the cross-cultural understanding I gained helped me get my current job and enjoy life more.
What does your current position entail?
My major responsibilities are to provide support to the business managers in the EU Chamber. That includes translating, interpreting and organizing working group meetings. I also do some research on government affairs and draft newsletters.
Why did you volunteer to participate in the Australia China Youth Dialogue?
Well, I really do love Australia and I wanted to make a contribution to the growing relationship between our countries. I thought the ACYD was a cool event with valuable aims. Any Chinese student who has studied and lived in Australia would feel the same way as I do.
What do you think the ACYD accomplished?
We had some good discussions with the guest speakers and other delegates. I gained a lot of insights and made a lot of friends who will become part of my network. I think the dialogue will help raise people’s awareness of China-Australia relations. Out of all the Chinese delegates, I was the only one who had actually lived in Australia. The others didn’t really know very much about Australia before the dialogue. I think this is a good way to start fostering closer China-Australia relations in the future: teaching young people about each other’s countries.
