Celebrating Australian Culture with the Hon. Kevin Rudd MP

 

A select group of Australia China Alumni Award winners and finalists celebrated the success of Imagine Australia: the Year of Australian Culture in China at a special reception with the Hon. Kevin Rudd MP, Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, on November 5. They were Ms Wang Yijia (Murdoch Uni), Mr. Qiao Luqiang (UniSA), Dr Chen Wanqing (University of Sydney), Mr. Luo Xiang (UniSA), Professor Zhou Ning (UNSW) and Ms Sonya Li (Monash University).

 

The evening’s program included a viewing of the contemporary Australian art exhibition, Hard Sleeper, and a dance performance from the Queensland-based Expressions Dance Company. The reception was held at the Red Gate Gallery, a contemporary art gallery established in 1991 by the Australian curator (and UTS alumni) Brian Wallace.

 

Senator the Hon. Christopher Evans Honours Scholarship Winners at ACAA Reception

 

The Minister for Tertiary Education, Senator Chris Evans, presented Prime Minister’s Asia Australia Awards and Endeavour Awards to around 20 high-achieving Chinese students and professionals at a special ACAA hosted reception at the Regent Hotel, in Beijing in early November.

 

The winners receive funding to study and work in Australia, exploring areas as diverse as occupational health and safety and China, marine biology, information technology and robotics.

 

“I congratulate all 22 award recipients here in China,” Senator Evans said. “Students and professionals, both Australian and international, benefit from being exposed to other cultures, languages and education systems, opening them up to different ways of learning and thinking. These scholars and professionals play a key role in establishing people-to-people networks between Australia and China.”

 

South China Alumni Celebrate the Melbourne Cup

 

To mark the 150th anniversary of the Melbourne Cup, the Australian Consul General in Guangzhou, Mr. Grant Dooley, in partnership with ACAA South China, AustCham South China, and several other local community groups hosted a formal Melbourne Cup luncheon on November 2.

 

Some 50+ guests mingled at the Consul General’s residence drinking fine champagne, admiring the glamorous hats on display and discussing which horse to bet on. After the race, the guests lunched together at the Ritz-Carlton.

 

UN Speaker Panel Event

 

Some 80+ alumni and friends gathered at the Bookworm bookstore café at a sell-out alumni speaker event in Beijing in early December to hear UNAIDS China Country Coordinator, Mr. Mark Stirling, UN World Food Program China Director Anthea Webb, and Mr. Luo Xiang, National Program Director, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation – Investment and Technology Promotion Office (UNIDO – ITPO) speak of the challenges and joys involved in working for the UN in China.

 

Meet Kelvin Sa, ACAA’s new Director of Development, Shanghai

 

Kelvin Sa joined the ACAA as our new Director of Development in Shanghai on November 10. He brings the ACAA a wealth of bi-lingual and bi-cultural know-how, as he was born in Shanghai and relocated to Melbourne at the age of 12. Kelvin studied at Wesley College in Melbourne, before graduating with a double degree in Information Systems and Commerce from The University of Melbourne. He has been working in brand and business development for more than five years.

 

The ACAA thanks all our partners, supporters and alumni for a terrific 2010 and for helping us to now engage more than 5,000 alumni across China!

 

For more information visit: www.austchinaalumni.org