The ACAA has continued its steady growth (now engaging 5,500+ alumni) and a busy event program in the last couple of months, even as the organisation farewelled Guangzhou Director of Development, Jason Li.
ACAA Awards: 2011
Our rapid growth and short-staffing have necessitated the postponement of the 2011 Australia China Alumni Awards Gala Presentation Dinner to Saturday, November 12, with the finalists’ receptions in Guangzhou and Shanghai now scheduled for late October. Nominations have opened.
With additional sponsorship, you can be guaranteed that this year’s awards will be our best yet, so if you know someone worthy of recognition, visit our website and nominate them!
We also thank our departing patron, Dr Geoff Raby, Australian Ambassador to China. Dr Raby, has been an avid supporter of the ACAA right from our launch event. Thanks Geoff! And we look forward to working closely with Dr. Raby’s successor, Frances Adamson.
For more information about the awards and to nominate, visit: www.AustChinaAlumni.org
Exclusive Guided tour of the NCPA
Mr. Qiao Luqiang, Deputy Director of the China National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) and a UniSA alumni kindly gave ACAA members an exclusive guided tour of the ‘Big Egg’ on 18th June. ACAA members enjoyed an exclusive “access all areas” tour – including going back stage, into the stage wings and checking out the premium seating locations in all three theatres and also learning about the making of the centre. Thanks Luqiang for giving ACAA Alumni such a special tour.
Got an interesting workplace? Or a great idea for a site visit or tour? Or simply want to be an ACAA alumni event volunteer? Email Michael@AustChinaAlumni.org with your ideas.
ACAA Education Committee Launch
The inaugural ACAA Education Committee launch event was held on Tuesday, June 21 at the Australian Embassy, Beijing. Over 40 people attended including media, university representatives, immigration agents and Australian government representatives. Guests heard from the ACAA Education Committee founders, as well as Jen Tyrell from Australia Education International and Wendy Wang from Pearson, one of the newly approved English language testing organisations. For more information on the ACAA Education Committee, email: Ricky.Niu@uts.edu.au
Resource Trade Update – Clinton Dines, Executive Chairman of Caledonia Asia
In mid-June the ACAA co-hosted the inaugural Australia China Young Professionals Initiative (ACYPI) event in Shanghai together with AustCham Shanghai and the Australia China Youth Association (ACYA). Clinton Dines, a Griffith University alumni and the former President and CEO of BHP Billiton, China for many years shared his insights into the mining industry in China and his views on the Australia-China strategic resource trade with 70+ attendees.
UNICEF
Some 85+ alumni and friends turned out at the Beijing Hilton in late June to hear about UNICEF’s amazing work with China’s 309 million children. Held jointly with AustCham Beijing, attendees heard from alumni Gillian Mellsop, UNICEF’s representative to China, as well as Deputy Representative Tim Sutton and Australian doctor David Hipgrave. Attendees, including a group of visiting Deakin University law students were amazed to hear China still has 100 million children living in families earning less than US$2 a day. Many were also intrigued to hear that UNICEF relies heavily on corporate donations not just “UN funding”. The ACAA thanks Central Equity one of Melbourne’s top property developers and managers for kindly donating a Kindle and a car GPS as door prizes. If your company would like to help, email: Winnie Wong at wwong@unicef.org
Resonance
Around 20 ACAA members joined a 150+ person crowd to enjoy a piano recital of RMIT alumni Alan Lee on July 3. ■
For more information about the Australia China Alumni Association visit our website: www.AustChinaAlumni.org
