The Year of the Snake started with a bang as the ACAA ran a series of successful events and also put plans in place for another packed year full of events, activities, growth and development.

 

ACAA Weekend Trips

 

ACAA Beijing hit the slopes and escaped out of town to Nanshan for a day of skiing, snowboarding and a few falls prior to the Chinese New Year break. 20 alumni from 11 universities joined in the fun and had a great day out in beautiful sunshine. After the break, ACAA Shanghai joined together with ACAA Nanjing to welcome alumni and friends back by having a relaxing weekend trip out to EA Hot Springs Resort in Nanjing.

 

*Pictured above: The ACAA Beijing Ski Team

In late February the ACAA Beijing held their first Young Professionals event of the year together with AustCham Beijing and the Australia China Youth Association as they welcomed the new AustCham Scholars to China over drinks at Mesh Bar. The AustCham Scholarship Program aims to foster the “next generation of business leaders in China” and the ACAA warmly welcomed the seven recipients from Monash University, University of Western Australia, University of Technology Sydney and the University of Melbourne.

 

University Events

 

The start of the year was also a great time for alumni to get together with many university events:

The University of Melbourne hosted “Welcome Home to New Graduates” events in both Shanghai and Beijing, allowing new graduates a chance to meet the university community and build up their social and professional contacts upon their return to China.

University of Queensland graduates got the chance to meet the new Vice Chancellor and President Professor Peter Høj at receptions in mid-March in Shanghai and Beijing.

Monash University held a graduation ceremony and reception for its new graduates in Shanghai with Vice-Chancellor Ed Byrne welcoming them to the Monash alumni community.

The University of Adelaide, Monash and CQUniversity alumni also had the chance to get together over dinner and drinks as several key staff members visited Beijing.

 

Want to know what your university has planned in China for 2013? Get in touch with thomas@austchinaalumni.org

 

ACAA Supporting Australian Higher Education

 

The ACAA also continued to be a great supporter of Australian education by assisting Austrade with their efforts during the China International Education Exhibition Tour (CIEET) in Beijing. The ACAA invited a senior alumnus in the mining sector, Dr Gao Zhicun, to discuss “Why Australia is an ideal place to pursue studies in mining related degrees” at a media event at the Australian Embassy in Beijing. The ACAA also selected four “young ambassadors” of Australian education to share their study experiences in Australia to a large group of parents and potential students at the CIEET in Beijing.

 

ACAA to Present at International Conferences

 

The ACAA Founder, Edward Smith also shared the ACAA Story in March and April being invited to speak at two international conferences. Edward joined a panel of illustrious speakers at the CASE Asia-Pacific Advancement Conference 2013 in Singapore in late March. CASE is the “annual signature event in the Asia-Pacific region for advancement professionals from educational institutions working in alumni relations, fundraising, marketing and communications.” Edward presented a case study of the ACAA operations in China in the session “Alumni Careers: Mentoring Programs & Identification of Career Opportunities.”

 

Following on from the 1200-person Tourism Survey the ACAA undertook in 2012 in conjunction with Victoria University researchers, the ACAA will present and explain the research findings at a one-day workshop in Melbourne on April 5. This will bring together federal and state government tourism bodies, airlines, tourism businesses, academics and alumni. The workshop was part funded by the Australia China Council and was aimed at helping the tourism industry understand the key role alumni play in tourism.

 

Alumni Awards Preparation Underway

 

The ACAA / IELTS Australia China Alumni Awards always comes around in a flash and preparations are already underway to ensure the 2013 event is the best yet! This year the Awards night will head back to the Capital and is planned for Saturday 2nd November. We encourage you to start thinking now about who to nominate this year! Stay tuned for further information.

 

Would you like to sponsor the 2013 awards? Email thomas@austchinaalumni.org to receive a copy of the 2012 sponsors report.

 

The ACAA Network Continues to Grow

 

Since its establishment in 2007, the ACAA has grown at a rapid clip, steadily expanding to currently engage 8,000+ alumni, and some 30 university partners from across seven states and territories, including all of the Group of Eight universities. The ACAA plans on bringing more opportunities to this growing network through job postings, career development sessions and providing avenues for alumni to meet up with old friends, stay in touch with their university and connect with their Australian “tongxue”. ■

 

*Do you want to become part of Australia-China’s largest people to people network? Log on to our website austchinaalumni.org and register today!