Annual Summary of Activities (2012-2013)

Last updated:2013-11-27

General Introduction

The Centre for Australian Studies, Sun Yat-sen University, was set up in 1994. Since its establishment, the Centre has been involved in a series of research activities, with a focus on Australian literature and language in the early years. The Centre has been trying to expand its scope of research in recent years and to generate more interest in Australian Studies by developing an Australian Studies Course and by organizing more seminars and events. These attempts have been generously supported by the Australia-China Council.

The following is a brief summary of the Centre’s main activities in the past academic year.


Development of an Australian Studies Course

Supported by the 2011-2012 Australia-China Council Competitive Project, we started to develop an Australian Studies Course “Australian Society and Culture” as part of the Sun Yat-sen University Liberal Education Programme to be offered every semester to all interested applicants at the university.

The project started with two trial classes from the spring semester 2012, and then expanded into four parallel classes and became one of the Sun Yat-sen University Liberal Education Programme courses in Autumn 2012, sufficient to accommodate all applicants for this course now.

Through the trial classes and then later as a Liberal Education course of the university, we collected feedbacks from instructors and students as to the course contents and method of instruction and assessment. At the end of September and the beginning of October 2012, two instructors visited an Australian institution (Flinders University, with the support of Australia-China Council Competitive Project funding) to do classroom observations and collected additional teaching materials needed, and with the help of our Australian colleagues, we compiled a book of readings Australian Society and Culture for this course.

The course “Australian Society and Culture” is now an integral part of the Sun Yat-sen University Liberal Education Programme offered regularly (every semester) to all interested applicants at the university. The course has helped increase students’ awareness of Australian society and culture and has generated interest in Australian Studies at Sun Yat-sen University. So far, a total of 8 class groups (about 300 students) have participated in this course. This has great significance, because by offering a course on Australian Society and Culture to students from all disciplinary areas as part of a liberal education programme we have not only generated interest in Australian studies but also encouraged discussion among students and scholars with respect to different aspects of Australian culture and society (as evidenced by students’ writing assignments on different aspects of Australian studies, samples of which have been sent to the Australia-China Council with the book of readings for the course).


Conferences and invited talks

"Historical Experience and Current Status: International Conference in Commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of China-Australia Diplomatic Relations”

The year 2012 marked the 40th Anniversary of China-Australia diplomatic relations. To commemorate this event, we co-organized an international conference with the Centre for Oceanian Studies, Sun Yat-sen University, entitled "Historical Experience and Current Status: International Conference in Commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of China-Australia Diplomatic Relations” on December 6 and 7, 2012. About twenty scholars from China and Australia gathered at Sun Yat-sen University to discuss issues related to China-Australia relations, including Professor Han Feng, President of the Chinese Association for Australian Studies; Professor Liu Shusen, Director of the Center for Oceanian Studies, Peking University; and Professor Andrew O'Neil, Director of the Griffith Asia Institute, who all gave keynote speeches at the conference.



Collection on China-Australia Relations launched at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing

On December 14, 2012, a new collection entitled China-Australia Relations: Towards a Community with Shared Interests, edited by Professor Chang Chenguang, Director of Australian Studies Centre, Sun Yat-sen University, Professor Yu Changsen, Deputy Executive Director of the Centre for Oceanian Studies, Sun Yat-sen University, was launched at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The Honorable Simon Crean MP, Minister for the Arts, Australia, Ms Li Xiaolin, President of Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, and Dr. Chau Chak Wing, President of Association of Australia China Friendship and Exchange, attended the ceremony and unveiled the book. Also present at the ceremony were the editors, and Ms Frances Adamson, the Australian ambassador to China. The editors were later invited to attend the reception in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between China and Australia held that evening at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.



“Australia and China: Looking Out from the Mountaintop”, a talk by Ms Frances Adamson, Australian Ambassador to China

On the afternoon of March 12th, 2013, Ms Frances Adamson, Australian Ambassador to China, visited Sun Yat-sen University. Ms Adamson delivered a speech entitled “Australia and China: Looking Out from the Mountaintop” in the lecture hall of School of Foreign Languages.

In her meeting with Vice President Yan Guangmei of Sun Yat-sen University prior to the talk, Ms Adamson emphasized the role of Center for Australian Studies and Center for Oceanian Studies in promoting communication between China and Australia. She also hoped that universities in the two countries could have more opportunities of exchange and cooperation.


In her speech, Ms Adamson reviewed the development of China-Australia relations in the fields of economy, politics, education, culture and national defense. Looking into the future, she also hoped that with the power of young leaders in the future, including the students present at the talk, China-Australia bilateral relations could make greater achievements by the 80th anniversary of China-Australia diplomatic relations and the 60th anniversary of Australian Consulate General in Guangzhou. Ms Adamson said that Guangdong Province has played an indispensible role in developing China-Australia relations, and she believed that Guangdong would continue to play a greater part in promoting China-Australia bilateral relations.


“Food security in the world”, a talk by General Michael Jeffery, former Governor-General of Australia

On the afternoon of May 21, 2013, General Michael Jeffery, former Governor-General of Australia, visited the Australian Studies Centre, Sun Yat-sen University, and delivered a speech entitled “Food security in the world” in the lecture hall of School of Foreign Languages.

In the talk, General Michael Jeffery introduced the Australian perspective on the issue and also emphasized the relevance of this to present-day China.

Accompanying the General on this visit were Ms. Jill Collins, Consul-General of Australia in Guangzhou, and the Honorable Henry Tsang, formal Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney, MP and Parliamentary Secretary to three NSW Premiers.



Henry Tsang was appointed honorary professor of the Centre

On the afternoon of May 21, 2013, before the talk by General Michael Jeffery, the Honorable Henry Tsang, formal Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney, MP and Parliamentary Secretary to three NSW Premiers, was appointed honorary professor of the Centre. Professor Henry Tsang has been active in promoting collaborations and exchanges between China and Australia. He was the co-editor of the volume China-Australia Relations: towards a Community with Shared Interests.


“Australia in the Asian Century White Paper”, a talk by Ms. Jill Collins, Consul-General of Australia, Guangzhou

On the morning of December 18, 2012, Ms. Jill Collins, Australian Consul-General in Guangzhou, visited the Australian Studies Centre, Sun Yat-sen University, and delivered a speech entitled “Australia in the Asian Century White Paper”, to students and colleagues of the Centre. Ms. Collins explained the background and the main contents of the white paper and discussed with the audience the implications for future developments of Australia-China relations.


“Creativity in Writing”, a talk by Robert Newton, Australian writer

On the morning of March 22, 2013, Robert Newton, an Australian firefighter-cum-writer, visited the Australian Studies Centre, Sun Yat-sen University, and delivered a speech entitled “Creativity in writing” in the lecture hall of School of Foreign Languages. Mr. Newton explained how he became interested in writing, with interesting anecdotes and personal reflections.



Publications

China-Australia Relations: towards a Community with Shared Interests

China-Australia Relations: towards a Community with Shared Interests, edited by Professor Chang Chenguang, Director of Australian Studies Centre, Sun Yat-sen University, Professor Yu Changsen, Deputy Executive Director of the Centre for Oceanian Studies, Sun Yat-sen University, and Henry Tsang, former Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney, was published by Sun Yat-sen University Press in November 2012.

This special collection was put together in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of China-Australia diplomatic relations. The contributors are leading scholars in the areas of international relations, diplomacy, Australian studies, history, economy and trade. The contributions provide an overview of the development of Sino-Australian relations in the past 40 years and discuss some of the major current issues and challenges concerning bilateral relations. The volume also includes the speech, “Australia in China Century”, by the Honorable Bob Carr, Foreign Minister of Australia. The book is dedicated to Gough Whitlam, former Australian Prime Minister, who established diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China in 1972.


Historical Experience and the Latest Developments of Relationships of China-Australia

Historical Experience and the Latest Developments of China-Australia Relationships, edited by Professor Yu Changsen, was published by Sun Yat-sen University Press in
June 2013.

This volume is the outcome of the international conference "Historical Experience and Current Status: International Conference in Commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of China-Australia Diplomatic Relations” held on December 6 and 7, 2013 at the School of Foreign Languages, Sun Yat-sen University, jointly organized by the Centre for Oceanian Studies and the Centre for Australian Studies, Sun Yat-sen University. The collection includes major papers presented at the conference.