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| NOVEMBER 2012 |
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| INTRODUCTION |
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Turning to the future
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The year 2012 has been a turning point in the international engagement of the University ... and as the year ends it is also a turning point for the portfolio leadership.
The year 2012 has been a turning point in the international engagement of the University. The TEQSA report gave us flying colours in our strategy, performance and results. The program for the year has been delivered as planned, with an increase in our work with governments and international agencies, networks and partnerships, emerging economies, communications and new media. Returns on investment continued high in a year when international student numbers took a reduction, and now show signs of improvement.
This was a year of anniversaries: the China 40th, the Thai 60th, the Australia India friendship year, and we have made major efforts with substantial academic delegations and teams to these, as well as to Indonesia, Europe, Latin America and Africa. These foundations and our enduring education diplomacy will deliver further returns, helped along by the stimulus and welcome signals from the “Australia in the Asia Century” paper, and election to temporary membership of the Security Council. Higher Education and research must play a core role in Australia’s international strategy. As the year ends it is also a turning point for the portfolio leadership. I complete my nine year term as DVC-International, while continuing as Chief Executive of the Worldwide Universities Network and as Professor of Physiology with my research and teaching in the Sydney Medical School. Professor Anton McLachlan will return to South Africa but keep connected in one or two projects, as will Dr Mike Hasenmueller who will leave to take up exciting new opportunities in global education. Others are also leaving and I thank them on behalf of us all. I am grateful to Sandra Meiras, our Director of International Services. She built the portfolio with me from the start, and will manage it in 2013, reporting directly to the Vice Chancellor. I thank every member of the portfolio, present and past, for the privilege of working with them and achieving together as a University-wide team. A special thanks go to Richard North and Pristine Ong for the communications and media program, including this newsletter. To those leaving I wish you well in your futures, and to those staying I wish you good luck with yours.
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| NEWS |
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Putting people first
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An appearance at the University by the vice-president of China’s powerful Central Party School has signalled that China is stepping up its public relations strategy under new leader Xi Jinping.
An appearance at the University by the vice-president of China’s powerful Central Party School has signalled that China is stepping up its public relations strategy under new leader Xi Jinping.
Speaking at a media conference, Chen Baosheng emphasised that the benefits of China’s economic success would be shared more equitably in future, while the new regime would introduce plans to crack down on corruption and promote clean government.
Chen said that “serving the people” was a central theme of the new regime, appearing in Communist Party documents for the first time.
“The Chinese people will have more opportunity to share the fruits of economic development in a fair way,” he said. He described China’s 7 per cent growth rate as “our contribution to the world”.
Chen has been vice-president of the influential but secretive Central Party School – the training school for top Chinese officials – since 2008. He is close to the new Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the president of the Party School.
He said Xi Jinping – who was sent to work in the countryside as a teenager during the Cultural Revolution – had served at all levels in China, was in touch with public opinion, and would be “a leader you can trust”.
“He understands what is in Chinese people’s minds and what their needs are.”
Chen led a delegation from the Party School for a roundtable meeting with University leaders including the Vice-Chancellor, Dr Michael Spence, and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor International, Professor John Hearn.
Dr Spence said the discussions had covered food security, public health and the development of a multi-party system in China.
“We listened with great interest because of the University’s involvement in the development of the region,” said Dr Spence.
“It was useful to discuss ways in which our United States Studies Centre, China Studies Centre and the new Sydney Southeast Asia Studies Centre can collaborate on issues to do with the stability and prosperity of the Asia Pacific region.”
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University visits Thailand and Laos
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The International Portfolio organised and supported a University-wide delegation to Bangkok and Vientiane in November.
The International Portfolio organised and supported a University-wide delegation to Bangkok and Vientiane in November.
Led by Professor John Hearn in Bangkok, the delegation included the Director of the Sydney Southeast Asia Studies Centre, the Associate Dean International of the Faculty of Education and Social Work, and academics from Sydney Law School and the Faculty of Science.
The delegation included a co-hosted colloquium on strengthening research collaboration between Thailand and Australia, participation in the Conference of Australia-Thailand Relations as part of the 60th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and meetings with ministries, universities and agencies.
The DVC-I gave a presentation at a seminar series of the Knowledge Network Institute of Thailand on strategies for the internationalisation of universities.
A satellite delegation, representing SSEAC, the faculties of Agriculture and Environment, Education and Social Work, Health Sciences, the University of Sydney Business School and Sydney Law School went to Vientiane, Laos, and met representatives from the Laos National Assembly (LNA) to hold further discussions arising from their visit in August.
The LNA is establishing two Centres, one for Training and the other for Information Collection, and the University of Sydney has been invited to contribute to their establishment. The meeting was supported by the Australian Embassy, and was followed by a reception at the Ambassador’s residence.
Delegates also met partners from the National University of Laos, WHO, AusAID and COPE, the Cooperative Orthotic and Prosthetic Enterprise.
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A diplomatic anniversary
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To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Australia-China diplomatic relations, the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor led a high-level delegation to China in October. The group visited Shanghai, Hong Kong and Beijing.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Australia-China diplomatic relations, the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor led a high-level delegation to China in October. The group visited Shanghai, Hong Kong and Beijing.
In Shanghai, a Frontiers of Knowledge Symposium was organised by the International Portfolio to showcase the University’s engagement in China in the past 40 years. Speakers discussed three themes that will be of vital importance in the coming decade: International Relations (Asia-Pacific and the World); Education (Next Steps); and Partnership (Confronting Future Challenges).
The Australian Ambassador to China, Frances Adamson, Shanghai Jiao Tong University President Zhang Jie, and Fudan University President Yang Yuliang were keynote speakers. The symposium was attended by more than 100 guests from leading universities, research institutes, Australian studies centres and the business sector.
A media conference profiled the role of the University in developing the relationship between the two countries, reviewed the university’s engagement in China in and discussed future directions for the partnership. The Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, DVCI Professor John Hearn, Director of the China Studies Centre Kerry Brown, and alumna Ms Echo Xie were on the conference panel.
The media conference resulted in wide coverage in newspapers, online media, radio and TV of the University’s engagement with China, the Gaokao policy, the China Studies Centre, the Charles Perkins Centre and and the University’s research collaborations with China.
The visit also included a VIP lunch for 30 prominent guests, a graduation ceremony attended by more than 200 graduates and their families and friends, an alumni reception and faculty-based academic activities.
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Seeing stars with Bryan Gaensler
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Professor Bryan Gaensler spoke about his pioneering work in astronomy when he was chosen for the Australian Ambassador's Speakers Series in Washington DC earlier this month.
Professor Bryan Gaensler featured as one of the influential Australians chosen to address an audience at the Australian Ambassador's Speakers Series in Washington DC earlier this month.
His talk, A New Way of Looking at the Sky, described the exciting initiatives being pioneered in Australia and explained the discoveries that he and his team are making about the Universe.
Professor Gaensler said: "Ever since Galileo first turned a telescope to the sky, there has been a push to build telescopes that have revealed the wonders of the night sky in ever more detail.
"But despite all the discoveries astronomers have made over the centuries, there are still fundamental unsolved problems about the Cosmos. How has the Universe evolved from the Big Bang to the present day? What is the extreme physics that drives the sudden changes we see in the night sky? And what are the Dark Energy and Dark Matter that make up a staggering 95 per cent of the Universe?
"To make further progress, we need to do astronomy in a different way: instead of peering at tiny patches of stars in detail, we now need to step back and look at huge parts of the sky at once. Australian scientists are now embarking on an exciting journey to develop this new way of looking at the sky."
Bryan Gaensler is an award-winning astronomer, author and science-communicator, who is internationally recognised for his ground-breaking work on dying stars, interstellar magnets and cosmic explosions. A former Young Australian of the Year, NASA Hubble Fellow and Harvard professor, he is now an Australian Laureate Fellow at the University of Sydney and Director of the Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics.
He gave the 2001 Australia Day Address, was named one of Sydney's 100 most influential people for 2010, and in 2011 was awarded Australia's Pawsey Medal for outstanding research by a physicist aged under 40. His book Extreme Cosmos was published in the USA by Penguin in July.
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Australia hosts water experts
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Seven water resource management professionals from Korea representing government, industry, research institutions and the media have taken part in this year’s Australia-Korea Next Generation Leaders Program.
Seven water resource management professionals from Korea representing government, industry, research institutions and the media have taken part in this year’s Australia-Korea Next Generation Leaders Program. The program is funded by the Australia-Korea Foundation and managed by University of Sydney’s International Leaders Program. It gave the Korean delegates a comprehensive overview of Australian water resource management including policy direction, research outcomes and future challenges. The program was delivered in Sydney, Canberra and Adelaide and included a half-day workshop involving water resource professionals, briefings and roundtable discussions. Visits were made to the Federal Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, the Murray Darling Basin Authority, CSIRO and the National Centre for Groundwater Research Training. Delegates reported that the course was particularly useful in focusing on water scarcity issues, and in its emphasis on R&D in water resource management. For an online report in Korean about the program see http://ecotopia.hani.co.kr/62294
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Delegation visits Germany
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Seven academics from across the University participated in a focused delegation to Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt led by the Office of the DVCI in November.
Seven academics from across the University participated in a focused delegation to Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt led by the Office of the DVCI in November. The delegation included the Dean of Engineering and IT, the Dean of Arts and Social Sciences, the Chair of Germanic Studies, the Executive Director and the COO of the Brain and Mind Research Institute, and the Associate Professor in Pharmaceutics at Woolcock Institute of Medical Research The objectives of the delegation were to develop and consolidate research ties with leading institutions resulting in new resources opportunities (joint grants); to develop teaching collaborations; to profile opportunities for student recruitment (Masters and PhD, research projects at Masters Level); and to profile research capacities to German business with the aim of developing joint research projects, scholarships and intern opportunities. Meetings were held with key academic institutions (Freie University, Humboldt, LMU, Goethe), with research institutes and with business (Siemens Corporate Technology, Evonik, Yasakawa and Wei). Additionally, an industry roundtable was organised in collaboration with Austrade in Berlin looking at innovation and research in life sciences in NSW, attended by 20 German industry guests. An Embassy reception for alumni and research leaders was held in Berlin hosted by the Australian Ambassador and two lectures were given at international schools for students interested in careers in engineering. Preliminary outcomes of delegation include a proposed Masters exchange agreement with Freie and Humboldt into set programs within Arts and BMRI; new research links at Humboldt (BMRI, Woolcock, Arts); new exchange and research links (postdocs, Masters, PhD, staff) at Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim; new research collaborations with Siemens, Evonik (Eng, Woolcock, BMRI). The delegation was most impressed with the specialised Graduate Schools funded under the Excellence Initiative, combining research and coursework, and providing opportunities for links with our students.
Sandra Margon
Regional Manager Europe
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| DIARY DATES |
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Research Development Fund
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The Worldwide Universities Network will announce the result of applications for research development funding by 18 December. Fourteen of the 31 projects submitted involve University of Sydney researchers.
WUN re-invests a significant proportion of its membership subscriptions to foster international collaborative research. The Research Development Fund is an annual competitive fund aimed at bringing together researchers to undertake innovative, high quality, sustainable research that addresses global challenges.
The RDF offers grants of up to £15,000 from an overall pool in 2013 of over £200,000. The 2013 fund closed on 1 November. Of the 31 applications received, Sydney is involved in 14 projects, the equal highest number with the University of Western Australia.
Applications are currently being reviewed by the WUN Academic Advisory Group and we anticipate being able to advise researchers of the outcomes by 18 December.
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| LET'S EXTEND OUR HORIZONS |
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Yes, of course Asia is relevant. And yes, of course it is of the utmost importance to Australia. But it is hard not to feel lukewarm about the publication of the Asian Century white paper, writes Sandra Meiras.
Yes, of course Asia is relevant. And yes, of course it is of the utmost importance to Australia.
But it is hard not to feel lukewarm about the publication of the Asian Century white paper. Nobody is disagreeing with the premise, but it has been coming for a long time and much of the novelty has worn off.
Instead, we should be thinking about other regions – Latin America, for example, and particularly South America, where there is sustained growth, increased engagement with Asia, and an Australian-like economic dependence on the commodities boom.
How is Australia positioning itself to engage with these economies and become emerging economy literate? And why does the white paper confine itself to the economic benefits for Australia without giving a serious assessment of Australia’s role in the region and its relationship with other emerging economies?
Australia has been interacting more or less strategically with Asia for at least 50 years – if by strategically we mean different governments making policy decisions to increase or facilitate engagement. By now, we have surely reached an advanced level of engagement that goes beyond maximising the economic benefits for Australia, defence policy and becoming Asia-literate. Maybe we are a bit slow, but after 50 years we ought to be at the PhD stage (at least graduate diploma or master level) of our engagement and not at the improving literacy stage.
A colleague who was a high school teacher and lecturer in education for many years said to me that when she used to teach in Cronulla in the 1970s they had a full program of Indonesian Language and Culture which included a Gamelan music program and language and cultural exchanges.
What happened to all of that? And how are we factoring into out Asian Century calculations the great number of Asian students being educated in Australia who are going to return to their home countries and contribute to their societies, but with an Australian cultural perspective? What will be the impact of an Australian education on these emerging Asian leaders? Will that position Australia in a different way in the region?
Teaching language and cultures, learning about the world, positioning Australia to benefit from its geographical position, improving our ability to deal with a globalised world – these are all priorities for Australia.
But this cannot be short-term. It requires a great deal of training and investment and it cannot be driven by recent trends or an over-reliance on China’s growth. Instead, we need to appreciate that these skills are important in themselves, and their acquisition will be a good investment no matter what country is the world’s latest economic wonder.
Sandra Meiras
Director, International Sevices
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| A CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION |
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Australia's election to the UN Security Council is a cause for celebration and an opportunity for the University, writes Oliver Levingston.
In October, Australia was elected to fill one of ten non-permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council from 2013-14. It will be the first time the Australian Government has been represented on the UN’s chief decision-making body since the 1980s.
This is a cause for celebration. The allocation of a traditionally Western European seat to a nation in the Asia Pacific region underscores Australia’s growing significance as Asia’s rise to predominance gathers pace. The breadth of support secured – including a rare agreement between Israel and Iran on Australia’s bid - has also been cited as evidence of Australia’s growing international reputation.
Having a seat at the Security Council is not only a sign of prestige. It also brings a number of tangible benefits to the University’s staff and students. In her address to the UN General Assembly in September 2012, Prime Minister Julia Gillard focused extensively on Australia’s global leadership in aid and development. Australia’s steadily rising contributions to international development funds and the increasingly wide geographic scope of their disbursement have proven to be a powerful claim for international recognition, particularly as the world economy continues to stagnate.
The University’s distinct research expertise and the breadth of its international networks have been pivotal to the delivery of the Australian Government’s aid and development program. The international community’s endorsement of Australia’s global engagement strategy provides a basis for the Government to increase the scope of its global activities by maintaining and extending the University’s international partnerships.
Already, the Government is committing to extending and deepening Australia’s international networks. Following its success at the UN, the Government released a White Paper setting out its vision for a more regionally integrated economy and society by 2025. Coupled with Australia’s commitment to increasing overseas development assistance to 0.7 per cent of gross national income by 2017, Australia and the University look set to enjoy the benefits of Australia’s rising international profile well into the 2020s.
Oliver Levingston
Project Officer
International Development (Resources)
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