University of Melbourne celebrates 50th anniversary of pan-African institutions

Dr Mukundi, Dr Mickler and HE Dr Abdullah

L-R Dr Mukundi, Dr Mickler and HE Dr Abdullah

On 25th May African communities worldwide, including over 300,000 people of African backgrounds in Australia, will celebrate ‘Africa Day’ to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was transformed into the African Union (AU) in 2002.

The University of Melbourne is working with a new network linking Universities across Australia and Africa to support greater engagement and build deeper links on teaching and research. The network will also boost University links with government, business and local African communities.

A recent workshop delivered by the University of Melbourne and the Africa Australia Association, ‘Building Sustainable Peace in Africa: Engaging Australians’, hosted senior African and Australian leaders including special guests AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, H.E. Ambassador Dr Aisha Abdullahi, and Coordinator of the AU’s African Governance Architecture and Platform, Dr George Mukundi.

The meeting highlighted Australia’s active investment in Africa as well as the benefits for Australia from Africa’s growing global importance. ‘In recent years an African natural resources boom has attracted $50 billion investment by Australian-listed resources companies across the African continent,’ convenor, Dr David Mickler described, ‘Australia has also benefited by the growing influence of African globally as demonstrated by Australia’s recent campaign for a seat on the UN Security Council – built on the votes of almost all African states.’

Closer to home, the Centre for Cultural Partnerships at the Victorian College of Arts and Melbourne Conservatorium of Music is working with Debney Primary School Community to explore ideas of identity with families from Somali and other national backgrounds. ‘Through story-telling and film-making  we’re building shared learning and personal knowledge,’ Project leader Shahin Shafaei describes. Shahin and school principal Helen Otway will co-present their early experiences at the ICTEV Conference in Melbourne on Africa Day.

For further information, see:

http://aaun.edu.au/

http://vca.unimelb.edu.au/ccp/strategicpartnerships

http://ictev.vic.edu.au/

 

Looking for professional development opportunities at a partner university overseas? Endeavour Executive Awards now open

Applications for the Australian Government’s Endeavour Executive Awards are now open and will close on 30 June 2013. The International Relations Office is keen to encourage University staff to take advantage of this opportunity to further their professional development at a partner university abroad.

Background

For Australian applicants, the Endeavour Executive Awards provide professional development opportunities (of 1 to 4 months) in business, industry, education or government overseas. The Awards focus on building skills and knowledge through a host work environment and applicants will need to be nominated by their proposed host organisation.

Further information and detailed guidelines are available from the Endeavour Executive Awards website.

Support available

The International Relations Office is happy to provide guidance on applications for outbound Endeavour Executive Awards and can facilitate contact with partner institutions to assist in the nomination.

Particular encouragement is provided for those applications which support the development of stronger relationships with institutions nominated as a priority by the Senior Executive and/or identified by way of the China Advisory Forum or other country strategies.

Please contact Ken Lee in the International Relations Office ( k.lee at unimelb.edu.au; 8344 4557) for further advice on these priority institutions, as well as for guidance/assistance on the support we can provide to applicants for outbound Endeavour Executive Awards.

New research centre to improve quality of education in the Philippines

A new Assessment Curriculum and Technology Research Centre has been established through a partnership between the University of the Philippines’ College of Education and the University of Melbourne’s Assessment Research Centre. The Centre will help the Philippine Government implement its K-12 program. Read more

New Chair of Indian Studies to help drive Australia-India relations

The appointment of Professor Anthony P. D’Costa as Chair in Indian Studies will see the University of Melbourne play a leading role in developing Australia’s understanding of India.  Read more.

 

Melbourne research leaders building links in China

Two University of Melbourne PhD candidates are among 13 students from Group of Eight Universities who are travelling to China today to take part in the inaugural Student Leadership in International Cooperation (SILC) program. Read more

Launch of Centre for Contemporary Chinese Studies, 3 April 2013

The Centre for Contemporary Chinese Studies was launched at the University of Melbourne on 3 April 2013 by the University’s Chancellor, Ms Elizabeth Alexander AM. Based within the Asia Institute of the Faculty of Arts, the Centre will focus on research into contemporary issues in China, as well as graduate training and broader engagement with external, China-facing stakeholders. Read more.

Two new professorial appointments to drive greater international engagement at Melbourne

Professor Christine Wong has been appointed as the inaugural Director of the Centre for Contemporary Chinese Studies (CCCS) at the University of Melbourne. Prof Wong joins the University’s Asia Institute (Faculty of Arts) from the University of Oxford, where she was Professor of Chinese Public Finance, Director of Chinese Studies at the School of Interdisciplinary Area Studies and a Fellow of Lady Margaret Hall. Read more on the 03 April 2013 launch of the CCCS here.

Professor Jane Lu from the National University of Singapore’s Business School has been appointed as the first holder of the James Riady Chair in Asian Business and Economics. The James Riady Chair supports teaching and research that drives a deeper understanding of how to do business in the Asian region. It is funded through a donation by Dr James Riady, an alumnus of the Faculty of Business and Economics. Read more here.

Melbourne signs Australia-first agreements in Latin America

The University of Melbourne has become the first Australian university to partner with one of Brazil’s leading research bodies, FAPESP – The State of São Paulo Research Foundation.

In parallel, it has renewed its Memorandum of Understanding with the University of São Paulo (USP), and signed a new agreement to facilitate student exchange between the Faculty of Business and Economics in Melbourne and USP’s School of Economics, Business and Accountancy. This will be the first exchange agreement in Australia for the University of São Paulo business faculty, opening up new opportunities for Melbourne students to study in Brazil.

Read full press release.

Quarter century of collaboration with Japan comes to an end

Researchers at the University of Melbourne, with colleagues from Swinburne, La Trobe, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation and the University of Canberra have completed the final experiment at the Australian National Beamline Facility (ANBF) in Tsukuba, Japan at the Photon Factory Synchrotron. A closing ceremony was held to mark the end of 25 years of experiments. Read full story here.

Summer research internship for Engineering students at IIT Kanpur, India

Two Engineering students have recently returned from the first outgoing undergraduate research exchange between the University of Melbourne and the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK). Read full article here.