Asia in the Australian Curriculum 

Explore the ways in which a focus on Asia has been included in the draft K–12 Australian Curriculum on the Australian Curriculum consultation portal. You may need to register to access parts of this site. Put ‘Asia’ in the Search to find the closest links within each of the curriculum areas.

Online conference

Take part in the online conference designed for Australian parents and hosted by Parents Victoria. More details

Participate in the Ambassador’s program

You may have worked in Asia or with Asian-Australians. If so, the Asia Literacy Ambassadors – Partnering Businesses & Schools project is connecting skilled professionals from the business area with communities who want to profile the importance of Asia literacy in their schools. Learn more

What is a good neighbour?

Asialink captured the responses of some key individuals from South East Asia in this short video. Respondents included Dr Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary General of ASEAN; Dr Kishore Mahbubani, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore; Ruth Yeoh, Director of Investments, YTL Company Berhad, Malaysia; Dino Patti Djalal, Chief Spokesman of the Indonesian President; and Tony Fernandes, CEO and Co-founder of AirAsia.

History prizes awarded to Year 6 student

Young historian Emily Doi, of Princes Street Primary School in Tasmania, won two prizes in the 2009 National History Challenge. Emily created a scrapbook titled, ‘Japanese War Brides’. She traced the experiences of these women who faced denigration at home and significant challenges in Australia. Emily’s scrapbook was a highly decorative and detailed representation of the issues faced by these brave women.

The theme for the 2010 National History Challenge is Celebrations, Memories and History. The AEF will sponsor a prize for the Asia and Australia category. Guidelines for the challenge, which is open to students from Years 5–12, are available on the site.

Podcasts

TED.com

In November TEDTalks travelled to India. A number of talks from this event are available online, with more being published over the coming weeks. Subjects include the economic rise of India, the role of beliefs and myths in cultural misunderstandings between East and West, and more personal stories and experiences.

Australia National University, Asia & Pacific Studies

This lecture series includes topics on politics and current affairs in the region. Speakers include academics and former and current political leaders. Examples of some available lectures include:

• The Future of East Timor, Dr Jose Ramos-Horta
• Korea’s Middle Power Foreign Policy in the 21st Century, H. E. Dr Kim Woo-Sang
• Australia–China Relations: A Long-term View, The Hon. Stephen Smith, MP.

Latest reading

Stay up to date with what is happening in the region through the Asialink Essay Series. In the latest edition, Trevor Wilson writes ‘Good relations with Japan are critical for Australia. On the majority of issues, our two countries tend to agree, but on whaling we have hit an impasse’. Australians are strongly opposed and – saysTrevor Wilson –  the Japanese have adopted international behaviour entirely out of their normal character. International thinking on whaling has changed: Japan could cease open-sea whaling and win enormous international support, he argues. In the mean time, Australia would be wise to stop provoking Japan unnecessarily and allow it to back down with some grace. Read more

Keep up with what is happening in languages education

The Languages Education in Australia website provides a fortnightly email newsletter that draws attention to events, opportunities, opinions and developments related to languages education in Australia.

Other tools for promoting languages in schools can be found here.

Connections between Australia and Asia

Trade, education, tourism and migration are four of seven areas of engagement between Australia and Asia explored in new research undertaken by PricewaterhouseCoopers and Asialink. The PwC Melbourne Institute Asialink Index tracks engagement along seven dimensions from 1990, charting Australia’s relations with Asia and comparing this to our relations with the rest of the world. More information

Ali Moore interviews Heather Ridout at the May 2009 National Summit

• play video >>

  Heather Ridout, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Industry Group

  interviewed by Ali Moore, Presenter, ABC TV’s Lateline Business

  Video: 6:19