The 4th ACYD Alumni Symposium 2024
The ACYD Alumni Symposium is an event that builds on the foundations set by the dialogue, a leading forum for people-to-people exchanges between emerging leaders from Australia and China held annually since 2010. The Alumni Symposium initiative will provide ACYD’s alumni the opportunity to reconnect with the broader ACYD community and engage in discussions that analyses key issues pertinent to the bilateral relationship.
Charting a New Course: What do policy minds think of Australia-China relations in 2024?
The resumption of high-level bilateral dialogue, and the lifting of tariffs, duties, and anti-dumping measures in both directions, signal a return to stabilisation of the Australia-China relationship. Both countries welcome this shift. PRC Foreign Minister Wang Yi is confident “we will move on from stabilisation… to further consolidation”. However, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is more cautious, framing stabilisation as placing “priority on communication over confrontation”.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong says “dialogue enables us to manage our differences; we both know it does not eliminate them. Australia will always be Australia and China will always be China”. There will always be disagreements in international relations. Consular issues, fears of foreign interference, and obstacles to scitech cooperation between Australia and China remain. So, how optimistic should we be in this new found stabilisation? How can our two countries maintain or move beyond this stage, and importantly avoid slipping backwards?
ACYD has organised a panel of policy experts to give their informed opinions on the current state of play, and discuss with Alumni how best to chart this new course in Australia-China relations.
Speakers:
Mr. Jason Robertson, Australian Embassy Beijing, Deputy Head of Mission
Prof. Waning Sun, Australia-China Relations Institute, Deputy Director Professor of Media and Communication in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at UTS
Mr. Ryan Neelam, Lowy Institute, Director, Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Program
Ms. Philippa Jones, China Policy, Founding Partner and Managing Editor
Session Chair - Ms Ciara Morris ACYD’23
PhD Candidate in Public and International Affairs, City University of Hong Kong
Date: Monday 27 May 2024
Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm Beijing Time. 7:00pm - 9:00pm AEST
Location: Zoom Webinar, not-recorded
Enquiries can be directed to alumni@acyd.org.au
This event is brought to you by
We are grateful for the support of our partners.
— PAST EVENTS —
The 3RD ACYD Alumni Symposium 2022
Session one - Diplomatic briefing sessions | 外交简报会
Session Chair:
Ms Jade Little ACYD’12 — Chief of Staff to the Chief Operating Officer, Newmont Corporation.
Speaker:
Australian Representative - His Excellency Mr Graham Fletcher — Ambassador of Australia to the People’s Republic of China.
Session two - In conversation with The Honourable Pierre Shuai Yang MLC on community leadership | 与尊敬的Pierre Shuai Yang议员先生就社区领导力主题对话
Session Chair:
Mr Harrison Chen ACYD’21 — Associate - Technology, Communications & Commercial, Baker & McKenzie.
Speaker:
The Hon. Pierre Yang MLC — Government Whip in the Legislative Council.
Session three - Navigating our cultural differences and understanding of the world through language | 通过语言纵横我们的文化差异和对世界的理解
Session Chairs:
Mr Liam Tay Kearney ACYD’17
Fulbright Anne Wexler Scholar in Public Policy Columbia University.
Speakers:
Professor Jing Han — Director of the Australia-China Institute for Arts and Culture - Western Sydney University.
Ms Yu-Hsiu Camille Chen — Executive Creative Director Legend Media Group.
Ms Maggie Ying Jiang — Director/Associate Professor, Confucius Institute. Associate Professor, UWA Business School, Marketing.
Session four - 12th ACYD Alumni Celebration Dinner 2022
Master of Ceremony:
Ms Jessie Hu ACYD’21 — Finance Business Partner at Paragon Care.
Mr Harrison Chen ACYD’21 — Associate - Technology, Communications & Commercial at Baker & McKenzie.
Speakers:
Mr Henry Makeham — Founder Australia-China Youth Dialogue.
Mr Ting Chen — President of Chung Wah Association.
THE 2nd ACYD ALUMNI SYMPOSIUM 2021
DAY 1 - THE CONUNDRUMS OF THE AUSTRALIA-CHINA RELATIONSHIP
Monday 11 October from 16:30 CST / 18:30 AEST / 19:30 AEDT
Master of Ceremony & Moderator:
Ms Jennifer Wong — Comedian, writer & journalist.
Speakers:
Professor Jane Golley — Former Director China in the World Centre at the Australian National University.
Professor Hugh White AO — Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre of the Australian National University.
DAY 2 - White Man’s Media
Tuesday 12 October from 16:30 CST / 18:30 AEST / 19:30 AEDT
Master of Ceremony & Moderator:
Ms Jennifer Wong — Comedian, writer & journalist.
Speakers:
Mr Bruce Dover — Managing Director at DCI Media Group and former media executive and journalist at organisations including CNN, New Corp, The Australian and ABC (Australia).
Professor Christine Loh SBS, OBE — Chief Development Strategist, Institute for the Environment, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
DAY 3 - 50 years of diplomatic relations, where to from here?
Wednesday 13 October from 16:30 CST / 18:30 AEST / 19:30 AEDT
Master of Ceremony & Moderator Session 1: Ms Jennifer Wong — Comedian, writer & journalist.
Speaker: Minister Wang Xining — Deputy Head of Mission/Minister, Embassy of The People's Republic of China in Australia.
Moderator Session 2: Mr Henry Makeham — Founder, The Australia-China Youth Dialogue.
Speaker: The Hon. Kevin Rudd AC — 26th Prime Minister of Australia and President and CEO of Asia Society.
THE INAUGURAL ACYD ALUMNI SYMPOSIUM 2020
Session No. 1 Culture
Monday November 9 from 16:30 CST / 18:30 AEST / 19:30 AEDT
This session explored questions such as:
How important is it to take note of the differences between Western and Chinese Philosophy?
Does this have any material influence on the bilateral relationship?
Moderator:
Mr Karim Issa (ACYD 2016) — Senior Associate, King & Wood Mallesons.
Speakers:
Professor Roger T. Ames — Humanities Chair Professor at Peking University in Beijing, China, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, and a Berggruen Fellow.
Professor Kerry Brown — Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of the Lau China Institute at King’s College, London, and an Associate Fellow at Chatham House, London.
Assistant Professor Shuchen Xiang — Assistant Professor at Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Peking University in Beijing, China.
Session No. 2 GeopoliticS
Tuesday November 10 from 16:30 CST / 18:30 AEST / 19:30 AEDT
This session explored questions such as:
The decoupling of the Australia-China relationship – is this permanent or temporary?
How do the recent US election results influence Australia’s engagement with China, and vice versa?
Moderator:
Mr Kaiser Kuo — Co-founder of the Sinica Podcast and editor-at-large of SupChina.
Speakers:
Mr Bill Birtles — China Correspondent, Australian Broadcasting Corp. (ABC).
Ms Georgina Downer (ACYD 2017) — Principal, Tenjin Consulting and Adjunct Fellow, Institute of Public Affairs.
Dr Hu Dan (ACYD 2015) — Assistant Professor and Deputy Director of the Australian Studies Centre at Beijing Foreign Studies University and Deputy General Secretary of the Chinese Association for Australian Studies.
Professor Chen Hong — Chair of Department of English Language and Literature, and Director of the Australian Studies Centre at East China Normal University in Shanghai.
Session No. 3 Trade & Investment
Wednesday November 11 from 16:30 CST / 18:30 AEST / 19:30 AEDT
This session explored questions such as:
Is anyone benefiting from this growing trade war between Australia and China, or are we both heading for mutual destruction?
Mining, agriculture, education and other industries have been impacted - how many more casualties can we expect?
Moderator:
Ms Sue-Lin Wong (ACYD 2013) — China Correspondent, The Economist.
Speakers:
Mr Richard McGregor — Senior Fellow, The Lowy Institute.
Ms Su-Lin Tan — Journalist, South China Morning Post.
Mr Albert Tse — Founding Partner, Wattle Hill Capital.
