Promoting Asia Awareness Asia at the University of Melbourne

Faculty Expertise in Asia

Melbourne University has 12 faculties located on the main Parkville campus and at other metropolitan and rural campuses. These links highlight Asia focussed initiatives, programs and activities within the Faculty structure, as well as in the School of Graduate Studies (SGS).

Asia and the Faculty of Architecture Building and Planning (ABP)

The Faculty of Architecture Building and Planning is devoted to educating design professions responsible for habitable environments and is a leader in the Asia-Pacific region. ABP conducts international studio visits to Asia including Nanjing, Bangkok and Jogjakarta.

The Faculty has many international agreements and students regularly go on exchange to universities in China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Thailand.

Many of our graduate research students and staff take an active role in researching within and about Asia and are regular visitors to the region. Dr Anoma Pieris has been awarded an early career research grant for her research into the architecture of 19th Century Asian prisons. Associate Professor Jianfei Zhu has recently published a book entitled Asian Spatial Strategy: Imperial Beijing 1420-1911.

The Faculty run several Asian-focused subjects for students at all levels such as Asian Architecture A-South East Asia; Asian Architecture B-China, Korea and Japan; Cross-Cultural Perspectives; Development in Asian Mega Cities.

Asia and the Faculty of Arts

The Faculty of Arts has a long and diverse history of teaching and research engagements within the Asia- Pacific region. There is a strong commitment to Asia-specific content in subjects taught across the Faculty, including teaching several Asian languages from beginner to advanced levels; and initiatives including specialized internships, fieldtrips and student exchange agreements with partner institutions throughout the region. The Faculty is internationally acclaimed for its Asia-specific expertise in the humanities and social sciences, incorporating collaborative research projects with Asian colleagues and institutions, consultancies for government and other organisations, and the production of key publications on Asia-Pacific cultures, societies and contemporary issues.

The Faculty offers a variety of opportunities for Asia-specific study both through the language and cultural offerings of The University of Melbourne's Asia Institute and through disciplinary approaches to the Asia-Pacific region available for study in the Faculty's schools and departments.

Asian Studies Review is edited by Associate Professor Maila Stivens, Director of the Gender Studies Unit with support from the Department of History and the Asia Institute. ASR is the journal of the Asian Studies Association of Australia.

Development Studies at the University of Melbourne has a strong focus on Asia and attracts numbers of students from the region for postgraduate study. The Development Studies program in the School of Anthropology, Geography and Environmental Studies is administered by Dr Salim Lakha whose research specialisation is in India. A Master of Arts in Gender and Development is offered in the Gender Studies Unit, under Assoc.Prof. Maila Stivens.

Outside of the Asia Institute, the strongest concentration of Asian studies is in the Department of History, which offers a range of Asian studies subjects through teaching staff with specialties in different regions of Asia: Associate Professor Antonia Finnane (China), Associate Professor Richard Pennell (Middle East), Dr Katherine McGregor (Indonesia), Dr Charles Schencking (Japan) and Associate Professor Maila Stivens, Director of Gender Studies (Malaysia). The department’s sixth Asianist is Professor Vera Mackie (Japan), who holds a professorial research fellowship and contributes to postgraduate training in the department.

China, and Chinese societies and culture more broadly, are a particularly strong focus of research in the Faculty. Dr Fran Martin and Dr Audrey Yue both teach in the Cultural Studies program in the Department of English, and research broadly comparable issues - including film and other sorts of media - in the contexts of Taiwan and Hong Kong respectively. Dr Jui-shan Chang, who teaches sociology in the Department of Politics, has published on life course, manhood and womanhood, marriage, family and sexuality in diverse cultures, but with a major focus on China. In SAGES, Professor Michael Webber and Dr Mark Yaolin Wang have worked in close collaboration on a number of projects centered on economic change in contemporary China. Associate Professor Antonia Finnane, History, researches aspects of the social and cultural history of China over the last half millennium. In the Department of Political Science Associate-Professor Derek McDougall is an expert on the international politics of the Asia-Pacific. In the same department, Dr Pradeep Taneja has investigated international business, Asian corporations, trade policy and China’s industrial enterprises.

Asia and the Faculty of Economics and Commerce

The Faculty of Economics and Commerce at the University of Melbourne is one of the world’s leading business faculties.  Our goal is to engage communities and transform people through business education and research.

As the world class business faculty with a particular focus on the Asia Pacific region we aim to:

The Faculty has active student and staff exchange arrangements in place with partner universities in China, Korea, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan as well as significant Asia-focussed research and teaching activities.  An annual research symposium is conducted with the National University of Singpaore.

Academic members of staff have extensive research expertise in areas ranging from Asian business, foreign direct investment, economic and social history of China, management and organisation, corruption and governance, institutional development, global logistics, labour markets, currency and economic development.

Specific Asia-focussed centres or major departments

The Asian Economics Centre

The Centre is located within the Department of Economics and serves as a forum for bringing together those with an interest in research on Asian economies and economic development issues.

The centre’s objectives are to:

AABPS Membership

The Faculty is a member of the Association of Asia-Pacific Business Schools.  The AAPBS works to provide leadership and representation in order to advance the quality of business and management education in the Asia-Pacific Region by collaborating in research and teaching, and working in partnership to improve business school standards and quality.

For further information please contact Associate Professor Bill Harley (Associate Dean International) email:  bharley@unimelb.edu.au, telephone: +61 3 8344 4214 or Brooke Young,Manager (Marketing & Development), email: byoung@unimelb.edu.au, telephone +61 3 8344 2166.

Asia and the Faculty of Education

The range of Asia activities in the Faculty of Education include:

Offshore Teaching Programs (link)

The University of Melbourne, through its Faculty of Education, offers a number of programs offshore in Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand and Canada. Professor Joseph Lo Bianco is Associate Dean International and in charge of negotiating academic and student exchanges with many Asian countries.

Local Programs

The Faculty also runs a Graduate Certificate in Teaching Studies of Asia on a cohort enrolment basis. The course comprises four compulsorily subjects - Understanding Asia, Implementing Studies of Asia, Researching Studies of Asia and Developing Asian Curriculum. For more information, please contact Associate Professor Ray Misson.

The International Student Outdoor Program (link)

This program, run jointly between the Faculty of Education and The International Centre, provides memorable and meaningful outdoor trips to areas of natural beauty and cultural significance throughout Australia for the University’s international student community. Trips are offered year-round to locations around Australian and the program is run by enthusiastic, knowledgeable and skilled outdoor education staff from the Faculty of Education.

Research Collaborations

Professor David Clarke, who is Director of the International Centre for Classroom Research, is the lead researcher in the Learner’s Perspective Study- an on-going study into the patterns of participation in mathematics classrooms in 14 countries including Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, the Philippines and Singapore.

The Assessment Research Centre conducts research and teaching in vocational assessment and applied measurement techniques. The Primary Teachers Development Project has been funded by the World Bank to develop frameworks and standards for primary teaching competencies in Vietnam.

The Youth Research Centre has undertaken the Situation of Bhutanese Youth in Bhutanproject sponsored by the Bhutanese Youth Development Fund. The project, which involved interviews and surveys involving young people and other stakeholders, was designed to inform the youth policy process in Bhutan. Researchers were also required to train local young people in Bhutan to conduct the surveys with other young people throughout the country and this training was conducted in the six languages that are most used in Bhutan.

Specific Asia-focussed centres or major departments

The Intercultural Communication and Languages Education (ICALE) research group is located in the Dept. of Language, Literacy and Arts Education. The focus of members' scholarship is on the teaching and learning of modern languages, including English in non-native English speaking countries, as a process of education. Current projects range from classroom-oriented issues to macro-educational topics, and most are focused within Asian settings, but all share interest in the development of learner competence in intercultural communication.

Asia and the Faculty of Engineering

The Faculty of Engineering has been committed to its engagement with the Asian region for several decades. We believe that providing the next generation of engineers with an opportunity to creatively engage with the region is of critical importance in producing globally focused graduates. Programs which facilitate this engagement include:

Throughout 2005, the Dean of Engineering, Professor Jannie Van Deventer, has presented public and academic lectures China, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore raising profile for the University and facilitating relationship development with leading education providers in the region.

Specific Asia-focussed centres or major departments

A sample of our Asia-related academic research:

Asia and the Faculty of Land and Food Resources

At the Faculty of Land and Food Resources:

Asia and the Faculty of Law

There are 11 research centres in the Faculty of Law, most of which conduct some Asia activities. The majority of Asia-related activities and research are managed by the Asian Law Centre (ALC), the Centre for the Study of Contemporary Islam (CSCI) and the Asia Pacific Centre for Military Law (APCML).

Activities include:

The Asian Law Centre was established to teach and undertake research on the legal systems within Asia. ALC programs focus primarily on China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and Islamic law. Work has also been conducted on Hong Kong, Korea, Laos, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

The Centre for the Study of Contemporary Islam was established as a joint centre located in Law and Arts (at MIALS). The CSCI facilitates and supports Islam-related research, particularly those related to contemporary Islamic thought; and aims to improve Australian understandings of Islam, both within the University and throughout the wider community.

The Asia Pacific Centre for Military Law was established to facilitate cooperation amongst military forces of the Asia Pacific Region in the research, training and implementation of the laws governing military operations.

Asia and the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences

The Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences is strongly engaged across Asia at all levels of its teaching and research programs. The Faculty’s medicine, dentistry, physiotherapy and psychology undergraduates can all complete clinical electives or semesters at partner sites around the region. In addition our medical students can spend up to a year in advanced medical science training in Asia in disciplines ranging from paediatrics to toxicology and venom research to experimental surgery.

Our public health programs also have a strong Asia focus particularly in gender and women’s health in Asia through the Key Centre for Women’s Health and mental health through the Centre for International Mental Health. Both of which are World Health Organisation Collaborating Centres.

The Faculty has institutional links with a range of key institutions, including the International Medical University and Universiti Teknologi MARA in Malaysia and Universitas Indonesia.

The Faculty’s newly established Nossal Institute for Global Health (NIGH) builds on the University’s world-class expertise in vaccines, child, mental and women’s health and aims to drive improvements in global health. The institute has a particular focus on Asia and the Pacific region through global health research, teaching, policy analysis and development assistance.

The Australia International Health Institute (AIHI) a component institute of NIGH, focuses on increasing the capacity of health workers and planners across the Asia-Pacific region. AIHI has considerable outreach across the region with students able to conduct research and field work on site in various countries including at the Jamkhed Comprehensive Rural Health Project in India. International Health strengths at the institute include international child and mental health, HIV and drug use.

Asia and the Faculty of Melbourne Consulting and Custom Programs

The Melbourne Consulting and Custom Programs (MCCP) currently is involved in the following projects in Asia:

Hong Kong

The Monitoring & Evaluation of the Native-Speaking English Language Teaching Assistance Scheme for the Primary Schools project for Education Bureau - Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is supported by the MCCP while the technical services are delivered by Professor Patrick Griffin and the Assessment Research Centre of the Faculty of Education.

Indonesia

Workshop on risk allocation and management for public-private partnership projects for the Government of the Republic of Indonesia

MCCP delivered a training workshop on risk allocation and management for public-private partnership projects for the Government of the Republic of Indonesia.  The 2-day training workshop was delivered in Jakarta and a report prepared focusing on the achievement of objectives, outcomes and outputs and the difficulties encountered, lessons learned, and made suggestions for avoiding difficulties and identification of needs for follow-up activities to ensure sustainability.

Workshop for Research and Project Management for staff of the Australia Centre for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR) in Indonesia

The MCCP is also involved in the delivery of a workshop for Research and Project Management for staff of the Australia Centre for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR) in Indonesia.  The workshop is delivered by Patrick Foley.

Assistance to training in higher education leadership and management for IAIN

IAIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya has approached Melbourne University to assist with the organisation and delivery of training in higher education leadership and management for their client, Islamic state higher education (UIN, IAIN and STAIN) and Private Islamic Universities (Institutes).

The purpose of the proposed higher education management and leadership workshop is to strengthen the expertise of Islamic higher education’s top and middle managers to manage their institutions, and to give a new perspective in implementing the knowledge to enhance management in their own institutions. The program will be coordinated by Associate Professor Noel Stonehouse from Centre for the Study of Higher Education

Japan

The MCCP in collaboration with the Key Centre for Women's Health in Society and Professor Horiguchi of Keio University offer Japanese health professionals a fully articulated suite of three postgraduate courses in Women's Health, namely:

All programs are part-time and are taught intensively in Japan and Australia. They are taught and assessed in Japanese.

Malaysia

The MCCP in partnership with PETRONAS, delivers two programs developed for the middle and emerging managers of the company.  Delivering both courses four times a year in Kajang, the Graduate Certificate in Management (PETRONAS) and Graduate Certificate in International Management (PETRONAS) cover topics, from Business Planning, to Strategy, Financial Management, and Innovation. With over 600 graduates since 2004 and currently contracted until 2009, the course is managed by MCCP but with delivery in partnership with the Faculty of Economics and Commerce.

Philippines

The MCCP is involved in the delivery of a workshop of Research and Project Management for staff of the Australia Centre for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR) in Manilla.  The workshop is delivered by Patrick Foley.

Singapore

In conjunction with Julianne Moss of the Faculty of Education, the MCCP provided project management support for the delivery of the Department of Education and Training Principles of Learning and Teaching program to Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) Singapore.

** Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that represents 175,000 educators from more than 135 countries and more than 60 affiliates.

Thailand

The MCCP recently facilitated a two day training program for 31 senior managers from the Electricity Development Authority of Thailand (EGAT) on human resource and environmental management.

Academics were drawn from the Faculty of Economics & Commerce, Faculty of Engineering and the Australian Centre for Public Infrastructure to deliver a customized training program which covered leadership, performance management, environmental management and the energy sector.

The two day program formed part of a broader visit coordinated by the Victoria Thailand Business Network and included presentations from the Victorian Government and a visit to Latrobe City Council.

Vietnam

The Development of Teacher Professional Standards in Vietnam, a World Bank funded Project. MCCP supported Professor Patrick Griffin and the Assessment Research Centre of the Faculty of Education in delivery of the project services in relation to this project.

Graduate Certificate in Art Authentication

The Graduate Certificate in Art Authentication has attracted interests from Asia, particularly Malaysia and East Timor. The course is managed by the School in partnership with the Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation. It is a response to industry demands for specialist training and for a clearer definition of the processes involved in art authentication and the policing and prosecution of art fraud.

Advanced Dealer Management

The MCCP and Sewells, a consultancy which focuses on enhancing the performance of franchised motor dealers, recently launched a Professional Certificate in Automotive Dealer Management for key talent in motor dealerships.

The first cohort includes participants from a major conglomerate in Asia who have expressed interest in running an in-house version of the program in Malaysia.

The Professional Certificate is one outcome of the ADM Program initially developed by Sewells and further enhanced by the University of Melbourne, who have applied separate entry criteria and assessment requirements, and is designed to equip future Dealership managers with the know-how and strategic tools required to succeed in an increasingly competitive environment.

Participants receive focused tuition and coaching from program facilitators and selected subject matter experts in areas such as Leadership; Finance; Marketing and Sales; Fixed Operations; Systems and Processes; Developing and implementing effective Business Plans and Strategies; and Creating and Sustaining balance between profitability, throughput and customer satisfaction.

For enquiries, please feel free to contact Melbourne Consulting and Custom Programs (MCCP).

Asia and the Faculty of Music

The Faculty of Music offers a vibrant performance program in Central Javanese and West Javanese gamelan, as well as a raft of academic subjects in the Ethnomusicology specialisation which focus on music and the performing arts in Asian societies. Postgraduate research students are doing fieldwork in China, Iran, Malaysia, the Phillipines and Sarawak. For more information on subjects offered and research interests, go to http://www.music.unimelb.edu.au/about/falk.html

Asia and the Faculty of Science

Melbourne’s Science Faculty has strong research links with the Asian region in particular with China and Japan.  For example in relation to Japan, the School of Chemistry works with the Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Kyushu University, the National Institute of Advance Industrial Science and Technology and the Graduate School of Tokyo Institute of Technology.  The School of Physics works with the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Centre.

The Schools of Earth Science, Botany, Genetics and Physics all have research collaborative links with China.

There is also field study research conducted in Timor.

Asia and the Faculty of Veterinary Science

The Faculty of Veterinary Science works closely with partners in China on collaborative research in infectious diseases, including:

The Faculty offers online postgraduate courses in Avian Health™ which is designed for veterinarians to further their understanding in poultry health and management and enable them to better function in today’s global poultry industry. http://www.avianhealthonline.vet.unimelb.edu.au/

Many graduates are employed across South East Asia in industry, government and regulatory agencies, large and small animal practices. Information regarding the alumni can be found at http://www.muvs.unimelb.edu.au/

Asia and the Faculty of School of Graduate Studies

SGS is responsible for administering all University of Melbourne PhD candidates as well as the Faculty of Science Masters Research courses (MSc, MOptom & MIS). SGS offers a comprehensive range of academic skills and professional development opportunities for local and international postgraduate students, and a full-time Library Research Consultant who is available for individual consultations. Postgraduate students can apply for a study carrel and are encouraged to make use of the study and meeting rooms, computer laboratories, bar and bistro offered at the Graduate Centre. The Graduate Centre, jointly managed by the Postgraduate Association is a 24/7 facility available for all postgraduates.

PhD students engaged in Asia-focused research are enrolled though SGS but located in departments throughout the university. SGS offers anAcademic Orientation Program for International Postgraduate Students (AOPIPS), specifically designed to meet the needs of international postgraduate students at the University of Melbourne. For more details visit: www.gradstudies.unimelb.edu.au/aopips

SGS also supports local student academic and cultural initiatives through the Academic Activity grants scheme. For more details see the Academic Activity Grants page.

Asia and the Victorian College of the Arts

Staff and students of the VCA are regularly engaged at an academic and artistic performance level with individual artists and educators, art bodies and arts educational institutions within Asia. These activities include:

'Paper Umbrellas' banner image courtesy of Heinz Gutersohn

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