2026 Australia-China Local Government Exchange
Australia-China Local Government Exchange
Delivered as a specialist track of the City Diplomacy Masterclass, the Australia-China Local Government Exchange is a program designed to enhance the capacity of Australian local government professionals to engage with Chinese partners.
It is supported by funding from the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations (NFACR), an Australian Government initiative to promote and coordinate enhanced cooperation between Australia and China in support of Australia’s national interests.
This program for local government officers builds knowledge and capabilities across a range of strategic areas including:
- Understanding modern China (economy, society, politics, culture)
- Understanding the bilateral Australia-China relationship and the role of local government
- Effective and risk-informed use of city diplomacy in global engagement
- Opportunities for cooperation, including in areas such as climate change action, urban sustainability, and economic development
- Understanding Australian policy and legislation relevant to city diplomacy and risk-informed engagement.
It will also provide opportunities for peer networking between Australian professionals, with Chinese officials and a range of subject matter experts.
The program involves:
- A two-day specialist in-person workshop at the University of Melbourne focused on deepening understanding of China and the bilateral relationship from a local government perspective
- Online training sessions to build expertise in conducting effective city diplomacy
- A delegation visit to Hong Kong and Shenzhen to meet with academic and practice experts and network with Chinese peers.
Now in its fourth year, the City Diplomacy Masterclass draws on the extensive research and capacity building expertise of the Melbourne Centre for Cities in this domain. It is designed for local government officers to complete alongside their day-to-day roles with expert education and peer-to-peer, small cohort learning and exchange.
Who can apply for the program?
The program is open to Australian local government officers (including managers and directors) with current international engagements with China, or a desire to develop partnerships with China related to their work.
Professionals may be working in areas such as international engagement, economic development, multicultural community engagement, tourism, sustainable development, climate, environment, energy or technology. The program will explore key priority areas for bilateral cooperation — such as climate change action, sustainable urban development, trade and investment, cross-cultural communication, education and tourism — which will be relevant to municipal officers working in these domains.
The program is aimed at officers, but we may consider local council elected representatives where a strong case is made for their inclusion. Please contact our team if you have questions on eligibility.
Program Schedule
- Applications due: 5pm AEST Friday, 3 July 2026
- Successful applicants notified: August 2026
Melbourne workshop – Understanding China
22-23 September 2026
University of Melbourne, Parkville
The Melbourne workshop will focus on building understanding of China from a local government perspective in areas such as:
- Understanding modern China’s political system and economy
- Understanding the bilateral relationship with Australia
- Opportunities for local government engagement with China
- Promoting risk-informed city diplomacy
Online program
September/October 2026, 3 x 90-minute sessions (during business hours)
The online program will focus on the fundamentals of city diplomacy, drawing from evidence from the Melbourne Centre for Cities and colleagues internationally. The sessions will explore:
- Trends in city diplomatic practice
- Planning and executing international strategies
- Measuring the results and impacts of international engagements
- Pre-travel briefing
Delegation visit
12-16 October 2026
(travel required on 11 and 17 October)
Location: Hong Kong and Shenzhen
The program will culminate in a visit to Hong Kong and Shenzhen to engage with a range of professional and academic experts on the themes of city diplomacy, city-city cooperation and urban sustainability. The week will include:
- Discussions with leading experts on urban sustainability innovation
- Discussions on building business partnerships with China
- Meetings with government representatives
- Infrastructure site visits
Participants must be able to complete all three components of the program to apply, including travel to Melbourne in September, an online program in September/October, and the delegation visit to Hong Kong and Shenzhen in October.
What does the program funding include?
With support from the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations, up to 10 participants will be funded to complete the program in 2026. See the FAQ below for details on what is covered through this funding support.
How do I apply?
Eligible professionals can complete the Application Form. Applicants will need to provide:
- A short personal statement (maximum two pages) answering the following questions:
- Why are you suitable for the program?
- What interests you about city diplomacy and engagement with China? (including your organisation’s existing or prospective engagement with Chinese partners)
- How will this program support your professional aspirations?
- Where applicable, is there any other relevant information related to you or your organisation’s subnational engagement with China?
- An up-to-date curriculum vitae
- The contact details of a professional referee
- A letter of support (max one page) from your supervisor or organisation, confirming their approval of your time away from your role and their organisational support in maximising this opportunity.
Application assessment
Applications will be assessed by a panel of experts on the basis of:
- Professional background and potential for the program to advance and deepen relevant skills and expertise
- How the applicant will apply what they learn from the program to advance and support existing or prospective local government relationships with China
- Diversity of urban experiences
- Evidence of, or potential for, the council’s engagement with Chinese partners
- Evidence of support by local council or organisation.
Expectations of participation
Applicants selected for the program must participate and complete all elements of the program. It is essential you have support of your Council to participate, including time away from your role. Absence from program elements may result in participants being removed from the program.
Applications close 5pm AEST Friday 3 July 2026.
FAQs
-
‘City diplomacy’ is the international engagement of local authorities. It is more and more a commonplace activity undertaken not only by mayors but by a widening group of internationally engaged city officials and their partners. This is not just a global city story: city diplomacy is increasingly common in regional and smaller centres, with more than 10,000 cities involved as members of transnational city networks today. As internationally recognised research from the Melbourne Centre for Cities underlines, a growing entrepreneurialism is now shown by cities to engage in broadening city connections both regionally as well as globally. The City Diplomacy Melbourne Masterclass takes stock of these advancements and draws on research and practice expertise within the Melbourne Centre for Cities and its international partners.
-
Please complete the online Application Form.
Applications close 5pm AEST Friday 3 July 2026.
-
Funding from the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations will support up to 10 participants in the program in 2026.
-
Melbourne workshop:
- Catered morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea during the course program delivery hours
- A program dinner
China intensive workshop:
- Round trips flights to Hong Kong from your closest Australian international airport (any domestic flights or transport in Australia to connect to this Australian international airport are the responsibility of participant organisations)
- Round trip train travel from Hong Kong to Shenzhen
- 5 nights of accommodation in Hong Kong and Shenzhen
- 2 program dinners
-
Participants or their employer are responsible for the below costs. Participants are responsible for seeking any required approvals within their local council or organisation where applicable for costs.
- Domestic flights to Melbourne for the September workshop and 1-2 nights of accommodation in Melbourne (funding support for domestic travel may be available through application for organisations without professional development budgets to cover these expenses)
- Some incidental costs during travel to China including any meals not indicated above and local transport
- Any costs associated with incidentals, per diems or travel allowances will not be covered by the program. They are the sole responsibility of the relevant local council and must be managed independently
- Ground transport in Australia to/from the workshop or any airport including taxis, public transport or any other means of transport
- Any other costs not explicitly covered by funding.
-
The program will be delivered by a team of City Diplomacy experts from the Melbourne Centre for Cities. It is led by Dr Daniel Pejic, with support from Dr Pengyi Huang. Participants will engage with a range of academic and practice experts from across Australia and China, particularly drawing on the University of Melbourne, the Australian Government, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the University of Bristol.
-
A future cohort of the Australia-China Local Government Exchange will be run in 2027.
-
You will receive a letter of completion as a Professional Masterclass from the Melbourne Centre for Cities. This does not contribute to an academic qualification at the University of Melbourne.
-
Please contact our City Diplomacy Team with any questions – we’re happy to support you through the application process.
Enquiries: pengyi.huang@unimelb.edu.au