Australian Consulate-General Guangzhou
Media Release PD12/09 Date:16 July 2009
Australia-China Alumni Association – South China Launched
“The launch of the Australia-China Alumni Association – South China will provide a valuable new platform for business and social networking with the tens of thousands of people from southern China who have studied in Australian universities,” the Australian Consul-General to Guangzhou, Mr Sean Kelly, said today.
Speaking at a gala event to launch the new Alumni Association at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel on 16 July, Consul-General Kelly highlighted the importance of such organizations. “The Australian Government regards alumni networks as a very important bridge that makes a valuable contribution to the development of Australia-China relations,” he said. “Our alumnists have a deep understanding of Australia as a result of their time spent there, and the skills that they have acquired often are used to further develop mutually-beneficial links in government, business and academia.”
Consul-General Kelly also pointed to the many success stories amongst Australia’s alumnists. “As I travel around southern China, and indeed when I was previously working in Beijing, I never fail to be struck by the number of senior government officials or top business executives I meet who are either graduates of Australian universities or have chosen to send their children to study in Australia,” he noted. Australia’s high profile China-based alumni include the President of Nokia China, the Mayor of Qingdao, the COO of Intime Department Store Group, the Chairman of Shimao Property Group, the Founder and Chairman of Suntech Power and the President of Nankai University.
“The Australian Government supports and has partnered with the ACAA in a number of ways,” Consul-General Kelly added. “The ACAA is helping us track down the thousands of Chinese who studied in Australia on Australian Government scholarships, and is helping facilitate business networking through the establishment of an ACAA Entrepreneurs Group,” he explained. “And in November the first annual ACAA Alumni Awards will be presented, acknowledging the success and contributions of its members.”
The Australia China Alumni Association is a not-for-profit organization started in 2007 and funded by 20 Australian Universities and several Australian government agencies. The ACAA has offices and regular events in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou and aims to connect Australian university alumni across China with their Universities and each other. Alumni can register on the bilingual website www.AustChinaAlumni.org to receive updates, event notices and news.
For further information, please contact Ms Willow Li, Research Assistant
(Tel: 020 3814 0186, E-mail: [email protected] )