Asialink Leaders 2022 welcomed

2 June 2022: The 27th Asialink Leaders Program was launched in May during Foundation Week. This year’s cohort of Asia-focused Leaders were welcomed to Australia’s flagship program for Asia-capability by alumni, faculty and staff.

Fifty Leaders joined the launch at our program partner Herbert Smith Freehills Melbourne offices and via our new Virtual Hub, specifically designed for our Leaders in Asia, regional and rural Australia. Following a successful pilot year in 2021, the Virtual Hub enabled access to leaders from five countries: Japan, Singapore, India, Vietnam, Malaysia, and five Australian states.

The Virtual Hub and an increased Fellowship program strengthened an important aim of the Asialink Leaders Program of empowering a diverse range of Leaders across borders, industries, and experiences to engage skilfully and successfully with Asia.

The Welcome Reception featured a powerful Welcome to Country from proud Yorta Yorta woman, activist and trailblazing educator Dr Lois Peeler AM, followed by an invigorating keynote address from Rohini Kappadath, General Manager of the Immigration Museum, Melbourne.

Key messages that resonated throughout the program were the importance of deep listening and shared perspectives, the necessity of mindset shifts, and the need to be as closely connected with the region as possible, especially after the recent period of isolation. In Rohini Kappadath’s words: “In Asia one must always be poised to spot and rise with the tide.”

The Asialink Leaders Program positions participants to navigate these opportunities, as well as the risks, in making better decisions for their organisations in the fast-changing Asia landscape. 

Foundation Week kicked off their seven-month journey to develop insights, capabilities and connections via some of the most expert voices on the region. These ranged from current and former diplomats to leaders in the creative industry, business and community and academic experts.

Leaders deepened and broadened their understanding of 11 countries and regions in Asia and considered what their new knowledge means in terms of future engagement for their organisations and sectors, and Australia. Their experience included:

  • Asia’s Three Futures, and the Choices for Australians – Hearing from Professor Michael Wesley, Deputy Vice-Chancellor International, the University of Melbourne delivering his thought-provoking keynote address Asia’s Three Futures, and the Choices for Australians and urging Leaders to think of the “new equilibrium” at a time when our old certainties are challenged.

Reflecting on the opening keynote, Alana Hunt, Independent artist and Coordinator of Regional Assembly at Regional Arts Australia said: “Professor Wesley’s keynote on our three futures with Asia was grounded, thoughtful and imaginative.” While Upendra Navaratne, Asia Business Manager, Ego Pharmaceuticals noted: “The introductory keynote was very stimulating and challenged conventional thinking.”

  • Drawing on what we can learn from the deep history of First Nations People’s engagement with the region, Dr Pippa Dickson, Director of Asialink Arts launched the program theme of Identity, Image and Influence with a rich discussion between Professor Aaron Corn, Inaugural Director, Indigenous Knowledge Institute and Dr Lily Yulianti Farid, Research Fellow, Monash Indigenous Studies Centre.  Focusing on the connections between the Yolngu people of Northern Australia and the Makassan people of Southern Indonesia, they uncovered shared language, symbolism and music, and what this connected history means now.
     
  • China Perspectives - Drawing on the expertise of a cross-sectorial China Perspectives panel including Jason Yat-sen Li MP, Member for Strathfield MP, Jingmin Qian, Chair, Foundation for Australian Studies in China and Mindy Meng Wang, composer and contemporary guzheng musician engaging with China through arts, business, and people-to-people connections at a time of tension was explored. 

Sabrina Li, International Students Coordinator, St Margaret's and Berwick Grammar School said: “Extremely insightful to hear from these speakers share their great personal and professional experience of bridging cultural divides.”

  • India Spotlight Session – Recently returned from the Raisina Conference in India, The Hon. Lisa Singh, CEO of the Australia India Institute shared emerging themes in Australia-India relations and the opportunities for Australian organisations as part of the India Spotlight Session.

Claire Pink, Operations Program Manager, Farmers2Founders said: “The insights from Foundation Week have really helped my own understanding of how to equip our GROW2Asia™ participants to better engage with the Indonesian market.”

  • Australia’s Role in a Complex, Contested Indo-Pacific – Having the privilege of drawing on the unparalleled expertise of Peter Varghese AO, Chancellor University of Queensland, Chairman Asialink Council and former Secretary of DFAT who consolidated the week’s invaluable insights in his keynote Australia’s Role in a Complex, Contested Indo-Pacific.

These contributions were the tip of the iceberg from Foundation Week 2022 and may be experienced further through our social media posts here. We are honoured to facilitate the meaningful exchange of ideas and perspectives between our Foundation Week faculty and our cohort.

Casten Makochekanwa, Counsellor, Defence Science and Technology, Australian Embassy Tokyo, summed up the week: “One of the most valuable aspects of Foundation Week was meeting my fellow Leaders in Melbourne as well as the Virtual Hub. I now have an appreciation of the breadth of perspectives and experiences in our cohort and look forward to us getting to know each other through the Program.”

Find out more about the Asialiank Leaders Program.