Asialink Business Country Starter Packs
Our Country Starter Packs provide Australian businesses with the information they need to confidently enter their desired Asian market.
Asia is critical to Australia’s economic growth, future and place in the world. Now is the time to intensify deep engagement, and the pursuit of long-term opportunities in the region. Asia capabilities are vital for success in an increasingly competitive and complex environment.
With over 28 years of history and over 1,100 alumni globally, the Asialink Leaders Program is Australia’s leading professional development program on Asia. The program is designed to address the challenges many organisations face in keeping up to date with the latest developments in trade, investment, and foreign policy for engagement with Asia.
The program will equip you and your organisation with the latest insights, capabilities, and connections to position you for success with the region. Lead with impact, by navigating opportunities and risks and make better decisions for your organisation in the fast-changing Asia landscape.
Request our Asialink Leaders Program brochure by contacting us here
Applications for the Asialink Leaders Program in 2024 are now closed.
To find out more about how the program can fast-track your Asia capability in 2025, book a time to speak with our team. We welcome your expressions of interest and any questions here.
Through a series of immersions, expert sessions, dialogue and coaching, Leaders have the opportunity to replace uncertainty with confidence, myths with reality, and build a global mindset with Asia at its core.
Foster a shared understanding of Asia and lead deeper dialogue around issues that are vital to our engagement with the region and future prosperity.
Curated to Asia’s rapidly evolving environment, some of the core themes explored throughout the Asialink Leaders Program include:
Delivered across nine-months, the program offers deep expertise, practical skills, and influential networks for engaging with Asia. The program is delivered in a hybrid format consisting of in-person and virtual modules. The learning journey includes:
The Asialink Leaders Program Virtual Hub is a pathway for leaders based in Asia, or in regional or rural Australia, to join online, or upgrade for both online and in-person access.
The Virtual Hub offers access to select virtual-only components of the program through a facilitator-led, virtually delivered journey, designed to enable you to engage with expert content and to build deep connections. Numbers for the Virtual Hub are strictly limited to ensure diverse and intimate class sizes
Request our Asialink Leaders Program Virtual Hub brochure by contacting us here.
Watch and listen to what our Leaders Alumni Melita Grant and Brenton Garlick say about the Asialink Leaders Program.
Watch and listen to what our Leaders Alumni Charlie Chen and Dan Curtis say about the Asialink Leaders Program.
The program provides a unique opportunity to learn from and engage with a diverse group of participants who are leaders in their fields and represent a variety of organisations, industries and functions.
Positions held by recent participants include:
CEO, QANTM Intellectual Property
Researcher/Curator, University of Western Australia
Senior Associate, Herbert Smith Freehills
International Relations Manager, Football Federation Australia
Head of Business Development & Partnerships, QAGOMA
Offshore & Alliance Partnerships Manager, BUPA
Head, Digital Operations, Australian Broadcasting Corporation
South Asia Regional Manager, Oxfam Australia
Director, Consulting, PwC
Regional Manager - Oceania, CPA Australia
Director, Asia Business Group, KPMG
Senior Export Adviser, NSW Trade & Investment
Director, Warrnambool Campus, Deakin University
Head of FX Investor Sales, Australia, NZ, ANZ
Global Lead, Product Strategy, Nufarm Limited
Asia Pacific Regional Manager, Pearson
Head of International Regulatory Affairs, Australia Post
Global Head, Japan Desk, Group Sales & Marketing, Toll Group
Senior Commercial Team Manager, Telstra
Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO
Head of Migrant and Expatriate Banking, Westpac
Manager, International Investment, Victorian Government
Manager International Projects, Austrade
Head of Business Development, NAB Business, National Australia Bank
Practice Lead Climate Change, BHP
Marketing Manager, Australian Council for the Arts
Global Head of Members, Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand
Manager, International Engagement, Trade Victoria
The Asialink Leaders Program attracts high calibre speakers with expertise living, working and doing business with the region.
Some recent speakers in our program include:
The cost of the Asialink Leaders Program in 2024 is: $11,900 + GST
In 2024, we are also excited to offer a Virtual Hub for Leaders based in Asia, or in regional and rural Australia.
The cost of the Asialink Leaders Program delivered through our Virtual Hub (Virtual delivery) is: $7,900 + GST + optional in-person attendance at Canberra Summit $1,900 + GST
Corporate pricing is also available for organisations wishing to send multiple Leaders.
The program fee covers all costs relating to the scheduled program, except where flights, accommodation and incidentals are concerned in relation to your program attendance as applicable to the program.
Applications for fellowship opportunities are now closed.
We were delighted to offer a number of other fellowship opportunities for outstanding individuals to be awarded a funded place in the 2024 Asialink Leaders Program:
Susan Gin Asialink Leaders Fellowship for a Leader in rural/regional Australia.
Asialink Leaders Arts Fellowship for one Leader in the Arts and Creative Industries.
Asialink Virtual Hub Fellowship for a not-for-profit Leader based in Asia.
The aim of the fellowship program is to enable individuals from a diversity of backgrounds and sectors to join the Asialink Leaders Program; Australia’s flagship professional development program on Asia.
2024 Program starts: March 2024
Enrolment is through a merit-based application process. Numbers are capped to ensure diverse and intimate class sizes.
The application process involves:
NOTE: Your submission requires an online Letter of endorsement from your organisation, filled out electronically by your employer acknowledging the time commitment required. If you are self-funding please simply state that you will self fund. Upon submission of the Asialink Leaders Program application form, you will be sent a confirmation email with a link to forward to your employer/sponsor to complete the online Asialink Leaders Program 2024 Endorsement Form.
Continue to build your Asia capabilities, profile and connections with Asialink Leaders Program Alumni across Australia, the region and the world.
On completion of the Asialink Leaders Program become part of a vibrant global alumni network with more than 1,100 active alumni members who can provide ongoing advice, support and networking opportunities in Australia and the Asia region.
Some of the activities we organise for the Asialink Leaders Program alumni each year include:
Can't find the answer to your question below? Get in touch
Where is the program run?
The Asialink Leaders Program is run in major cities in Australia, such as Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, as well as virtually. Each year brings together the cohort in different ways. Programs are run consecutively from March to November. All locations are subject to minimum numbers.
Locations to be determined based upon levels of interest, with delivery mode subject to impact of COVID-19 restrictions.
What happens after I submit an application?
An email will be sent to notify you of whether you have been successful in reaching the interview stage. If successful, an interview will be arranged. Following the interviews, successful applicants will be notified of their acceptance into the program by letter.
What does the program cost?
The cost of the Asialink Leaders Program in 2024 is: $11,900 + GST
We are also excited to offer a Virtual Hub for Leaders based in Asia, or in regional and rural Australia. The cost of the Virtual Hub (Virtual delivery) is: $7,900 + GST + optional in-person attendance at Canberra Summit $1,900 + GST.
The program fee covers all costs relating to the scheduled program, except where flights, accommodation and incidentals are concerned in relation to your program attendance as relevant.
What opportunities are there for me after the program?
Upon completion of the Asialink Leaders Program you become part of the Asialink network, and are invited to public events, conferences, and given other opportunities to participate in specialist events. In addition, you are welcomed into the Asialink Leaders Program alumni network. This is a diverse, strong and vibrant network of leaders working across the globe.
What type of people are accepted into the Asialink Leaders Program?
Successful applicants are outstanding leaders from a diverse range of sectors including corporate, education, community, media, environment, government, the arts, and many more. Participants generally hold a leadership position within their organisation. Participants come from a range of backgrounds, some with little Asia experience and some with extensive knowledge of the region.
How much time do I need to commit to the program?
Throughout the nine-month program, the in-person cohort meets for a total of 11 days in a mix of face-to-face and virtual sessions. The Virtual Hub meets for 7.5 days in total. Some time is also required outside these contact hours to complete your Workplace Project.
Who facilitates this program?
As Australia’s National Centre for Asia Capability, supported by the University of Melbourne, Asialink Business is uniquely positioned to convene leading voices who address the challenges and opportunities of contemporary Asia. Asialink Leaders Program facilitators are Asia specialists, experts in cross-cultural communication and global leadership. In addition, Asialink brings in foreign policy, politics, business, arts, the media, and leaders from other sectors and organisations to bring invaluable insights to the Program.
What is a Workplace Project (WPP)?
The purpose of the Workplace Project (WPP) is to give participants the opportunity to explore an issue or problem of interest, within the context of their work and with an Asia focus. The overarching objectives of the WPP include:
To support participants through their WPP, each Leader will be allocated into a dedicated group for pod coaching throughout the program.
What is group or pod coaching?
As an integral part of the Asialink Leaders Program, you are offered a place in a coaching pod of 6-8 Leaders, created around common areas of interest while maximising diversity of perspectives. The objective of the coaching is to support your thinking on and shaping of your Workplace Project, via a facilitated process, with input from peers, facilitator and alumni.
At the end of the series, you will have been equipped to tell a compelling story of your Workplace Project to key stakeholders in your organisation, which will then have a chance to be ‘road tested’ with a larger group of your Leaders cohort at Graduation in November.
What organisations send their staff to participate in the program?
The Asialink Leaders Program has been supported by Australia's premier organisations, both big and small. Please refer to our section on participant profiles for an overview.
Do I get any formal qualifications from this program?
We acknowledge and recognise the Asia-capability of our Asialink Leaders Program graduates through the Asialink Leaders Program Credly Badge, a verified digital credential that showcases their Asia-capability.
How are participants assessed?
Participants are expected to attend all scheduled sessions.
In order to successfully graduate from the Asialink Leaders Program and enter the Alumni network, participants MUST complete the following hurdle requirements: