Source: School of Foreign Languages
Written by: Hua Yi
Translated by: Zhao Ying
Edited by: Wang Dongmei

"Sustainability: Social and Environmental Issues”, the 4th Foundation for Australian Studies in China (FASIC) Conference was held at the School of Foreign Languages, Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) during November 16th–18th, 2016.

At the opening ceremony of the conference on November 17th were Mr. Dominic Trindade, Australian Consul-General in Guangzhou, Mr. Kevin Hobgood-Brown, Chairman of the Foundation for Australian Studies in China, Professor Greg McCarthy, BHP Billiton Chair of Australian Studies at Peking University, Professor Chang Chenguang, Director of the Centre for Australian Studies at SYSU, Professor Wendy L. Bowcher, Deputy Director of the Centre for Australian Studies at SYSU, Associate Professor Yu Changsen, Executive Deputy Director of the Center for Oceanian Studies at SYSU, and Ms Xu Dongli, Party Secretary of the School of Foreign Languages at SYSU. More than 130 scholars from home and abroad attended the conference.

Before the opening ceremony, Professor Yan Guangmei, Vice President of SYSU, and Ms Xu Yao, Deputy Director of the Office of International Cooperation & Exchange, met with Mr. Dominic Trindade and representatives from FASIC.
 

Professor Yan Guangmei, Vice President of SYSU, meeting with Mr. Dominic Trindade, Australian Consul-General in Guangzhou, and conference organizers
 

At the opening ceremony, Mr. Dominic Trindade gave a speech on behalf of the Australian Consulate-General Guangzhou, introducing to the participants the cooperation between Australia and China in different areas, including economy and trade, higher education, alumni association and so on. He emphasized that the theme of the conference “Sustainability: social and environmental issues” would further promote the sustainable development of Sino-Australian cultural exchange as well as Australian studies in China.

Mr. Kevin Hobgood-Brown said that it was a great honour to co-organise the conference with SYSU. He extended his heartfelt appreciation for the careful organization and preparation that the two hosting institutions at SYSU, the Centre for Australian Studies and the Centre for Oceanian Studies, had made for the conference.

Professor Greg McCarthy extended his warm welcome to the participants on behalf of Peking University and wished the conference a great success. Professor Chang Chenguang, on behalf of the Centre for Australian Studies and the Centre for Oceanian Studies at SYSU, extended his warm welcome to scholars from home and abroad and briefly introduced the research activities relevant to Australian studies by the two centres as well as the cooperation between SYSU and Australian universities.

There were ten panels in this three-day conference, which included Education, Environment, Translation, Linguistics and Languages, Cultural Transmissions, Australia-China Relations, Culture and Sustainability, China, Australia and International Relations, Literature as Soft Diplomacy and Creative Writing: East and West, Australia in the Region, Media Forum and so on. Participants reported their latest research and had heated discussions on related issues. 
 

 Opening ceremony of “Sustainability: Social and Environmental Issues”, the 4th Foundation for Australian Studies in China (FASIC) Conference

On the evening of November 17th, Ms Jan Adams, Australian Ambassador to China, held a reception for the guests from the conference in Guangzhou. At the reception, participants enjoyed the amazing modern dance performance presented by Australian Expression Dance Company.

During the conference, The Blue Book of Oceania, Analysis on the Investment Environment and Risks in Oceania (2015-2016) was launched by the Center for Oceanian Studies at SYSU.

The conference jointly held by the Centre for Australian Studies at SYSU, the Centre for Oceanian Studies at SYSU and the Foundation for Australian Studies in China is the fourth conference of FASIC. Since 2013 FASIC has continuously organized three conferences, each of them jointly held with Peking University, Renmin University of China and East China Normal University respectively.