Australia-China Council

Australian Studies in China

The Australia-China Council has been supporting Australian Studies in China for over two decades and provides funding to a network of over 30 Australian Studies Centres across China. The network is one of Australia’s leading public diplomacy and education engagement platforms that is set to grow in importance for Australia-China relations.

In 2003 the ACC partnered with a consortium of Australian universities, led by the Australian Studies Centre at the University of Queensland together with the Australian Centre at the University of Melbourne, to promote Australian Studies in China. The ACC’s Australian Studies program is now managed by Professor David Carter at the University of Queensland. Professor Carter can be contacted by email at austudies.china@uq.edu.au.

Australian Studies Program objectives

  • Enhance the range, volume, quality and value of research on Australia, and promote the dissemination of research outcomes in China through publishing, conferences and other means.
  • Promote greater Australian content in teaching at all levels of the Chinese educational system.

Foundation for Australian Studies in China

In 2011 the Australia-China Council established the Foundation for Australian Studies in China (FASIC). The Foundation is an independent non-profit foundation in Australia created to support Australian Studies Centres and to provide funding and other support to the BHP Billiton Chair of Australian Studies to be located at Peking University in Beijing. The BHP Billiton Chair was officially announced by the Prime Minister Julia Gillard in April 2011.

More information about the Foundation for Australian Studies in China

BHP Billiton Chair of Australian Studies at Peking University

Australian Studies Centres in China

View a larger map of the Australian Studies Centres in China.

Australian Studies Program components

Output Awards

Output Awards offered by the Australia-China Council are open to all Australian Studies Centres in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

More about the Output Awards.

Book Prize

The 2010 Book Prizes were awarded at the Australian Studies Conference held in Shanghai, October 2010.

More about the Book Prize.

Australian Studies in China Website

East China Normal University in Shanghai, with the assistance of the ACC, has launched a new website to serve and connect the whole Australian Studies in China network.

Australian Studies in China website (in Chinese)

Competitive projects

Biennial Australian Studies Conference

The Council has financially supported each conference of the national Chinese Australian Studies Association. The 13th Australian Studies Conference was convened by Xihua University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, 6-8 July 2012. Contact: asc2012@mail.xhu.edu.cn.

Previous conferences

  • 2010 Australian Studies Conference: East China Normal University, Shanghai, in cooperation with Shangai University
  • 2008 Australian Studies Conference: Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing
  • 2006 Australian Studies Conference: Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot
  • 2004 Australian Studies Conference: Xuzhou Normal University, Xuzhou
  • 2002 Australian Studies Conference: Anhui University, Hefei
  • 2000 Australian Studies Conference: Xi’an University, Xi'an
  • 1998 Australian Studies Conference: Peking University, Beijing
  • 1996 Australian Studies Conference: Nankai University, Tianjin
  • 1994 Australian Studies Conference: Zhong Shan (Sun Yat Sen) University, Guangzhou

Australian Studies in China publications

An e-repository hosted at University of Queensland has been established.

See the Australian Studies in China publications.

Australian Studies Resource Collections

The Australia-China Council also supplies books, journals and other resources to build the Shanghai Municipal Library Australian Friendship Collection and the Australian collection at Beijing Foreign Studies University. These collections are accessible to all Australian Studies scholars in China.