2008 ACC Awards
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Australia-China Council. Over the past three decades, many individuals from different walks of life have made outstanding contributions to the development of Australia’s important bilateral relationship with China. In recognition of these efforts and achievements, the Australia-China Council (ACC) has awarded ACC Award medallions to eight prominent individuals as part of the 30th anniversary commemorations.
The recipients of the ACC Awards have made contributions across a variety of fields, including: social change and impact (including education); economics and trade; language, culture and the arts; science, innovation and the environment (including medicine); and translation services.
Social Change and Impact Awards
Ms Wang Xingjuan is a pioneer of women’s issues in contemporary China. She founded and led the Maple Women’s Psychological Counselling Centre in Beijing, which is at the forefront of Chinese research and treatment on a wide range of women’s issues and a model for NGOs in China. She is well-known among Australian professionals in the field, including AusAid, and through her work in the Centre over the past 15 years has formed strong links with Australia.
Dr John Yu AO is a former Chair of the ACC (1999-2006) who remains extensively involved in bilateral cultural and educational activities. He currently chairs the Centre for Asian Art and Archaeology at Sydney University and the VisAsia Council which supports Asian art at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Until recently he was also Advisory Council Chair of the International Centre of Excellence for Asia Pacific Studies at the ANU. As Chair of The George Institute for International Health, one of his key achievements has been to bring together The George Institute and the Peking University Health Science Center to establish a new Australia-China health institute in Beijing, The George Institute China, which draws on Australian expertise to address major health problems.
Economics and Trade Award
Mr Theodore M H Huang is the Chair of the TECO Group, a fully diversified global business conglomerate with a subsidiary in Australia. Mr Huang is well-known for his promotion of business and trade links between Australia and Taiwan, particularly in his capacity as the longest-serving Chair of the Taiwan-Australia Business Council. He has also been a member of the APEC Business Advisory Council.
Language, Culture and the Arts Awards
Professor Wang Guo-fu is one of the pioneers of the Australian Studies Association in China. In 1979 he travelled to Australia as one of the “Gang of Nine”, the first group of Chinese scholars to study abroad after 1949. His key achievements include establishing the Australian Studies Centre at Suzhou University and authoring an edition of the Macquarie English-Chinese Bilingual Dictionary that includes Australian colloquial English.
Dr Jocelyn Chey has had a distinguished China-focused career, including as Executive Director of the ACC from its foundation in 1978 until 1984. She headed the China Branch of the International Wool Secretariat before becoming Australian Consul-General in Hong Kong. She is now a Visiting Professor at the University of Sydney and a consultant on Australia-China relations. Dr Chey is a frequent speaker and lecturer on Chinese affairs and has led four study tours to China for the Centre for Continuing Education at the University of Sydney.
Science, Innovation and the Environment Award
Dr Jeffrey Min-Hsin Chen is an Australian engineer who has been a key figure in the application and transfer of Australian environmental technologies to China, with a focus on waste management, renewable energy, landfill management and energy generation, including the production of electricity from landfill site gases. Dr Chen has played a role in international fora on waste management and associated technologies promoting Australian solutions in China and in Taiwan.
Translator Awards
Mr Li Yao has devoted his professional life to translating and has translated 13 Australian novels (including works by Patrick White and Thomas Keneally) and one work of Australian history. He also co-translated six other Australian works. As a Council member of the Australian Studies Association of China, he has also played a valuable role in promoting bilateral relations between Australia and China.
Dr Mabel Lee is an Honorary Associate Professor in Chinese Studies at the University of Sydney. She has written extensively on modern Chinese intellectual history and literature. Dr Lee’s achievements have included the translation of numerous works of contemporary Chinese literature into English, including the Nobel prize winning novel Soul Mountain by Gao Xingjian.
