Australia-Japan Foundation 40th anniversary

1 January 2016

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News, speeches and media

Media Release

The Chair of the Australia-Japan Foundation, Mr Murray McLean AO, has great pleasure to launch the AJF's celebrations of its 40th anniversary in 2016.

Mr McLean said "2016 will be an exciting year for the AJF. We will use our projects to showcase the diversity of Australian expertise and innovation, and the friendship between the Australian and Japanese peoples."

The AJF's priority projects for 2016 were announced in September and include:

Joint research and collaboration between future users of the Australian-hosted Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope
A joint research project on future directions in the advanced economic relationship between Australia and Japan
Opportunities for Australian students to enhance their media and communications skills through internships in Japan.
A Scouts exchange program including Japanese participants from the Greater Tohoku Region which was devastated in the 2011 earthquake.
The launch of the Japanese translation of 'The Secret River' by Australian author Kate Grenville.

The Australia-Japan relationship is founded in common values and interests including a shared commitment to democracy, freedom, the rule of law and human rights. The development of mutually beneficial trading and economic relations has been rapid.

The AJF's work enhances the close personal and cultural ties which underpin the relationship. Japanese is the most widely studied language in Australian schools and universities, strengthened by over 650 sister-school relationships. There are over 100 sister city relationships and six sister state relationships between our two countries.

More information about the AJF and AJF projects can be found at: /ajf.

Contact: AJF Manager, ajf.australia@dfat.gov.au

AJF board — Credit: Tom Roschi. The AJF 2015-16 Board. L-R Ms Debra Hazelton (General Manager, Global Career Management Division, Mizuho Financial Group, Inc.); Professor Veronica Taylor (Dean of the College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University; Associate Professor Doug Hall AM (writer and critic and Honorary Fellow at the School of Culture and Communications, Faculty of Arts, University of Melbourne); Ms Chiaki Ajioka (Art Historian (modern Japanese art) and Japanese art consultant); Mr Murray McLean AO (AJF Chairman and Executive Chairman, Dunmore McLean Pty Ltd and formerly a senior officer at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, most recently serving as Ambassador to Japan 2004-2011); Hon Richard Court AC (Chairman RISC, Chairman The Anglican Perth Diocesan Trustees, Chairman Australian Olympic Committee Team Appeal – Western Australia, Consultant Australian Capital Equity Pty Ltd, Trustee of the Channel 7 Telethon Trust); Dr Bronwyn Evans (Chief Executive Officer, Standards Australia; Mr Peter Cleary, Vice President, LNG Markets and Eastern Australia Commercial for Santos.

Primary school students waving little Australian and Japanese flags — Credit: DFAT. Japanese language students from Forrest Primary School in the ACT celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Australia-Japan Foundation and the 1976 Basic Treaty for Friendship and Cooperation between Australia and Japan.

Last Updated: 1 January 2016

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Australia-Japan Foundation 40th anniversary