CEO Asia Update Forum  |  Asia Foreign Policy Forum
Annual Dinner & Other Special Events  |  Private CEO Briefing
Asia Society Cultural Events  |  Asian Social Issues Forum
Sustainable Development Forum

Central to the Asia Society AustralAsia Centre’s mission is the desire to contribute to Australia’s increased engagement with Asia through a range of high quality programmes designed to appeal to a wide range of people.

The Asia Society AustralAsia Centre offers Business and Policy Programmes which include CEO Asia Update Forums, Asia Foreign Policy Forums, Asian Social Issues Forums, Annual Dinners and other Special Events as well as Cultural Progammes which cover the fields of visual arts, literature, performing arts, film and food.

TOP

CEO Asia Update Forum

The Asia Society AustralAsia Centre offers a public platform for business leaders either Australia based or visiting from Asia. Such events offer a senior Australian business audience access to business leaders as well as timely insights into events in Asia as they unfold. Speakers have included:

• Maurice Newman AM, Chairman, Deutsche Bank Asia Pacific Advisory Board & Chairman of the Australian Stock Exchange.
• Noke Kiroyan, President & Director, PT Rio Tinto Indonesia.
• William Ferguson, Chief Executive Officer, Citibank Limited.
• Michael Armacost, President, Brookings Institute, Washington DC.
• Michio Naruto, Chairman & Representative Director, Fujitsu Research Institute.
• Peter Hanenberger, Chairman and Managing Director, Holden Limited.
• Chris Raine, Managing Director & Country President, Alstom Power Asia Pacific.
• Michael Mann, Founding President, RMIT International University Vietnam.
• Narayana Murthy, Chairman and Chief Mentor, Infosys Technologies Limited.

TOP

Asia Foreign Policy Forum

The Centre offers a similar high level public platform for visiting and Australia based government ministers, ambassadors, and heads of think tanks who are able to provide timely updates on foreign, economic and strategic policy developments within the Asian region. Speakers have included:

• The Hon. Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State.
• Admiral Dennis Cutler Blair, USN Commander in Chief, US Pacific Command.
• The Hon. Alexander Downer MP, Minister, Foreign Affairs.
• HE Ambassador John McCarthy AO, present Ambassador to Japan and former Ambassador to Indonesia.
• Professor Yuji Suzuki, Professor, Law, Hosei University.
• Dr Ali Alatas, Former Foreign Minister, Republic of Indonesia.
• Dr Seung-Soo HAN, President of the United Nations General Assembly.
• The Hon Donald Tsang, Chief Secretary for Administration, Hong Kong SAR.
• Wang Wei, Secretary General, Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXXIX Olympiad.

TOP

Annual Dinner & Other Special Events

The Asia Society offers high profile evenings honouring key individuals who have made a contribution to the betterment of Asia Australia relations. Such events attract significant media coverage raising the profile of Asian countries in the Australian public arena. Speakers to date have included:

• The Hon. Fidel Ramos, former President, The Philippines.
• HE Goh Chok Tong, Prime Minister, Singapore.
• The Hon. Tung Chee Hwa, Chief Executive, Hong Kong SAR.
• Rupert Murdoch AC, Chairman & CEO News Corporation.
• Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew, Republic of Singapore.
• HE Junichiro Koizumi, Prime Minister of Japan.
• The Hon. Peter Costello MP, Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Australia & Deputy leader of the Liberal Party of Australia.

TOP

Private CEO Briefing

When members of the Asia Society network and other Asian dignitaries visit Australia, they are invited to address private gatherings of 10-20 chief executive officers or their nominated deputies. Such forums can be breakfast, lunch, afternoon coffee or dinner and offer opportunities for dignitaries to meet with senior members of the Australian business community under Chatham House Rules. Guests have included:

• The Hon. Donald Tsang, Finance Secretary, Hong Kong SAR.
• The Hon. Dato’ Seri Rafidah Aziz, Minister of International Trade & Industry, Malaysia.
• Palaniappan Chidambaram, former Minister for Finance, India.
• Tanri Abeng, Former Minister of State Enterprises, Republic of Indonesia and author of Indonesia Inc.
• James Riady, as Special Envoy for President Habibie, of Indonesia.
• Washington SyCip, President, SGV Group.
• David Hale, Global Chief Economist, Zurich Group.
• Toyoo Gyohten, President of the Institute of International Monetary Affairs in Japan.
• Maria Livanos Cattaui, Secretary General International Chamber of Commerce.

TOP

Asia Society Cultural Events

A range of lectures, panel discussions, symposia, exhibitions and performances are offered to the general public by the Asia Society AustralAsia Centre throughout the year to profile Asian cultures as well as highlight the contributions being made by Asian Australians to the Australian community. Specific programmes include:

• Meet the Author programmes
• Asian Australian writers panel discussions
• Classical & contemporary Asian Art Lectures
• Art exhibitions
• Art symposia
• Gourmet Asian Dinners & Cultural Evenings
• Performance Programmes

Examples of programmes include:

• Meet the Author programmes with Vikram Seth, Masahiko Shimada, Amy Tan, Amitav Ghosh, Stella Dong, Michael Ondaatje, V S Naipaul, Linda Javin and Xinran Xue.
• Performances (demonstrations) of Japanese Rakugo and Noh Theatre in both Melbourne and Sydney.
• Exhibition: Treasures of Asian Art: Selections from the John D. Rockefeller 3rd Collection of Asian Art, National Gallery of Victoria and Art Gallery of New South Wales.
• Traditions & Tensions: Contemporary Asian Art Exhibition, Art Gallery of Western Australia.
• Crossing Boundaries, Bali: A Window to Twentieth Century Indonesian Art, RMIT Gallery Melbourne, Benalla Art Gallery, Ballarat Fine Art Gallery, Horsham Art Gallery, Wollongong City Gallery, Orange Regional Gallery and Drill Hall Gallery Canberra.

TOP

Asian Social Issues Programming

The Asia Society AustralAsia Centre has recently introduced a new long term initiative – the Asian Social Issues Programme. Speakers will be invited to address issues of concern to contemporary Asian societies, such as civil society, environment, human rights, religious and gender issues. Speakers have included:

• Zainah Anwar, Executive Director, Sisters of Islam, Malaysia.
• Professor David Chandler, Senior Advisor, Center for Khmer Studies, Siem Reap, Cambodia.
• Dr Mamoru Mohri, NASDA Astronaut.
• Dr Jamileh Kadivar, Majles Representative (MP for Tehran).
• Irene Santiago, Member of Philippines Government Panel negotiating with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Convenor Mindanao Commission of Women, President, Institute for Women’s Leadership and the Convenor Mindanao Council of Women’s Leaders.
• Geraldine Cox AM, founder of the Sunrise Children’s Village, Cambodia.

TOP

Sustainable Development Forum

The Asia Society AustralAsia Centre is working in partnering with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the Business Council of Australia (BCA) to deliver key speakers able to offer perspectives on what is or is not happening in Asia on sustainable development.