Curtin University has been actively engaging with Asian studies and international partnerships throughout 2024, hosting key events and establishing new collaborations that strengthen ties with the Asia-Pacific region. From the significant Asia-focused conferences and academic gatherings to the development of new research networks and educational partnerships, Curtin’s Faculty of Humanities is at the forefront of fostering global connections and advancing scholarly discourse.
This article highlights Curtin’s recent initiatives, including the 25th Biennial Asian Studies Association of Australia Conference, the Curtin University Indonesia Roundtable, and other notable engagements with partners in Indonesia, Korea, and Japan. These efforts underscore Curtin’s commitment to promoting understanding, cooperation, and innovation across diverse cultural and academic landscapes.
Asian Studies at Curtin
Curtin University hosted the 25th Biennial Asian Studies Association of Australia Conference (July 1-4, 2024), drawing over 300 delegates. The event, focusing on “Asia Futures,” showcased Curtin’s research strengths across Asia and included cultural performances from Korea, China and Japan. The conference was organised by Curtin’s Korea Research and Engagement Centre in collaboration with Global Curtin, the School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry and the Faculty of Humanities. It highlighted existing research expertise in and vibrant connections with Korea, Japan, China, Indonesia and ASEAN. The Plenary was chaired by Faculty of Humanities Dean Global Futures Professor Farida Fozdar, and reflected the Futures’ platform’s goal to respond to global challenges and opportunities with real-world research.
Curtin University Indonesia Roundtable
Following the ASAA conference, the Curtin University Indonesia Roundtable brought together 80 participants from universities, government, and industry. Discussions centred on educational partnerships and trade opportunities between Indonesia and Australia.
New Colombo Plan (NCP) Study Tour in South Korea
Led by Parisa Izadpanahi and Courtney Babb from the Curtin School of Design and the Built Environment, 29 Curtin students participated in a life-changing three-week New Colombo Plan study tour in South Korea, exploring smart city innovations. The tour offered students valuable insights for their future careers.
Faculty of Humanities Indonesia Engagement Network
The Faculty of Humanities has expanded its connections with Indonesia through the Indonesia Engagement Network, which fosters research and education partnerships. Co-convened by Associate Professor Lisa Lim, Dean International, Faculty of Humanities, Dr Thor Kerr, Director for International, MCASI, and Dr Vannessa Hearman, this network brings together academic staff and postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers from across the Faculty. Key activities include collaborations with the Indonesian Consulate General and the “Journalism, Social Media and Democracy in the Indo-Pacific” series of events, featuring Kompas TV news anchor Timothy Marbun.
One significant dimension of the Faculty’s Indonesia engagement is its partnership since 2022 with the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Perth. One collaborative project has been the “Journalism, Social Media and Democracy in the Indo-Pacific: WA and Indonesia in Conversation and Celebration of 50 Years of Curtin Journalism” events. The project considered the challenges of reporting in democracies to dictatorships to Islamic republics, speaking truth in media ecosystems dominated by giant, foreign, digital platforms, and doing so in intellectually supportive and safe spaces for voices from diverse cultural and professional contexts to be heard. These topics are some of the most important, timely, and politically sensitive issues of our time, and thus critical for our Global Futures platform.
One of the convenors of the Indonesia Engagement network, Dr Vannessa Hearman, was a keynote speaker at the Australian Historical Association conference at Flinders University in July, attended by over 300 people. Her keynote, titled ‘Not-quite-Australian: Working with people, communities, and organisations marginalised from national histories’, focused on transformations of Australian history to include Asia. Dr Hearman also participated in a range of academic activities in Indonesia in July, including conference panels, a workshop, and visiting key officials and potential research collaborators.
MOU with Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS)
Curtin University recently established an MOU with Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS). Associate Professor Lisa Lim, Dean International for the Faculty of Humanities, visited TUFS in May 2024 to discuss joint research and mobility initiatives. She also delivered a special lecture on “Re-Routed: Rethinking Mobilities, Contact, and the Evolution of Asian Englishes.” This partnership will further develop with the upcoming 2nd Winter School for Migration Linguistics and the 1st International Conference on Migration Linguistics at TUFS in December 2024.
Exploring Indonesia-Timor-Leste Relations Through History
With support from the MCASI Small Grant scheme, Dr. Vannessa Hearman participated in the Association of Asian Studies (AAS) conference at Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, in July. She organized panels on “History, Politics, and Diplomacy in Indonesia-East Timor Relations,” featuring researchers from East Timor, Indonesia, and Australia. Dr. Hearman presented on the visual politics of the Indonesia-Timor-Leste relationship and participated in workshops on reconciliation and student activism.
She also visited Malang State University (UM) to engage with officials, deliver a guest lecture, and explore potential research collaborations. This visit strengthened ties between Curtin and East Java universities, with plans for a heritage tourism project involving WAEJUC and Curtin.
Research Highlights
Curtin’s Dean of Education Futures, Professor Darren Bryant, secured funding for a comparative study on educational leadership in Hong Kong and China. Meanwhile, Professor Farida Fozdar is currently collecting data for an ARC project examining the impact of securitisation legislation on Australia’s Muslim communities. This brief outline of some of our activities highlights Curtin’s commitment to global engagement and advancing research and teaching in Asian studies.
For more Global Futures news and events please contact Humanities-Futures@curtin.edu.au
