Asialink

01/06/2026

Introducing the judging panel for the 2026 Asian Australian Leadership Awards!

🟣 Rachel Thompson, CEO, Asialink
🟣 Dr Sonu Bhaskar, 2025 Asian Australian Leadership Awards Overall Winner
🟣 Gitanjali Bhalla, Chief People Officer, Seven Group Holdings
🟣 Jane Kuang, VP Operations, BHP
🟣 Christine Holman, Non-Executive Director, AGL & Football Australia
🟣 Tim Fung, CEO & Founder, Airtasker
🟣 Lynnette Sarno, Global CPO, Macquarie Group
🟣 Sanjeev Gandhi (BE Chemical, MBA), CEO, Orica
🟣 Sung Ho Lee, Partner, Johnson Partners

Presented by Asialink and Johnson Partners, the Awards are an important platform for spotlighting and celebrating the next generation of Asian Australians shaping Australia’s future.

Nominations open on Monday 22 June, with winners announced at a Gala Dinner in Sydney on Thursday 12 November 2026 – save the date, tickets will be on sale soon!

22/04/2026

Ever wondered what diplomacy and leadership look like when stakes are high in moments of crisis? Then this is a conversation you won't want to miss!

Join us for a special evening featuring Asialink CEO Rachel Thompson in conversation with Martine Letts - influential leader, experienced CEO and former Australian Diplomat.

Martine and Rachel will explore diplomacy and leadership when they matter most, from moments of crisis and high‑stakes negotiation to the long‑term work of building trust and strong relationships.

Drawing on decades of leadership experience, Martine will share her reflections on pivotal moments in her career, and Australia's history, including leading the Australian Red Cross through the Tampa crisis and the Bali bombings, and more.

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/asialink-in-conversation-with-martine-letts-tickets-1987968124174

16/03/2026

The AII is proud to have funded a national roundtable, convened by Asialink Education, designed to develop strategies to strengthen Australian school engagement with Indonesia 🇮🇩🎓 🇦🇺 The roundtable of leading thinkers on Australian education made 15 practical recommendations to inform Federal and State/Territory government policies which is now publicly available in this report👉https://asialink.unimelb.edu.au/education/publication/indonationalroundtable

The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Canberra Australian Embassy - Jakarta, Indonesia Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

06/03/2026

Congratulations to our 2026 Sir Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop Asialink Leaders Program Fellows!

Our two Fellows are both trailblazers in their respective scientific fields – cardiovascular biomedical research and space innovation ecosystems. In their roles, they go beyond technical expertise to champion inclusion and build meaningful partnerships with Asia.

We are delighted and proud to introduce:
🔹 Professor Xiaowei Wang – Division Lead, Centre Co-Lead at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute
🔹 Vedika Latchman-Singh – Core Member, Global Space Enablers Network

The Dunlop Fellowships honour Sir Edward's wish for peace and prosperity through developing and connecting Leaders across Australia and Asia.

Our sincere thanks to the Weary Dunlop Foundation for your support.

26/02/2026

This week, we officially welcome our new CEO, Rachel Thompson!
The team is looking forward to Asialink's next phase of growth and impact under Rachel's leadership.

01/09/2025

It was an honour to welcome Nobel Peace Prize laureate, CEO and Founder of Rappler and internationally acclaimed journalist Maria Ressa to deliver the 2025 Southeast Asia Oration at the The University of Melbourne.

Maria powerfully highlighted what is at risk if we lose the foundations of facts, truth and trust - how do we solve problems, govern or have democracy?

Many thanks to the expert panel who joined Maria on stage to continue the conversation - Laura Tingle, Ken M.P. Setiawan, Nicholas Coppel CSI and Michael Wesley.

With thanks to our colleagues at the Asia Institute and support from the ASEAN-Australia Centre.

A recording of the Oration will be available shortly.

Photo credit: Aaron Francis

30/01/2025

Friends and colleagues in Honiara, join us along with The University of Melbourne and SOLOMON ISLANDS NATIONAL UNIVERSITY for the third Asia Pacific Outlook Series and SINU Australia Seminar next Tuesday 4 February. Details in the post below.

SINU-AUSTRALIA SEMINAR SERIES 2025

Solomon Islands National University (SINU) and The University of Melbourne have officially strengthened their partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).To celebrate this milestone, we proudly present the 2025 SINU-Australia Seminar.

📅 Date: Tuesday, 4 February 2025
⏰ Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
📍 Venue: Room FEH P G2, Panatina Campus, SINU

🎙 Speakers:
🔹 Professor Transform Aqorau – Vice-Chancellor, SINU
🔹 Professor Michael Wesley– Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Global Culture and Engagement, The University of Melbourne

🔎 Topic: The role of education, research, and partnerships in advancing Australia-Solomon Islands relations.

🗣 Moderator: Christina Victoria Bakolo

Join us for this insightful discussion next Tuesday!

05/11/2024

Meet your 2024 Asian Australian Leadership Awards MEDIA finalists! 🌟

The achievements of our finalists are truly remarkable!

Asialink and Johnson Partners invite you to celebrate at the Gala Dinner on Thursday, 14 November at The Eveleigh, Sydney.

You can read more about the Awards and secure your tickets on the website: https://www.asianaustralianleadership.com.au/

01/11/2024

Meet your 2024 Asian Australian Leadership Awards COMMUNITY & ADVOCACY / NOT FOR PROFIT finalists! 🎊

Asialink and Johnson Partners invite you to celebrate their achievements at the Gala Dinner on Thursday, 14 November at The Eveleigh, Sydney.

You can read more about the Awards and secure your tickets on the website: https://www.asianaustralianleadership.com.au/

28/10/2024

Meet your 2024 Asian Australian Leadership Awards LEGAL & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES finalists! 🎉

The achievements of our finalists are truly remarkable!

Asialink and Johnson Partners invite you to the Gala Dinner to celebrate on Thursday, 14 November at The Eveleigh, Sydney.

You can read more about the Awards and secure your tickets on the website: https://www.asianaustralianleadership.com.au/