Asialink

06/10/2026

Dance, books, film and screen - these artists are creating space for new stories, voices and perspectives in Australian arts and culture.

Meet your 2026 Asian-Australian Leadership Awards ARTS & CULTURE finalists!

🟠 Emma Pei Yin - Author & Literary Advocate, CEO of yinfluence
🟠 Feifei Liao - CEO Feifei Curiosity, Our Point 3, BetterActs Collective
🟠 Geoffrey Lim - Executive Director, Cypher Culture
🟠 Jon-Claire Lee - Director, JCL Productions
🟠 Yuiko Masukawa - Independent Choreographer

Join us to celebrate this year’s most influential Asian-Australians at the gala dinner in Sydney on Thursday 12 November.

Tickets via the website 🎟️: asianaustralianleadership.com.au

With thanks to our event partners Colonial First State and Susan Gin Philanthropy.

Presented by: Asialink and Johnson Partners

06/10/2026

24/08/2026

As Prime Minister, Paul Keating's vision for Australia's place in the world was compelling and contested.

Historian and international affairs expert James Curran and former Australian Ambassador to China Geoff Raby AO discuss Curran's new book, Grand Ambition, and what Keating's vision for Australia means for the country today.

Join us at the State Library Victoria for a fascinating discussion examining Australia's national identity and its place in a rapidly changing world: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1620726

Drawing on previously unseen documents from Paul Keating's personal archive, Grand Ambition traces how the former Prime Minister sought to anchor Australia in Asia, embed China within a regional order and deepen ties with Indonesia at the end of the Cold War.

Three decades on, this in conversation will explore the relevance of that vision as Australia reexamines its strategic circumstances amid rising tensions between the United States, China and the rest of the world.

This event is presented in partnership with Northern Books.

23/08/2026

Expressions of interest are now open for the third cohort of the ASEAN-Australia BRIDGE School Partnerships Program.

The program connects educators and students in Australian schools and schools across ASEAN Member States (except Indonesia and Myanmar) through structured partnerships, teacher exchange visits and collaborative student projects. Up to 30 schools will be selected to form 15 new partnerships.

Applications close Sunday 4 October.

Learn more and register your interest: https://asialink.unimelb.edu.au/education/program/asean-australia-bridge/

Join our online information session: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/2026-2027-asean-australia-bridge-program-information-session-tickets-1997644977904?keep_tld=true

The ASEAN–Australia BRIDGE School Partnerships Program is an initiative of the ASEAN-Australia Centre and is implemented by Asialink Education (formerly Asia Education Foundation) at the University of Melbourne.

13/08/2026

Incredible buzz and energy in the room as economist and former Indonesia Finance Minister Dr Sri Mulyani Indrawati delivered the 2026 Southeast Asia Oration.

ASEAN stands at a historic turning point. Dr Sri Mulyani shared her vision for how Southeast Asia can avoid the middle-income trap and build a more prosperous future through stronger institutions, investment in people and deeper regional cooperation.

Thanks to our partners at the Asia Institute, University of Melbourne and the ASEAN-Australia Centre for making the Southeast Asia Oration and Update possible.

17/07/2026

The Asian Australian Leadership Awards spotlight the excellence and leadership of people like 2025 Overall Winner Dr Sonu Bhaskar, neurologist and medical entrepreneur. The judges were inspired by Dr Bhaskar’s contributions to the field of stroke and cerebrovascular disorders, and the global impact of his research and efforts to discover the causes of stroke.

Nominations for the 2026 Asian-Australian Leadership Awards are open. Nominate yourself or someone who inspires you in your community, workplace or industry.

Find out more here: asianaustralianleadership.com.au

14/07/2026

We’re thrilled to announce thatthe 2026 Southeast Asia Oration, will be delivered by Professor Sri Mulyani Indrawati, one of Indonesia's longest-serving Finance Ministers and former Managing Director and COO of the World Bank.

Professor Indrawati will explore democracy and development in Southeast Asia, and how nations across the region are balancing economic growth with democratic governance.

📅 Wednesday 12 August 2026
🕔 5:00pm
📍 In-person, Science Gallery Melbourne, 114 Grattan St, Parkville

Places are limited, register now to secure your place: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/1993305739124?aff=oddtdtcreator

The 2026 Southeast Asia Oration is delivered by Asialink and the Asia Institute at the University of Melbourne through the support of the ASEAN-Australia Centre.

10/07/2026

Join us for an evening of connection, conversation and community.

Asialink and Johnson Partners invite alumni of the Asialink Leaders Program, Asian-Australian Leadership Awards, and Chinese-Australian Community Leaders Summit, along with our broader network of collaborators and partners to an intimate alumni evening in Melbourne.

Reconnect with peers, build new relationships, and hear from Vandita Pant, CFO of BHP, in a fireside conversation.

Places are limited, secure your spot now: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/asialink-alumni-meet-up-tickets-1992097415997?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

06/07/2026

Only 6 days to go before applications close for the 16th Australia-China Youth Dialogue.

Running 23–26 October 2026, ACYD brings together 30 delegates from Australia and Greater China to engage on the issues shaping the Aus-China relationship, from political and economic policy to regional and cultural engagement.

Emerging leaders aged 25–40, from any industry, are encouraged to apply: https://www.acyd.org.au/16th-acyd

30/06/2026

Asialink welcomes the release of Security and Prosperity in Asia, the Parliamentary Inquiry's report into building Australia's Asia capability through the education system and beyond.

The Committee's findings echo the case Asialink made in our submission: that Australia needs a National Asia Capability Strategy focused on building Asia literacy and capability from the classroom to the boardroom, supported by a coordinated approach across government, business, education and institutions.

As Asialink CEO Rachel Thompson told the Inquiry, what gets measured gets valued. A clear picture of Australia's Asia capability today is fundamental to building what it looks like in the future.

Our thanks to Chair The Hon Tim Watts MP, committee members and all who took the time to make a submission and provide evidence to the Inquiry.

Read the report here: http://chooseasia.net