Hundreds Gather To Build Asia Pacific Expertise

Hundreds Gather To Build Asia Pacific Expertise

Some 200 scholars, including 60 from overseas, will meet next week at The Australian National University as part of Asia Pacific Week 2008 – the largest international annual gathering of post-graduate students researching Asia and the Pacific.

This year’s event, Building Australia’s Asia Pacific Expertise, will run at ANU from Tuesday 29 January until Friday 1 February. It will feature a wide range of events for students, academics and the general public.

Asia Pacific Week 2008 is built around seven ‘Graduate Summer Schools’ focusing on different areas of the Asia Pacific region – Japan, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, East Timor, Pacific Islands and South Asia. Now into its fifth year, Asia Pacific Week has become an important event for those studying the region and has been attended by over 1000 students.

“It’s a week-long training opportunity when over 200 graduate students – most of them with scholarships – will be discussing their research and getting feedback from a wide range of academics, national and international guests,” said� Dr Luigi Tomba, Convenor for Asia Pacific Week 2008.

“They will also discuss the difficulties and challenges of studying in the region and participate in a wide range of academic, cultural and social events. Participants in this year’s event are also organising cross-area workshops that will facilitate the exchange of experiences between researchers working on similar issues but in different geographical and cultural environments.

“Asia Pacific Week is not your traditional conference. It is a free and unique way of producing a network of young scholars, of developing skills and tools for research and of producing the expertise essential to the Australian capacity to understand the region,” Dr Tomba said.

Asia Pacific Week 2008 public events include:

- Beijing Reoriented, an Olympic Undertaking. Lecture by Professor Geremie Barm�. Tuesday 29 January 5.30 – 6.30pm.

- Roundtable – Can Pakistan Survive? A panel of leading experts discuss the future for Pakistan. Thursday 31 January, 5.30 – 6.45pm.

- Visions from a Tongan Tree - exhibition. Traditional Tongan tapa cloth designs by Lillian Isotolo.

- The White Silk Dress (Ao Lua Ha Dong) – film, Vietnam. Tuesday 29 January 7.45pm.

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For a full list of events and more information on Asia Pacific Week 2008 see http://rspas.anu.edu.au/asiapacificweek/

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