700 of the Smart Set Head "Home" for the 2002 Australian Universities International Alumni Convention


Close to 700 graduates of Australian universities from around the world met in Melbourne for an reinvigorating time of networking, exchange and renewal of old friendships and establishment of new ones at the recent 2002 Australian Universities International Alumni Convention. Approximately 17 nations were represented at the Convention, including Malaysia, Switzerland, Belgium, China, Japan, Hong Kong, USA, India, Cambodia, Singapore, Mauritius, Indonesia, Bulgaria and Thailand - bearing testimony to the growing diversity of our international students and the expanding network of graduates globally linked by their affinity and educational experiences in Australia.

The role call of top alumni at the Convention included Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud, Chief Minister of Sarawak; Bill Mitchell, a graduate of Melbourne University who is now Head of Architecture at Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Nobel prize winner Peter Doherty; Dr Tikki Pang, Director of Research and Policy for the World Health Organisation, Bob Isherwood, Worldwide Creative Director of Saatchi & Saatchi, Datuk Effendi Norwawi, Minister for Agriculture (Malaysia), HE Uch Kim An, Minister for Trade(Cambodia), Pera Wells, Deputy Secretary General, World Federation of UN Associations; senior representatives of bilateral and trade agencies, chief executives of multinational corporations and 14 Vice Chancellors of Australian universities.

IDP Education Australia acted as Host Agency and Secretariat for the 2002 AUIAC, in partnership with approximately 22 key government, education and industry representatives in the planning and management of the Convention. The conference organising committee was chaired and led by the Hon. John Button, Victorian State Government, Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, Austrade, DEST, City of Melbourne, Australian Universities, Alumni Managers from around Australia, Asialink and international counterparts such as the Malaysian Australian Foundation and overseas alumni chapters.

So, what were some of the outcomes of the Convention? The feedback from Convention delegates suggests that alumni of Australian universities:

had the opportunity to extend their international linkages with not only their own alumni but build relationships with peers from around the globe and across different sectors at the Convention

there was lively discussion and sharing of ideas on key challenges confronting the world - health, poverty, urban design, sustainable development and the environment, access to education, the global economy, equity, and how alumni through the organizations and government they represent could work cooperatively to find solutions for these challenges

Acknowledgment of a growing dependency and need for international linkages and more innovative ways for collaboration, not just between Australia and Asia, but with USA and Europe where a "new" pool of alumni is developing

Opportunities for cross - sector collaboration to be investigated, in particular between the education and corporate sectors in addressing the global economic and social disparities facing developing communities.

The next AUIAC will be held in 2004 in Hong Kong and will be hosted by the Federation of Australian Alumni Associations Hong Kong Limited (FAAA).

Key contact:
Maxine Lean
Manager, Major Events & Cooperative Marketing
IDP Education Australia
Email: maxine.lean@idp.com

Archived Article:

International graduates of Australian universities prepare to converge in Melbourne in September