Prof. Ying Zhu, Director of Australian Centre for Asian Business, was recently invited to present a key note speech entitled 'Australia's Engagement in Asia' at the CPA annual international conference for academics in Melbourne on 28 June 2012.
Professor Ying Zhu, Director, Australia Centre for Asian Business (ACAB) was recently invited by the Vietnam Institute of Culture and Art Studies (VICAS) under the Vietnam Cultural Ministry in Hue to present a key note speech on 'Global Climate Change and Cultural Heritage Protection'. During his visit, he met with VICAS representatives who have agreed in principal to on-going cooperation between the University of South Australia and VICAS. The Centre looks forward to on-going cooperation and further exchange visits by both sides in the future.
Centre for Asian Business awarded Competitive Grant
Centre for Asian Business Director, Professor Ying Zhu has been awarded a competitive grant ($44,400) from the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education entitled "Community enterprises development with connected infrastructure systems in rural Australia and China ".
The Australian Government, in collaboration with the Government of the People's Republic of China, has established the Australia-China Science and Research Fund (ACSRF). The Governments are represented by the Australian Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education (DIISRTE), and the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST).
The objective of the Fund is to support strategic science and research collaboration of mutual benefit to Australia and China. The emphasis of the Fund is on building critical mass in areas of strategic priority, building enduring partnerships and responding to the distinctive nature of the Australia-China relationship, where the role of government in promoting collaboration between researchers and industries in our respective countries is greatly valued.
CAB Director Addresses RUSI-SA
On Monday 7 November Professor Ying Zhu addressed the Royal United Services Institute of South Australia (RUSI-SA) luncheon concerning the subject of 'The Chinese Economy - Its Transformation and Future Opportunity'.
A summary of Prof. Zhu's address has been included on page 4 of the RUSI-SA Dec 2011/Jan 2012 Newsletter.
CAB and International Graduate School of Business (IGSB) announce BICIS (Executive) Program
The Centre for Asian Business is collaborating with the UniSA International Graduate School of Business (IGSB) to host the Business in China Intensive School (BICIS) Executive program in April 2012.
The BICIS (Executive) is a specialised program designed for business leaders looking to engage with the Chinese business environment. The program provides participants with the skills, knowledge and experience to enable them to effectively interact with the Chinese market, and draws upon an in-depth understanding of the political, economic, social and cultural issues impacting investment and business in China.
For more information, please download the BICIS (Executive) Flyer.
CAB Director awarded ARC Discovery Grant
The CAB offers its congratulations to Professor Ying Zhu, Centre for Asian Business Director and Professor John Benson (Head: School of Management), who have been awarded an ARC Discovery Grant for their research project 'The reality of China's socialist market economy: the emergence of labour segmentation and inequality'. Collaborating with Professor Michael Webber, of the University of Melbourne, the research team were awarded over $200,000 to undertake their project over three years.
CAB hosts two visiting Competitive Law Professors
On 11 October the Centre for Asian Business and the Centre for Regulation and Market Analysis (School of Commerce) welcome visiting academics Professor Li Xiaoming and Professor Pan Chuangping of Hunan University. Both are distinguished Competitive Law experts, members of the All China Lawyers Association, and Managing Directors of the China Hunan Provincial Law Science Economic Law Association.
Prof. Li is also a member of the China Law Science Association and the Director of the Chinese Society of International Economic Law, whilst Prof. Pan is Vice-Director of the Legal System Commission of the Hunan Committee of Chinese Democratic League, and Director of Commission of Rules of the Hunan Lawyers Association.
Prof. Li engages in research in the field of international economic law, such as international trade law and international investment law, and especially focussing on antitrust law, competition law, and market regulation. Prof. Pan engages in the research concerning the theory and practice of economic crime, and specialises in case studies of economic crimes which have had important influence in China in recent years.
These professors will spend one month collaborating with CAB and CRMA affiliates, as well as presenting seminars for staff and students. Students or staff members wishing to meet or collaborate with either Prof. Li or Prof. Pan is requested to contact the Centre for Asian Business.
Professor Zhu featured in first edition of unisabusiness magazine
CAB Director Prof. Ying Zhu was interviewed for the first edition of the
UniSA Division of Business' new magazine - unisabusiness. His article,
entitled 'The Language of Business' detailed the vital importance of
extended cultural awareness and language skills when doing business with
Asia. This magazine is distributed to over 3000 people across Australia and
The magazine, and Professor Ying's interview (pg.13), is available online at: http://www.unisa.edu.au/business/magazine/
CAB Director's Publication in International Labour Review
Centre Director Professor Ying Zhu has had his joint publication with Professor Malcolm Warner, and Qing Feng Tong, 'Employment Relations with "Chinese Characteristics": The Role of Trade Unions in China' in the International Labour Review.
Joint ADBI-CAB Symposium featured in UniSANews
The Joint Centre for Asian Business - Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) symposium 'Growth and Integration in Asia: Monetary, Financial and Trade Issues and Challenges', held July 8-9, was featured in the July edition of UniSANews.
To view this article, please click here.
Professor Sir James Mirrlees' Keynote Address Online
Professor Sir James Mirrlees' Keynote Address at the joint CAB-ADBI Symposium on Friday 08 July has been filmed and uploaded to the UniSA Podcast Channel.
To view this address, please click here.
Dr. Guy Debelle's Lunch Address Media Coverage
The joint Centre for Asian Business - Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) Symposium 'Growth and Integration in Asia: Monetary, Financial and Trade Issues and Challenges', held July 8-9, included a lunch address by Reserve Bank of Australia Assistant Governor Dr. Guy Debelle, entitled 'In Defence of Current Account Deficits'.
Big current account deficits can actually be a
good thing, a senior central bank official says.
"Current account deficits have a bad reputation, which is not always warranted," Reserve Bank of Australia assistant governor Guy Debelle said in Adelaide today.
He told a think tank forum that having a large current account deficit shouldn't necessarily be a cause for concern and the accompanying capital flows are often beneficial.
"This is not to say that they should not be scrutinised, but rather that the scrutiny should really be on the nature of those capital flows to examine whether they are being driven by inappropriate policies or distortions."
Mr Debelle called for a more nuanced analysis of current account positions, rather than a simple focus on headline numbers.
The current account measures transactions between Australia and the rest of the world in exports and imports of goods and services, as well as flows of income like dividends and interest payments, and one-way transfers including foreign aid.
With a freely floating exchange rate, a deficit on the current account means there must be an offsetting surplus on the capital and financial accounts, which measure transactions such as borrowing and lending, direct investment, and trade in shares.
As a result, current account deficits often raise fears of a build-up of foreign debt and excessive levels of ownership by foreign investors.
The latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show Australia had a current account deficit of $28.7 billion, or 2.1 per cent of gross domestic product, over the year to March.
The biggest annual surplus recorded in more than 50 years of data was $1.04 billion, or 2.1 per cent of GDP, in the year to June 1973, while the biggest deficit was $75.1 billion, or 6.5 per cent of GDP, in the year to March 2008.
Over the past 50 years there was an average deficit of 3.1 per cent of GDP.
According to Treasury forecasts in this year's budget, Australia's current account deficit will be 4 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2011-12.
Current account deficits dominated economic policy debates in the 1980s. It was a surprisingly large monthly deficit for April 1986 that prompted then-treasurer Paul Keating's timely warning that Australia risked becoming a "banana republic" if it did not accept the need for economic reform.
More recently, China's run of massive current account surpluses and the associated build-up of foreign assets - much of it US and other government bonds - has come to be seen as a stumbling block in the way of sustainable global economic growth.
Dr Debelle was speaking at the Workshop on Growth and Integration in Asia, jointly organised by the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) and University of South Australia.
CAB Director profiled in Asian Currents
Centre for Asian Business Director Professor Ying Zhu has been featured in a profile article of Asian Currents, the Asian Studies Association of Australia's monthly newsletter. Commenting on how 'Australian Businesses Risk Missing out on the Asian Boom', Professor Zhu offers insight into how Australian businesses may better capitalise on the dynamic changes taking place in the Asian economies, and in doing so outlines the premise behind the CAB's strategy for business engagement - to offer practical, targeted, research-based advice to Australian companies, and broader governmental offices, looking to engage with, and do business in, Asia.
To access this article, please see the current edition of Asian Currents at http://asaa.asn.au/publications/ac/2011/asian-currents-11-06.pdf
CAB Book Launch 'The Dynamics of Asian Labour Markets'
On July 29 the Centre for Asian Business collaborated with the UniSA Centre
for Human Resource Management to present the official launch of Professor
John Benson, Head of the School of Management, and Professor Ying Zhu,
Centre for Asian Business Director's most recent publication 'The Dynamics
of Asian Labour Markets. Balancing Control and Flexibility'.
Speakers included Professor Carol Kulik, Director of CHRM, Professor Gerry Griffin, PVC Division of Business, and Professor Keith Hancock.
Professor Keith Hancock, was Flinders University's third Vice-Chancellor, and one of its three original professors, in Economics. In 1987, he moved to the Australian Conciliation and Arbitration Commission, later the Australian Industrial Relations Commission, and held the offices of Deputy President and Senior Deputy President, from which he retired in 1997.
Prof Keith Hancock is a leading commentator on Labour Market policy in Australia, and is currently a Professorial Fellow in the National Institute of Labour Studies at Flinders University and an Honorary Visiting Fellow in the School of Economics in the University of Adelaide, where he is studying aspects of the regulation and deregulation of the labour market.
Published by Routledge, Prof. Benson and Zhu's book fills a major research gap by exploring the nature, dynamics and functioning of Asian labour markets in eight major Asian economies, including Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Vietnam, India and Malaysia. It examines the type of labour markets that exist in Asia; how they have responded to globalisation; and how flexible they are to changing social and economic conditions. The book analyses how the current transformation has impacted on the key parties, such as employers, employees, trade unions, governments, organisations and society as a whole, and considers the likely future trends and developments in Asian labour markets.
To download Professor Hancock's comments on the publication, please click here.
|Centre for Asian Business display in the City West Library||Prof. Keith Hancock giving his perspectives on the book||Prof. Benson and Prof. Hancock network over lunch|
CAB News Issue 2 Released
The Centre for Asian Business is pleased to publish the second issue of its 'Centre for Asian Business News', designed to keep affiliates and friends of the centre up-to-date with CAB's activities, research and events. To access the PDF of this newsletter, please click here.
First General Meeting of 2011 + CAB Launches PhD Network
Following the public launch of the Centre for Asian Business (CAB) on 12
May, CAB hosted its first General Meeting on 24 May in order to share with
current and potential affiliates strategies for the future development of
the Centre, and to detail the support that CAB intends to provide to
Divisional researchers. Additionally, discussion was opened up to allow
researchers to propose a variety of ideas for prospective CAB activities and
initiatives that would act to support the development of the Division's
research culture, which will be followed up by CAB throughout the year.
Division of Business Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students were offered the same opportunity when CAB hosted its first meeting of the new 'Centre for Asian Business PhD Network' on 27 May. The event brought together approximately 20 Asia-focussed HDR students to discuss issues for which the CAB could provide support and collaboration. With core leadership coming from the students themselves, it is envisaged that CAB will provide support and some funding to this network for the purpose of hosting research events and development workshops aimed at bringing together the Division's HDR students to promote scholarly collaboration and discussion, and peer-to-peer support. The network will be able to capitalise on CAB's relationships with quality internal and external academics through dedicated doctoral training workshops, and targeted meetings with CAB academic and industry guests.
The Centre for Asian Business celebrated its Official Launch to the South
Australian public on the evening of Thursday 12 May 2011.
The highly successful event, held in the Bradley Forum, was attended by a wide variety of business-community and government representatives, as well as many Division of Business researchers. Distinguished guests included Hon Jack Snelling, Treasurer and Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education, Mr. Hieu Van Le AO, Lieutenant Governor of South Australia and Chairman of the South Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission, and Adelaide City Councillor Houssam Abiad.
Vice Chancellor Prof. Peter Hoj, Pro Vice Chancellor Prof. Gerry Griffin, and Centre for Asian Business Director Prof. Ying Zhu each expressed their visions for the future of the Centre, stressing an extension of the impact of the Centre's research through local and regional academic, business and governmental collaboration, and the fostering of strong relationships with Australian and international academic institutions, business councils, and industry and governmental bodies. Please see the Media Release and UniSA News Article concerning the event.
Following the launch, the Centre will begin work on the establishment of its local and international advisory boards, in order to cement its regional presence and relevance, and extend its engagement with, and support to, Divisional academics and HDR students.
Professor Gerry Griffin, Pro Vice Chancellor: Division of Business; Councillor Houssam Abiad; Hon Jack Snelling, Treasurer and Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education; Professor Ying Zhu, Director: Centre for Asian Business; Mr. Hieu Van Le AO, Lieutenant Governor of South Australia and Chairman of the South Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission (SAMEAC); Professor Peter Hoj, UniSA Vice Chancellor.
Lady Patricia Mirrlees visits CAB
Patricia Wilson, Lady Mirrlees, is a former assistant to the VC of the
University of Cambridge in charge of East Asian Affairs, ad the development
of Cambridge's East Asia Institute. Prior taking up her position at the
Cambridge University, Lady Mirrlees had extensive experience working in
Asia, particularly with the Chinese Ministry of Culture, and at Hawaii's
East-West Centre. More recently she has returned to China with her husband,
Sir James Mirrlees, and is located at the Hong Kong Chinese University.
Her visit on 15 April, and subsequent meetings with high-level Division of Business managers, are envisioned to allow for significant networking opportunities and strategic planning regarding the Division's engagement with Asia, particularly China, and opportunities for expansion of such engagement in the future.
CAB Sponsors Australia-Indonesia Business Council Forum
On Friday 8 April, the CAB sponsored the AIBC's evening Business Forum 'Creating Opportunities for the Future', held at the Hilton Adelaide. The cocktail-style event provided AIBC members, UniSA academics and local government and businesspeople with an excellent opportunity to meet and hear from senior Indonesian diplomats, to network with other members of the business community, and to hear more about the recently announce Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
Additionally, the event allowed for significant brand promotion for the CAB amongst sectors of the Adelaide business and governmental community working with Indonesia, and further cemented the CAB's relationship with the AIBC, initiated in late-2010.
Speakers included the Hon Tom Koutsantonis MP, H.E. Primo Alui Joelianto: Indonesian Ambassador to Australia, and Mr. Nathan Gray: AIBC Chairman SA.
CAB Associate Directors A/Prof. Bruce
Gurd and Dr. Tony Cavoli with H.E. Primo
Hon Tom Koutsantonis MP
H.E. Primo Alui Joelianto, Indonesian Ambassador to Australia
CAB Releases New Brochure
The updated version of the Centre's brochure is now available. The new brochure offers extra information concerning CAB's activities and events, and includes all staffing changes make in the past six months. Download your copy now!
CAB Director Builds on Relationship with Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS)
Building on linkages developed in late-2010, the Chinese Academy of Social
Sciences (CASS) will again send an academic delegation to Adelaide in
late-March, to attend and speak at the 'Developing Sustainable Societies
: Challenges and Perspectives' Conference, to be held on 22 and 23
March 2011, at the Flinders University City Campus. As an leading player in
the development of the UniSA Division of Business' academic relations with
East Asia, CAB Director Professor Ying Zhu will be working with CASS
representatives, and presenting his paper, 'Developing Sustainable Quality
of Working Life in China', along with two other IGSB researchers.
During their visit, CASS delegates will again meet with UniSA representatives to discuss the further development of this highly-valued academic relationship.
CAB Welcomes New Director
The Centre for Asian Business, International Graduate School of Business, is
pleased to welcome its new Director, Professor Ying Zhu, who took up his
position on 1 February. Professor Zhu has joined UniSA from the University
of Melbourne, where he was the Director of the Masters of Human Resource
Management Program, and Associate Professor in the Department of Management
and Marketing. Professor Zhu graduated from the International Economics
Department at Peking University in 1984, and worked as an economist in the
Shenzhen Special Economic Zone before completing his PhD thesis entitled,
'The Role of Export Processing Zones in East Asian Development: South Korea,
Taiwan, China and Thailand', at the University of Melbourne in 1992.
Since completing his Doctorate, Professor Zhu has been teaching, researching and conducting business consultations in the areas of international human resource management, business cultures, economic development and employment relations both in Australia and overseas. He has held visiting positions at the International Labour Organisation, University of Cambridge and World Bank, and has more than 80 publications as books, chapters in books and journal articles, covering topic such as employment relations, human resource management, cross-cultural management, labour markets and regulations, and business and economic development in Asia. His research interests are currently in international employment relations and human resource management, globalization and multi-national enterprises, industrial development and employment in Asia.
Under Professor Zhu's leadership, the Centre for Asian Business plans to broaden its expertise in high-quality, in-depth research into Asian business practices and environments, whilst continuing to encourage the development of collaborative partnerships between Australian and Asian scholars, businesses and institutions.
CAB News Launched
The Centre for Asian Business is pleased to launch the first issue of its 'Centre for Asian Business News', designed to keep affiliates and friends of the centre up-to-date with CAB's activities, research and events. To access the PDF of this newsletter, please click here.
UniSA Division of Business builds ties with CASS
In October 2010 the UniSA Division of Business signed an MOU with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), one of the most respected academic research organisations in the social sciences in the People's Republic of China. The full story is detailed in the December edition of UniSA News.
CAB explores Australia-Indonesian Business Links
On 6 December the CAB Interim Director and Administrator attended the
Australia Indonesia Business Council's Business Breakfast: 'Economic
Partnership Opportunities between Indonesia and South Australia'.
At the event CAB met with prominent Indonesian diplomats H.E. Primo Alui Joelianto, Ambassador to Australia and H.E. Gary R.M. Jusuf, Consul General, Sydney, both of whom expressed considerable interest in the centre's potential to facilitate the development and expansion of business relations between Indonesia and South Australia.
Additionally, the event allowed for valuable networking with local businesspeople and academics engaged with Indonesia, which has, in light of the recent announcement of an Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, allowed CAB to anticipate an expanded relationship with the AIBC and Indonesian business circles in the future.
CAB Director Announced
The Centre for Asian Business is pleased to announce the appointment of
Professor Ying Zhu as the new Director of the Centre for Asian Business,
and Professor of Management in the International Graduate School of
Business, starting on 1 February 2011.
Professor Zhu is currently the Director of the Masters of Human Resource Management Program, and Associate Professor in the Department of Management and Marketing, at the University of Melbourne. He graduated from the International Economics Department at Peking University in 1984 and worked as economist in the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone before completing his PhD thesis entitled 'The Role of Export Processing Zones in East Asian Development: South Korea, Taiwan, China and Thailand' at the University of Melbourne in 1992. Since then, Professor Zhu has been teaching, researching and conducting business consultations in the areas of international human resource management, business cultures, economic development and employment relations in Australia and overseas.
Prof. Zhu has held visiting positions at the International Labour Organisation, University of Cambridge and World Bank, and has more than 80 publications as books, chapters in books and journal articles covering employment relations, human resource management, cross-cultural management, labour markets and regulations, and business and economic development in Asia. His research interests are international employment relations and human resource management, globalization and multi-national enterprises, industrial development and employment in Asia.
CAB strengthens ties with Asian Alumni
Associate Director A/Prof Bruce Gurd hosted Centre for Asian Business alumni events in Singapore and Hong Kong on 26-27 November. Both networking events attracted approximately thirty UniSA doctoral alumni and current students, and featured discussions of the role of research and education in enhancing regional ties between Australia and Asia, led by Kirsten Sayers, Senior Regional Trade Commissioner to Singapore, and Linda Yan, Hong Kong's Trade Commissioner. Associate Professor Bruce Gurd also spoke about future opportunities and relations with the Centre for Asian Business, and the importance of producing high-level research publications, especially those in A* and A journals. Both events acted to increase knowledge of the CAB within UniSA's current educational markets in Asia, and strengthen ties with alumni.
CAB strengthens Academic Partnerships
CAB Associate Director Dr. Tony Cavoli has been appointed to the position of Affiliate Associate Professor in the School of Public Policy at George Mason University in Washington DC. This appointment continues Dr. Cavoli's long relationship with George Mason, and follows CAB's recent collaboration with George Mason's Center for Emerging Market Policies (CEMP) in presenting the 'Globalization, Growth and Governance' workshop in Singapore on 13 October, in which Dr. Cavoli was both an organiser and presenter.
CAB supports Korean Expertise
CAB Associate Director A/Professor You-il Lee has been invited by the Korean Studies Association of Australasia (KSAA) as a discussant at the KSAA Postgraduate Research Workshop to be held at University of New South Wales (UNSW) from 22-23 November 2010. The workshop is jointly hosted by Korea-Australasia Research Centre, UNSW and the Korea Institute, ANU.
CAB's First Affiliated Publication
The Centre for Asian Business has been officially recognised in its first publication this month. CAB Associate Director A/Professor You-il Lee article 'South Korea's Meandering Path to Globalisation in the Late Twentieth Century', published in the ERA A-ranked journal Asian Studies Review, has officially recognised his association with the Centre for Asian Business.
This journal article represents the first official mention of the Centre for Asian Business in academic print, and has set the benchmark for forthcoming CAB publications.
University staff and students can access the publication online here.
Lord Mayor congratulates Centre for Asian Business
On 19 August CAB Interim Director Professor John Benson received a letter from Adelaide's Lord Mayor Michael Harbison, congratulating the Centre on its successes since officially opening in January 2010.
The CAB was commended for its focus on producing solid Asian business-focussed research, making such research findings available to the Australian business community, and contributing to the city's reputation as a leader in Business research.
The CAB would like to formally thank the Lord Mayor for his kind words, and will keep them in mind as we strive for research excellence for Adelaide's business and academic communities.
Dr. Leonie Hallo collaborates with UniSA Alumni in Shanghai
The Centre for Asian Business is working with three UniSA DBA graduates in Shanghai to assist them to publish their research. This research covers the areas of Telecommunication Decision-Making and Marketing in Asian Industry.
During her trip to Shanghai, CAB Affiliate Dr. Leonie Hallo met with these alumni to present intensive workshops and discuss strategies for preparing their research for journal publication. These workshops will be followed up with online consultations throughout the remainder of the year.
The Centre for Asian Business recognises the need to encourage the wide-dissemination of local business research within China, and prides itself in its ability to contribute to the publication of this valuable information.
Dr. Hallo is pictured on the right of Professor Yu Ying Chuan, Director of the Forecasting Consulting Institute, of the School of Business and Management, Shanghai University.
Centre for Asian Business featured in UniSA News
The Centre for Asian Business was the subject of a specialised report entitled 'Understanding Asia', by Katrina Kalleske of UniSA news. The article featured an interview with CAB Interim Director Professor John Benson, and acted to introduce the Centre to the University community. To view this article in its entirety, Click Here.