Australia-ASEAN Council grant recipients, 2017-18

Led by Western Sydney University and UNESCO Ha Noi, a regional workshop will explore the impact of tourism on poverty alleviation around World Heritage sites. National and international heritage and tourism authorities, government departments and development agencies will discuss issues identified, following investigations in the World Heritage towns of Hoi An, Viet Nam, and Luang Prabang, Lao PDR. Household surveys in the villages of Triem Tay, outside Hoi An, and Xieng Maen, outside Luang Prabang, will assess if people in these villages have shared the opportunities of tourism experienced in the near-by World Heritage townships. Both townships located in rural provinces Inscribed in the 1990s, had high levels of poverty at the time. Both have experienced intensive tourism investment and significant improvement in household incomes.

The workshop will facilitate knowledge sharing across different bodies involved in work on poverty alleviation through tourism; will share issues and exchange lessons learned to assist in formulating appropriate recommendations.

We will evaluate the case study methodology for its suitability to assess the contribution of World Heritage and tourism to the UNSDGs, in particular poverty reduction. The workshop will foster inclusive and open regional dialogue around alternative futures and social innovation.

ASEAN embodies opportunity for agile Australian businesses. In the lead up to the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit, Asialink Business is curating a series of national business forums to share the latest thinking on business and investment opportunities, contemporary market insights, and practical case studies.

The forums will bring together leading ASEAN business experts for an interactive discussion and first-hand perspectives on the pressing considerations for Australian businesses looking to understand, enter or grow in ASEAN's diverse markets. Providing a deep-dive and fresh insights into some of the key opportunities for growth, the forums will explore themes including:

Understanding ASEAN's changing consumers

Leveraging ASEAN's common market

Innovation and the digital economy

Events will take place in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, with live sites in select locations around regional Australia. All Australian businesses are invited to attend the forums in their location of choice. Businesses can also participate in the discussion on social media and access a digital hub of insights from the events on the Asialink Business website (asialinkbusiness.com.au).

In March 2018 the Asia Education Foundation will host an ASEAN-Australia Youth Forum in Sydney for more than 60 Australian students from years 9 to 11.

This student-centered, full-day program is designed to deepen participants understanding of the member countries of ASEAN and Australia's relationship with the region.

Throughout the day students will be asked to simulate a meeting between the leaders of Australia and ASEAN Member States. Students will have the opportunity to present their allocated country's position on the issues they, as nations, are facing. Importantly, students will discuss and propose agreements with the aim to reach mutually agreeable solutions through negotiation and consensus building.

Students will also have the opportunity to hear from, and be guided by, expert speakers and facilitators, who will share their insights about the key issues and opportunities facing the region and the importance of Australia's engagement with South-East Asia.

Enabling students to apply their knowledge and skills to solve problems in real world situations is an essential step in building their capabilities to be active and informed global citizens.

Media Internships‍

Two senior undergraduate media and communications students from the University of Sydney will travel to Bangkok, Thailand in Jan/Feb 2018 to undertake a journalism internship at The Bangkok Post.

A program directed to the SMEs of NSW which provides reasons for an off shore expansion, and noting that it is an expansion and not a re-establishing or moving to an off shore location. Those reasons include both local and regional benefits. The process which is to be adopted is fully outlined and is based on 30 years experience in achieving successful outcomes. The process is not onerous nor particularly expensive, but is designed to provide a safe and profitable outcome.

Using the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit 2018 as catalyst, conduct a high level seminar on the ‘Reasons for Commercial Linkage with ASEAN’ followed by a series of multi-level Briefing Dialogues to outline "Why & How" of commercial linkages with ASEAN.

This project brings together the region's international cyber policy think-tanks in a Track II dialogue. Leveraging joint capacities, developing innovative recommendations for cyber confidence-building measures.

The cyber domain is increasingly politically charged territory. Strengthened cooperation and dialogue between ASEAN think-tanks and foreign policy institutes will increase global cooperation, reduce the risk of misperception and miscalculation.

The richness of creative opinions and expert research present in the region through a series of online discussion rounds that will distill a compelling set of innovative, practical and realistic policy recommendations.

Seven South-East Asian artists are invited to participate in the 21st Biennale of Sydney (2018) and to take part in a Public Forum and Reception coinciding with the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit 2018 and the 21st Biennale of Sydney Opening Celebrations.

SUPERPOSITION: Equilibrium and Engagement is curated by Artistic Director Mami Kataoka, Chief Curator of the Mori Art Museum, Tokyo. To celebrate these artists and the coinciding of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit with the 21st Biennale of Sydney’s Opening Week, the Biennale proposes to present a public forum with the support of the Australia-ASEAN Council profiling these artists with Artistic Director Mami Kataoka. A highlight of the public programming accompanying the 2018 exhibition with its focus on equilibrium and engagement, the Forum aims to foster mutual understanding and regional cooperation through collaboration, shared cultural exchange and understanding cross-regionally.