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Australia-Japan Foundation grant recipients, 2021-22


A joint Australia-Japan symposium on cybersecurity expertise and practices

Sector: Scientific innovation

Country location: Australia / Japan

Grantee: University of South Australia

Project description

As organisations and individuals are increasingly reliant on the internet for business, work and personal matters, they become more exposed to potentials cyber crimes. Good cybersecurity practices ensure that data, including personal information, intellectual property, industry information and even state secrets, are protected from theft and damage by criminal adversaries.

This project focuses on a particular domain, universities in both Japan and Australia, who have recently copped a fair share of such malicious incidents. This unwelcome and even dangerous situation indicates that much work is still needed to understand and develop safe and effective cybersecurity practices for universities. To this end, this project aims to bring together top researchers in cybersecurity in Australia and Japan to share knowledge and expertise, in order to guide, identify and develop the best practices in both countries' universities. Through a series of planned seminars, Japanese and Australian universities shall participate in sharing knowledge and learning from each other regarding good cybersecurity practices.

Poster for Cybersecurity seminar (forthcoming April 2022).
Cybersecurity seminar (forthcoming April 2022). Credit: NII Japan

Key dates:

Activity or Event Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
Seminar Online Australian and Japanese universities 01/04/2022 04/04/2022

Social media

  • TBC

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $13,600


AFLW in Japan

Sector: Society and Culture

Country location: Japan

Grantee: AFL Japan

Project description

Increase the awareness of Australian Football in Japan by promoting Australian sporting culture and women in sports. Our main target is young females who are interested in sports. Large foot-traffic areas such shopping malls and university were chosen.

AFLW in Japan recruiting poster
Recruiting poster. Credit: AFL Japan

Key dates:

Activity or Event Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
promotional events Kanagawa Young Females 27/03/2022 27/03/2022
seminar/ clinic Tokyo Female University Students 10/04/2022 10/04/2022
promotional events Tokyo Young Females 17/04/2022 17/04/2022
seminar/ clinic Tokyo Female University Students 12/05/2022 12/05/2022
seminar/ clinic Tokyo Female University Students 02/06/2022 02/06/2022
promotional events Osaka Young Females 26/06/2022 26/06/2022

Social media

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $11,153


Australia-Japan collaborative development of next generation solar cells

Sector: Scientific innovation

Country location: Australia / Japan

Grantee:

Project description

Australia and Japan have strong research history to develop high efficiency photovoltaic devices. This project aims to strengthen an existing collaborative research network between Australia and Japan to develop next generation solar cells, so-called perovskite solar cells. Three workshops will be held online or in Melbourne to share collaborative research outcomes in material research community, and to discuss the next step to improve solar energy conversion efficiency. In November 2023, a joint conference will be held to disseminate performance of developed photovoltaics to a public audience, and discuss their potential commercial application.

Next generation solar cells. Credit: Prof. Yasuhiro Tachibana and Prof. Atsushi Wakamiya

 

Next generation solar cells
Next generation solar cells. Credit: Prof. Yasuhiro Tachibana and Prof. Atsushi Wakamiya

Key dates:

Activity or Event Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
Online workshop (logo to be used) Online (Kyoto) Partner University and other university groups 13/05/2022 13/05/2022
Workshop (logo to be used) Melbourne Partner University and other university groups 19/11/2022 19/11/2022
Joint conference (logo to be used) Kyoto Partner University and other university groups 25/05/2023 25/05/2023

Social media

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $10,000


Australia-Japan Seminar Series on Materials Informatics and Materials Nanoarchitectonics

Sector: Scientific innovation

Country location: Australia / Japan

Grantee: The University of Queensland

Project description

The development of new advanced materials for clean energy storage and conversion applications typically relies on standard trial-and-error approach and modification of existing methods. However, these strategies suffer from long development/research time and high cost. The combination of 'materials nanoarchitectonics' and 'materials informatics' has the potential to revolutionise the process of materials discovery. The 'nanoarchitectonics' concept combines nanotechnology with materials science and supramolecular chemistry to create high performance materials. The adoption of materials informatics, such as artificial intelligence (AI)-driven machine learning algorithms can greatly accelerate the discovery of new materials and the optimisation of existing materials for developing practical energy storage and conversion devices.

This project will deliver a series of bi-monthly scientific seminars and a single joint conference hosted by The University of Queensland (UQ), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), and Waseda University. It aims to showcase cutting-edge research in materials nanoarchitectonics and materials informatics (machine learning) by leading and emerging researchers from various Australian and Japanese universities and research institutes and around the world. The seminar will be held once every two months from July 2022 to July 2023, leading to a total of 6 seminars.

 

poster for Australia-Japan Seminar Series on Materials Informatics and Materials Nanoarchitectonic
Australia-Japan Seminar Series on Materials Informatics and Materials Nanoarchitectonics. Credit: Yusuf Valentino Kaneti

Key dates:

Activity or Event Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
Online Seminar 1: Introduction to Materials Space-Techtonics Project Brisbane (Australia); Online Australian and Japanese researchers and students 15/07/2022 15/07/2022
Online Seminar 2: Materials Nanoarchitectonics: A New Materials Horizon for Nanotechnology Tokyo (Japan); Online Australian and Japanese researchers and students 16/09/2022 16/09/2022
2022 Materials Oceania Conference (Online Conference) Brisbane (Australia); Online Worldwide researchers and students 17/10/2022 21/10/2022
Online Seminar 3: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Materials Design and Discovery Brisbane (Australia); Online Australian and Japanese researchers and students 18/11/2022 18/11/2022
Online Seminar 4: Trends in Materials Informatics in Research on Inorganic Materials Tokyo (Japan); Online Australian and Japanese researchers and students 20/01/2023 20/01/2023
Online Seminar 5: Improving Supercapacitors using Computational Insight Brisbane (Australia); Online Australian and Japanese researchers and students 17/03/2023 17/03/2023
Online Seminar 6: Data-Driven Materials Discovery from Large Chemistry Spaces Tokyo (Japan); Online Australian and Japanese researchers and students 19/05/2023 19/05/2023

Social media

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $30,000


Australia-Japan: Stepping up a special strategic relationship in Asia

Sector: Economic Diplomacy and Geopolitics

Country location: Australia/ Japan

Grantee: Asia Society Australasia Centre

Project description

'Australia-Japan: Stepping up a special strategic relationship in Asia' is a two-part project in partnership with Asia Society Japan that seeks to highlight opportunities for increased Australia-Japan cooperation in Asia. The project will focus on the intersect between (1) trade and economic regionalism and connectivity; and (2) our geopolitical and security agendas in a more contested and competitive Southeast Asia.

The project will bring together leaders from government, business and academia in Australia and Japan to facilitate informed discussion and the exchange of views, and help inform the growing importance and impact of our special strategic relationship in Asia.

Delivered in partnership with the Asia Society Japan Centre in Tokyo the project will combine public programs, private briefings, and the appointment of Australia and Japan-based Project Fellows who will offer subject-matter expertise and curate key activities.

 

Origami Kangaroo.
Origami Kangaroo. Credit: Surachetsh

Key dates

Activity or Event Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
Announcement of the appointment of Australia and Japan based Project Fellows Sydney/ Melbourne/Tokyo Asia Society members, stakeholders, public community 31/03/2022 31/03/2022
Policy Memo 1 Sydney/

Melbourne/Tokyo
Asia Society members, stakeholders, public community 13/07/2022 13/07/2022
Public Event 1 economic regionalism and connectivity Sydney/

Melbourne/Tokyo
Asia Society members, stakeholders, public community 14/07/2022 14/07/2022
Policy Memo 2 Sydney

/Melbourne/Tokyo
Asia Society members, stakeholders, public community 07/11/2022 07/11/2022
Public Event 2 geopolitics and security in SEA Sydney/

Melbourne/Tokyo
Asia Society members, stakeholders, public community 10/11/2022 10/11/2022
Private roundtable Sydney/

Melbourne/Tokyo
Asia Society members, government 11/11/2022 11/11/2022

Social media

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $25,000


Australian Jazz in Japan

Sector: Society, Culture and Sport

Country location: Australia / Japan

Grantee: Melbourne Jazz Limited

Project description

The Melbourne International Jazz Festival will build on its long-standing relationship with the Tokyo Jazz Festival to deliver a new initiative that supports the presentation of Australian music and culture in Japan. The Australian Jazz in Japan initiative will facilitate the presentation of an Australian artist or ensemble at the 2022 Tokyo Jazz Festival, helping to further develop partnerships between Australia and Japan's cultural industries.

 

Poster for Melbourne International Jazz Festival 2021
Melbourne International Jazz Festival 2021. Credit: MIJF

Key dates:

Activity or Event Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
Melbourne International Jazz Festival (MIJF) Australian artist showcase performances Melbourne National and international contemporary music presenters and MIJF audiences 02/12/2021 04/12/2021
Australian jazz performance at the 2022 Tokyo Jazz Festival (artist selected in December 2021) Tokyo Jazz and contemporary music audiences in Tokyo 27/08/2022 27/08/2022

Social media

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $13,110


Building behavioural science in the Japanese civil service

Sector: Scientific innovation

Country location: Australia / Japan

Grantee: BEHAVIOURAL INSIGHTS (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD

Project description

The Behavioural Insights Team has a long history of developing the behavioural insights (BI) capability of government organisations around the world, in order to improve lives and support economic growth. While BI is well established in Government practice in Australia, there's a growing interest in BI in Japan. BIT will work with PolicyGarage, the Japanese Government's BI unit, to build the BI capacity of local government teams and share Australia's BI innovation and success.

Through a 'train-the-trainer' model, we will partner with PolicyGarage to deliver BI workshops to key local government teams and provide follow-up strategic advice on their BI projects. In doing so, we will embed learnings from the behavioural sciences, support Japan's innovation in BI, promote key case studies from the Australian context, and build a strong relationship between Australia and Japan's BI practitioners.

 

BI capability building in Japan: A Behavioural Insights Team x PolicyGarage collaboration
BI capability building in Japan: A Behavioural Insights Team x PolicyGarage collaboration.

 

Activity or Event

Location

Target audience

Expected start date

Expected end date

BI training workshop

Virtual/Japan

Japanese public servants

15/06/2022

15/06/2022

BI training workshop

Virtual/Japan

Japanese public servants

23/06/2022

23/06/2022

BI follow up clinic

Virtual/Japan

Japanese public servants

06/07/2022

06/07/2022

Social media

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $20,000


Building Rural Tourism Resilience: Benchmarking Approaches from Japan and Australia

Sector: Education and Australian studies

Country location: Japan

Grantee: Center for Tourism Research, Wakayama University

Project description

This project examines how communities at the rural periphery in Japan and Australia, with a focus on tourism and the wider visitor economy, are faring in the shadow of COVID-19. While the pandemic has been catastrophic for tourist visitation, it has also turned the gaze onto rural areas where space is usually in abundance and where ventilation is assured. The allure of rurality has been given a new lease on life and as well as attracting domestic visitors seeking to escape crowded urban centers, urban-dwellers with the capacity, are driving the urban to rural shift. However, the renewed attention on the rural periphery raises myriad concerns, especially the extent to which rural communities can absorb greater numbers, and whether, in the midst of the pandemic, the threats to their way of life might not be worth the impost. Tourism is at the vanguard of this movement but unless communities at the rural periphery are integral to this expansion, their capacity to ensure developments prioritise their interests will be constrained. Moreover, the social and ecological assets of communities at the rural periphery is what is prized and the extent to which tourism puts this under strain remains a cause for concern.

 

Poster Building Tourism Resilience: Benchmarking Approaches from Japan and Australia.
Building Tourism Resilience: Benchmarking Approaches from Japan and Australia. Credit: Joseph M. Cheer

Key dates:



Activity or Event
Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
28 February Wakayama Industry, Government & Education 01/11/2021 31/03/2022
31 March Online Industry, Government, Education 31/03/2021 31/03/2021

Social media

Website: Wakayama University, Center for Tourism Research

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $20,000


Community Banashi: Stories of place from Australia and Japan

Sector: Education and Australian studies

Country location: Australia / Japan

Grantee: Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

Project description

Community Banashi is a creative film series project, in which short films will be directed and filmed by primary school students across Australia and Japan. Through mentorship of film practitioners and educational experts, students engage in creative storytelling of their locales through filming. Participating schools span diverse locations in Australia and Japan, offering compelling stories of places through the eyes of children. Students will translate each other's films (English/Japanese), fostering deeper cross-cultural connection and collaboration via the currency of language.

 

Community Banashi: Stories of place from Australia and Japan
Community Banashi: Stories of place from Australia and Japan. Credit: Augmenta

Key dates:

Activity or Event Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
Language-teacher and film practitioner 1 week on-site visit, providing mentorship and technical instructions to guide students as they film their projects. Garrthalala, Australia and Kochi, Japan Students, teachers, communities 01/09/2022 07/09/2022
Completed films exchanged between schools Online Students, teachers, communities 16/10/2022 23/10/2022
Public screening of completed works at Federation Square Melbourne, Australia Public, students, teachers, community 15/04/2023 21/04/2023
Project website Online Public, students, teachers, community 01/05/2023 01/12/3000

Social media

  • TBC

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $30,000


Connect Tomodachi

Sector: Society, Culture and Sport

Country location: Australia / Japan

Grantee: Mr Peter Gibson

Project description

During the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic games Peter Gibson conducted a program called Connect Tomodachi (Friends). The program connected nearly 20,000 Australian & Japanese students online through the spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic games. With the help of the Australia Japan Foundation grant, Connect Tomodachi will become a legacy program of the Tokyo 2020 games and aims to increase and develop the opportunity for youth in both countries to experience exchange programs in person across all fields including sport, language, culture, adventure and STEM.

 

Students participating in Kendo
Connect Tomodachi brings Australia and Japan closer together through sport. Credit: Connect Tomodachi 

Key dates

Activity or Event Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
Consul General of Japan in Sydney School visits to promote Connect Tomodachi Various High Schools Teachers and Coaches who would like to take groups to Japan 10/02/2022 10/03/2022

Social media

  • TBC

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $40,000


CSIRO Manufacturing engagement with Kumamoto University IROAST on science innovation

Sector: Scientific innovation

Country location: Australia / Japan

Grantee: CSIRO

Project description

Researchers in CSIRO and Kumamoto University (KU) are keen to deepen our existing collaborative work in nanostructure interpretation addressing health challenges and developing new collaborative research areas and networks in metal and composite additive manufacturing.

This project aims to further enhance the CSIRO-KU collaboration and share the latest advances by a series of meetings, seminars, workshops, and joint symposiums.

The proposal is to strengthen bilateral relationships and trusted collaboration, and to develop new collaboration between CSIRO and KU by promoting people-to-people links. The research collaboration will result in peer reviewed publications and intellectual property. This project is to promote such great achievements in a broader community in both countries. It can certainly increase recognition in Japan of Australian excellence and expertise and vice versa. The project will build understanding and influence of contemporary Australia and Australian innovation excellence in young Japanese through its “on-line seminars to KU student” element.

Apart from the involved researchers in both organisations (and some students in KU), this project also aims to involve more people from both organisations and their networks as well as to communicate our research collaboration and science innovations in broader academic and research communities in both countries.

 

3D Printing Mg Alloy
3D Printing Mg Alloy. Credit: CSIRO Australia’s National Science Agency

Key dates:

Activity or Event Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
joint one day workshop Melbourne and Kumamoto CSIRO and KU staff and students 14/02/2022 28/02/2022

Social media

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $20,000


Database to enhance Japanese-Australian intellectual and industrial collaboration

Sector: Communication, Information and Advocacy

Country location: Japan / Australia

Grantee: Western Sydney University

Project description

This project will provide a gateway for future investors in joint Australian-Japanese technological-industrial-scientific-academic ventures, by creating a publicly available bilingual Japanese-English database of 2018-2019-2020 funding applications received by the Foundation for Australia-Japan Studies.

 

Two people study a computer screen
University of Queensland. Credit: Siobhan Remy

Key dates:

Activity or Event Location Expected start date Expected end date
Database launch *Required Tokyo 24/08/2023*Required 24/08/2023
Database launch Sydney 16/08/2023 16/08/2023

Social media

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $36,098


Federation Council and Miki City Sister City Film Project

Sector: Society, Culture and Sport

Country location: Australia

Grantee: Federation Council

Project description

The development of a documentary film is being undertaken, celebrating, promoting and strengthening a very successful and valued 23-year relationship between the Federation Council in Australia and Miki City in Japan.

The documentary film will collect and showcase the history of this sister city program, to celebrate and build on both our cities' sense of pride and to further promote the benefits to our local communities and within our respective countries.

A formal launch will be held, coinciding with an exhibition showcasing sister city memorabilia, including images taken during the period and during the documentary production. It is anticipated that live stream connections will take place to link with Miki City.

A copy of the film will be made available to organisations such as the Australia-Japan Foundation, Australia's Sister Cities Association, other relevant organisations, community groups and media.

 

photos on a desk
Miki City - Federation Council Sister City. Credit: Nomad Films

Key dates:

Activity or Event Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
Media releases (as described below) Corowa Media, Federation Council community, Miki City International, Australia-Japan Foundation. Australian Sister Cities Association, local Riverina region 15/11/2021 18/07/2022
Launch of film and memorabilia exhibition Corowa Media, Federation Council community, Miki City International, Australia-Japan Foundation. Australian Sister Cities Association, local Riverina region 15/11/2021 18/07/2022
Documentary Film   Media, Federation Council community, Miki City International, Australia-Japan Foundation. Australian Sister Cities Association, local Riverina region 15/11/2021 18/07/202

Social media

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $25,000


Festival of the Fantastic in Australian and Japanese Arts

Sector: Society, Culture and Sport

Country location: Australia / Japan

Grantee: The University of Queensland

Project description

The Festival of the Fantastic in Australian and Japanese Arts in 2022 is an inaugural gathering of authors, artists, audiences, and academics of the fantastic. It celebrates links between Australia and Japan through fantasy genres of literary and visual arts, and aims to inspire and nurture further connections.

The festival is made up of four free, public events hosted in Brisbane (The University of Queensland), Sydney (The University of Sydney), Hobart (The University of Tasmania), and Yokohama (Kanagawa University). These in-person events will also be available simultaneously online, in both Japanese and English (via translation and interpreting). In addition, Kanagawa University will host a physical exhibition of Australian visual fantastic arts at their Minatomirai campus in central Yokohama. The events in the different cities will include author/artist-led masterclasses (on topics such as writing fantasy); translation and publishing mentoring sessions; public talks on the creation, production, and reception of fantasy works; and community-building forums. The festival will also be accompanied by a digital exhibition and dataset of Australian fantasy fiction translated into Japanese.

Mysterious tunnel in Tasmania
Mysterious tunnel in Tasmania reminiscent of scenes from classic Japanese fantasy films. Credit: Photograph by Tessa Beattie

Key dates:

Activity or Event Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
Festival event Brisbane public (fantasy creators and audiences) 29/10/2022 30/10/2022
Festival event Sydney public (fantasy creators and audiences) 12/11/2022 13/11/2022
Festival event Yokohama public (fantasy creators and audiences) 26/11/2022 27/11/2022
Festival event Hobart public (fantasy creators and audiences) 10/12/2022 11/12/2022

Social media

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $24,981.55


Go hydrogen! Promoting Japanese awareness of Australian hydrogen

Sector: Communication, Information and Advocacy

Country location: Japan

Grantee: Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

Project description

This project aims to promote Japanese awareness of Australian hydrogen production. Australia and Japan have developed a bilateral trade partnership through hydrogen production. From 2022, Australian hydrogen will be exported to Kobe using a special cargo ship designed in Japan. This world-first hydrogen export project has been developed jointly by the public and private sectors of both countries.

However, as highlighted at the Australia Japan Business Co-operation Committee's webinar in April 2021, information on Australian hydrogen has not been adequately communicated to Japanese citizens. Unlike standard Australian export products, it is hard for Japanese people to understand where and how Australian hydrogen is produced.

In collaboration with Tohoku University, this project will undertake stakeholder engagement activities and also develop visual communication content to raise Japanese citizens' awareness of Australian hydrogen production. This project will contribute to increasing awareness of Australian hydrogen and support Japan's transition to renewable energy. It also promotes the Japan-Australia Partnership on Decarbonisation through Technology signed by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga at the G7 on 13 June 2021.

 Infographic promoting Japanese awareness of Australian hydrogen.
Go hydrogen! Promoting Japanese awareness of Australian hydrogen infographic. Credit: Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

Key dates:



Activity or Event
Location

Target audience

Expected start date Expected end date
Workshop Sendai

Academia, policymakers, hydrogen professionals and general audience

27/01/2023 27/04/2023

Social media

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $24,539


Japanese and Australian Bilingual EP creation and release

Sector: Society and Culture

Country location: Australia / Japan

Grantee: Mr Taka Perry

Project description

With support from The Australia-Japan Foundation, Australian/Japanese Producer and Artist Taka Perry will embark on a world first musical endeavour - to create and release a pioneering dual language EP (Extended Play) Record.

As an audio/visual zeitgeist, with each release recorded in the country’s mother tongue and focusing on the country’s individual culture and the artists embedded within them, this project will provide the opportunity for Taka and others to integrate collaborations with native artists from both Japan and Australia.

The bilingual EP will see Taka enlisting creatives from both countries, including co-producers, songwriters, vocalists and musicians. The cross-pollination of these creative relationships will also facilitate the establishment of stronger creative communication, sustainable relationships of longevity and mutual artistic merit.

Highlighting the skills of the respective industries, creatives will increase cross-cultural exposure and expansion for each country's individual audiences’ markets, in turn creating export opportunities for Australian artists and import opportunities for Japanese artists.

By encouraging the development of already established creative relationships and addressing the current communication gap that exists between the two countries' creative communities, we can continue to cooperate, communicate and indeed excel amidst this uncertain 'brave new world' of global music creation.

Taka Perry. Credit: Ben Develin
Taka Perry. Credit: Ben Develin

 

Activity or Event

Location

Expected start date

Expected end date

Two-week writing and online/remote communication development session - involving Australian and Japanese musicians

Sydney / Melbourne

05/07/2022

16/07/2022

Dual EP Writing Trip #1 - taking place by travelling to Japan - travel to different prefectures outside of metropolitan areas to collaborate with artists

Tokyo / Chiba / Fukushima / Ibaraki

01/08/2022

15/08/2022

Dual EP Writing Trip #2 - taking place by travelling to Japan including travel to different prefectures outside of metropolitan areas to collaborate with artists

Osaka / Kyoto / Gifu / Aichi

03/10/2022

17/10/2022

Production and postproduction of EP

Sydney

24/10/2022

02/01/2023

P Launch Show AU and Live Stream AU Launch show to Japan through Japanese Live Streaming service Zaiko

Sydney / via online

28/01/2023

29/01/2023

EP Launch Show JP and Live Stream Japan Launch show to AU through Japanese Live Streaming service Zaiko

Tokyo / via online

11/02/2023

12/02/2023

Social media

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $20,000


Japanese regional renewal, sharing insights and connections at Cementa 21

Sector: Society and Culture

Country location: Japan

Grantee: Asialink

Project description

Asialink Arts and Cementa join forces to host an online symposium exploring the potential of art to impact the future of regional communities. Taking Cementa's experience as an arts festival in the post-industrial town of Kandos as context, Asialink Arts will present three events as a part of Spirit of '21 online festival.

Foreground // Foresight reviews the history of Japan's pioneering, locally situated and internationally focused arts festivals and platforms and explores the impacts and changes that have resulted from them. Asialink Arts presents arts leaders and best practice examples from Japan – where art, culture and reinvigorated industry development programs in regional locations have transformed communities over two decades. Fram Kitagawa, founder of Art Front, and the world-renowned Setouchi Triennale and Echigo-Tsumari Triennial will open with a keynote presentation followed by a panel discussion with speakers Teiko Hinuma, Norikazu Sato and Andrew Burns. Panellists will discuss community led activation and the role of culture in regional regeneration with a view to sparking broader conversation around how these strategies can be employed in Australia. The program closes with a closed door strategic roundtable discussion between stakeholders. This program is presented under Asialink Arts' new strategic initiative Regional // Regional.

 

Image of Fram Kitagawa, Teiko Hinuma, Norikazu Sato and Andrew Burns.
Fram Kitagawa, Teiko Hinuma, Norikazu Sato and Andrew Burns. Credit: Miffy Lau

Key dates:

Activity or Event Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
FOREGROUND // FORESIGHT REGIONAL ARTS LED NARRATIVES FROM JAPAN, Keynote address and Panel Discussion Online Arts, regional residents, stakeholders, general public 15/10/2021 15/10/2021
Cementa Festival Kandos Arts, regional residents, stakeholders, general public 19/05/2022 22/05/2022

Social media

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $10,000


Let's Get Eccentric!

Sector: Society and Culture

Country location: Australia / Japan

Grantee: School of Medical & Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University

Project description

Academic staff members of the School of Medical and Health Sciences (SMHS) at Edith Cowan University (ECU) will provide workshops at five locations across Japan in December 2022 with the Japan Association of Training Instructors (JATI), the largest organisation of training instructors in Japan. Professor Ken NOSAKA and other researchers in SMHS will provide a 5-hour workshop consisting of 3-hour lectures and 2-hour exercise sessions about “eccentric exercise.” “Eccentric exercises” are performed when prompting the body’s muscles to absorb force while lengthening them by a greater external load. Typical examples are sitting slowly on seats, walking downstairs, and lowering a dumbbell slowly. Professor Nosaka’s research team has shown various beneficial effects of eccentric exercise training and leads the world in eccentric exercise research. The workshop entitled “Let’s Get Eccentric!” targets exercise practitioners, including fitness instructors, coaches, trainers, and physiotherapists. Participants will learn eccentric exercise, which has not been disseminated in Japan yet. The workshops aim to introduce eccentric exercises to Japanese exercise providers and develop a long-lasting collaboration between JATI and ECU. This relationship could be extended to other universities and organisations in Australia. Australia-Japan Foundation supports this project.

 

Let's Get Eccentric! supported by Australia-Japan Foundation 2022. Credit: School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University
Let's Get Eccentric! supported by Australia-Japan Foundation 2022. Credit: School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University

 

Activity or Event

Location

Target audience

Expected start date

Expected end date

Online kick-off with Japanese partners

Perth / Fukuoka /Hiroshima/ Osaka/ Nagoya/ Tokyo

Board and management members of the Japan Association of Training Instructors (JATI)

02/05/2022

09/12/2022

Workshop 1

Sapporo, Japan

JATI members

02/07/2023

02/07/2022

Workshop 2

Tokyo, Japan

JATI members

11/12/2022

11/12/2022

Workshop 3

Fukuoka, Japan

JATI members

17/12/2022

17/12/2022

Workshop 4

Hiroshima, Japan

JATI members

18/12/2022

18/12/2022

Workshop 5

Osaka, Japan

JATI members

24/12/2022

24/12/2022

Workshop 6

Nagoya, Japan

JATI members

25/12/2022

25/12/2022

Social media

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $36,600.00


Leave no one Behind - Dare mo okizari ni shinai

Sector: Society and Culture

Country location: Australia

Grantee: Sport Inclusion Australia

Project description

The continuation of a joint program between Sport Inclusion Australia and the All Nippon Disability Sport Association to share information on developing options and opportunities for Japanese athletes with an intellectual impairment to access sport and sporting pathways.

 

Athletes with Down Syndrome competing at the ANISA Sport Event Day.
Image from ANISA Sport Event Day for athletes with Down Syndrome. Credit: ANISA

Key dates:

Activity or Event Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
Professional Development Online Japanese Sport Organisations (Government and Non-Government. Australian Sporting Organisations, people with intellectual impairment in Japan and in Australia and their families 14/01/2022 28/10/2022
FIBA Womens World Cup Sydney Australia Japan/Australia athletes 22/09/2022 04/10/2022
Virtus Oceania Asia Games Brisbane Australia Japan BB teams 05/11/2022 12/11/2022

Social media

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $30,000


Levels of Maturity in Bilateralism: Progress of Australia-Japan Matured Relations

Sector: Economic Diplomacy and Geopolitics

Country location: Japan

Grantee: Prof Go Ito

Project description

This project is named after a jargon of international relations studies, i.e. “levels of analysis.” The term is normally used by scholars to look for reasons of tension in foreign relations (levels of individuals, state structures, and the international system).

Currently, Australia has had various tensions with China and because of this, is looking for cultivation of more matured ties with Japan at all three levels. This project will examine the maturity of the Australia-Japan relations, such as various commercial ties during Japan's economic rise in the 1960's-1980's, the Joint Declaration on Security Co-operation in 2007 as well as both countries' recent engagement in the QUAD.

Two public workshops will be held: one in Sydney hosted by Western Sydney University; and one in Tokyo co-hosted by Meiji University and Global Forum for Japan. At the workshops 5 participants from Australia and Japan will be reflecting the gradual progress of Australia-Japan bilateral relations. Despite the importance of the bilateral quasi-alliance, few solid book-length project focusing on the gradual progress of the bilateral maturity can be found. Along with the workshops, this project seeks to conduct a joint work of textbook writing for future generations responsible for the bilateral relations.

Key dates

Activity or Event Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
Problem Findings and Zoom Meeting Tokyo or Zoom Members only 15/11/2021 31/12/2021
Workshop Tokyo Academia and Professionals 01/07/2022 30/09/2022
Workshop Sydney Academia and Professionals 01/02/2023 31/03/2023

Social media

  • TBA

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $31,500


Making the Future Change Agents Today

Sector: Scientific innovation

Country location: Australia

Grantee: Griffith University

Project description

'Making the Future Change Agents Today' (MFCAT) is an educational and networking platform where diverse women in innovative and knowledge-intensive industries (including high value-added market service industries such as finance, insurance, business services and telecommunications) across Japan and Australia can develop digital skills, leadership, and advance international partnerships critical for navigating economic growth, engagement, and COVID-19 recovery. Recognising the strength of drawing on traditional and contemporary learning systems, the program will feature networking, masterclasses, and speakers from Indigenous and non-Indigenous backgrounds, learning more from diverse women's business and cultural practices. The MFCAT platform will host video case studies of Australian Indigenous women entrepreneurs, filmed on Country by an indigenous filmmaker, and will include Australian Indigenous entrepreneurial storytelling. This will help in the creation of a richer, more multicultural environment enabling Japanese women entrepreneurs to learn of different ways to approaching and/or operating business.

MFCAT will also engage Japanese and Australian women interested in growing collaborative innovations, entrepreneurship and research pathways through masterclasses, fireside-chats, personalised mentoring and skills toolkits. MFCAT will develop transnational skills and networks, enabling people-to-people and business linkages to develop, supporting greater Australian-Japanese economic engagement.

Australia Japan Foundation and Griffith University - Making the Future Change Agents Today. Credit: Griffith University

 

Poster promoting Australia Japan Foundation and Griffith University - Making the Future Change Agents.
Australia Japan Foundation and Griffith University - Making the Future Change Agents Today. Credit: Griffith University

Key dates:

Activity or Event Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
Social media campaign to recruit participants (15 from each country, 30 total) Online Aus-Japan women in innovative and knowledge-intensive industries 28/03/2022 13/05/2022
Welcome, Orientation Online AUS-Japan participants and stakeholders 25/05/2022 25/05/2022
Online course, live workshop guest panel/fireside chat, and mentoring around Topic 1: High growth Australia-Japan innovation industries: exploring current state and future growth. Online AUS-Japan participants and stakeholders 08/06/2022 08/06/2022
Online course, live workshop guest panel/fireside chat, and mentoring around Topic 2: Gender in high innovative and knowledge-intensive industries: navigating challenges, understanding opportunities Online AUS-Japan participants and stakeholders 22/06/2022 22/06/2022
Online course, live workshop guest panel/fireside chat, and mentoring around Topic 3: Leadership Skills Development and community capacity-building: curating Australia-Japanese economic engagement networks Online AUS-Japan participants and stakeholders 13/07/2022 13/07/2022
Online course, live workshop guest panel/fireside chat, and mentoring around Topic 4: Developing digital skills and competencies to support women's access and strength in high-value, digital economies and knowledge-intensive economies Online AUS-Japan participants and stakeholders 27/07/2022 27/07/2022
Online course, live workshop guest panel/fireside chat, and mentoring around Topic 5: Developing your personal brand as an entrepreneur and/or family business leader. Online AUS-Japan participants and stakeholders 17/08/2022 17/08/2022
Online course, live workshop guest panel/fireside chat, and mentoring around Topic 6: Developing international opportunities: building networks, exploring trade and commercial exchange and forming collaborations Online AUS-Japan participants and stakeholders 31/08/2022 31/08/2022
Celebration of achievement Online AUS-Japan participants and stakeholders 14/09/2022 14/09/2022

Social media

Hash tags: #strategicpartnership #EconomicPartnership #PartnershipsForRecovery #Australia #AgTrade #Exports #Japan #AJFGrants #豪日交流基金

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $30,000


Miyawaki Mini Forests and Smart Green Networks

Sector: Scientific innovation

Country location: Australia/ Japan

Grantee: University of Adelaide

Project description

The Miyawaki Method of forestry is an innovative Japanese approach to the cultivation of biodiverse forests within cities and regional landscapes. By introducing biodiversity back into human settlements both Japan and Australia stand to benefit through greater health, productivity, and industry-community-academic engagement. The Miyawaki Method of biodiverse forestry is an emerging global phenomenon that has inspired industry leaders, communities, and environmental practitioners around the world. This project will tap into this global trend and leverage Australian and Japanese expertise to position the nations as leaders in the area of biodiverse forestry. The Miyawaki Mini Forests project involves the establishment of a knowledge-sharing network on biodiverse forestry. It will initiative this in two specific ways: an international symposium and the documentation and sharing of a series of pilot projects and case studies in Australia and Japan. The University of Adelaide's School of Architecture and Built Environment and Kyushu University's Faculty of Design will host the symposium and establish a network of community organizations, businesses, professionals, and scientists to develop and share the benefits of biodiverse forests. The knowledge-sharing “smart green network” will assist industry, communities, and local organizations throughout Australia, Japan, and globally.

 

Shinto Shrine Forest Japan
Shinto Shrine Forest Japan. Credit: Scott Hawken

Key dates:

Activity or Event Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
Miyawaki Miniforest Pilot Demonstration Fukuoka and Adelaide Public 18/04/2022 19/04/2022
Symposium - Miniforests and Green Networks Adelaide Professional 06/06/2022 06/06/2022
Symposium - Smart Cities, Biodiversity Symposium and Green Infrastructure Adelaide Professional 07/06/2022 07/06/2022
Public Outreach through Durable Open Access Journal Publication Adelaide Public 01/06/2022 30/06/2022

Social media

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $25,000


Queensland/Saitama Rugby Partnership

Sector: Society, Culture and Sport

Country location: Australia / Japan

Grantee: Queensland Rugby Union Limited

Project description

A partnership between Saitama Panasonic Wildknights the Queensland Reds and our respective governments focusing on the sharing of excellence through various initiatives such as exchange programs, business of rugby summits, rugby festivals as the key drivers of this partnership.

The intention is to announce our partnership by way of a formal ceremony at Kumagaya Stadium in Saitama, in December, 2021. Dignitaries from all parties will be honoured at the event.

The ceremony will be centred around a commemorative match between the Queensland Reds and Panasonic Wild Knights. It is noteworthy that the match will be the 30th anniversary of the Queensland Reds match played against Saitama in 1991. Representatives from both teams will be in attendance.

This match will be the first of an annual reciprocal event which we hope to grow in future to demonstrate the breadth of Rugby across international borders. Our vision is to expand this program in to the future to deliver a rugby festival showcasing teams from Saitama and Queensland including women's, university and schools.

 

Partnership between Saitama Panasonic Wildknights the Queensland Reds
Credit: Queensland Rugby Union Limited

Key dates:

Activity or Event Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
Inaugural Match Saitama Local Community, Respective Governments, Local Media 22/10/2022 29/10/2022

Social media

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $40,000


Rekindling Japanese and Torres Strait Islander Connections: Celebrating 50 years

Sector: Society and Culture

Country location: Australia / Japan

Grantee: Australian National University

Project description

This project is an innovative collaboration between Australian and Japanese researchers, Torres Strait Islander communities represented by ‘Gur A Baradharaw Kod’ Sea and Land Council, and Japan's National Museum of Ethnology. Our shared goal is to reinvigorate public, academic and community interest in a substantial body of social science research conducted during the 1970s and 80s by a team of Japanese researchers in the Torres Strait region. This major research undertaking produced an astonishingly detailed record of Torres Strait Islander community life including a 700-page book, photographs, maps, musical notations and much more. Written entirely in Japanese the research remains inaccessible to Torres Strait Islander and broader audiences.

The project will reconnect people and research materials through translation and the creation of engaging outputs including a translated online expedition book, digital storytelling, community exhibitions and international presentations. Working with members of the original Japanese research team, cultural institutions, Torres Strait Islander communities and Elders, this project will support greater appreciation in Australia of Japanese research engagement with this distinctive Australian region, while also fostering awareness in Japan of the unique cultures of the Torres Strait, and rekindling Japanese and Torres Strait connections on which to grow future knowledge exchanges.

 

Japanese Research Team outside Rainbow Motel at Thursday Island
Japanese Research Team outside Rainbow Motel at Thursday Island. Credit: Professor Hiroyuki Matsumoto

Key dates:

Activity or Event

Location

Target audience

Expected start date

Expected end date

Online book published

online and launched at exhibition in Canberra and Osaka

Torres Strait Islanders, First Nations community, academics and general public interested in Indigenous Studies in both countries

01/07/2024

15/12/2024

Second Online multimedia StoryMap

online and Canberra and Osaka

Torres Strait Islanders, First Nations community, academics and general public interested in Indigenous Studies in both countries

01/07/2022

15/12/2024

Exhibitions

Canberra and Osaka

Torres Strait Islanders, First Nations community, academics and general public interested in Indigenous Studies in both countries

01/07/2024

15/12/2024

Conference Presentation (Japanese Society of Cultural Anthropology or Australian Studies Association of Japan)

Japan city tba

Japanese academics with interest in Ethnographic, Indigenous Studies and Global Studies

01/06/2023

30/06/2023

Presentation at AIATSIS Summit

tba

First Nations and non-Indigenous academics, community members and policy makers

15/05/2023

30/06/2023

Presentation

Osaka

Japanese academics with interest in Ethnographic, Indigenous Studies and Global Studies

01/09/2022

15/12/2022

Presentation at Australian National University

Canberra

Academic audience with interest in Japanese Studies; Torres Strait Islander community

01/07/2022

30/09/2022

Online multimedia StoryMap of Project

online

Torres Strait Islanders, Japanese and Australian and other international academics with interests in Indigenous Studies

30/05/2022

31/07/2022

Presentation at Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Conference

Sunshine Coast

First Nations and non-Indigenous academics, community members and policy makers

30/05/2022

03/06/2022

Social media

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $119,180.50


Rethinking the Local and the Global in Australian Studies

Sector: Education and Australian studies

Country location: Japan

Grantee: Australian Studies Association of Japan

Project description

This project consists of two sessions in ASAJ annual conference. The first session on June 18 2022, “Call and Response of Indigenous Studies in Australia and Japan” will discuss the issues on “call and response” between indigenous and non-indigenous individuals and societies. As a guest speaker, Associate Professor Sana Nakata at The University of Melbourne will be invited, followed by Japanese discussants in related field of indigenous studies.

It will consequently allow us to illustrate how such cooperation has exerted discernible or imperceptible, effective or ineffective impacts over indigenous individuals and community as well as wider society. The second session on 19 June, “Transnational Flows of People and Culture,” will focus on issues surrounding transnational flows of migrants and cultures. As a panel of six Japanese scholars in migration studies, as well as cultural studies, will be organised.

We are currently in the process of seeking the attendance of one more guest speaker from Australia to attend this session. The topics will include migrants' cultural practices, transnational flow of culture and media, and theoretical interpretation on these issues. These research topics focussed on Australian society could attract academic attention in looking at the relatively strong bond between Australia and Japan.

 

ASAJ National Conference 2021 at Fukushima University
ASAJ National Conference 2021 at Fukushima University. Credit: Jun Tsutsumi (copyright free)

Key dates:

Activity or Event Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
ASAJ National Conference 2022 Kwansei Gakuin University Researchers and people those who are intersted in Australian studies 18/06/2022 19/06/2022

Social media

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $15,000


Science and Innovation in Australia-Japan scientific partnership

Sector: Scientific innovation

Country location: Australia

Grantee: University of Canberra

Project description

The annual symposium of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Alumni Association in Australia (JSPSAAA) will be back in 2022 and is an opportunity to celebrate the collaborative links between Australia and Japan.

Catalysing Australia–Japan Science and Innovation is the fourth edition of the JSPSAAA annual symposium. The event aims to give researchers the opportunity to present the collaborative work between Australia and Japan and explore the possibilities that bilateral collaboration can bring to their research.

The two-day hybrid event will take place in 2022 in Sydney. It will bring together researchers from diverse backgrounds and fields of research to catalyse the collaborations needed to enrich the strong bilateral science and research relationship between Australia and Japan under the following themes:

  • Health
  • Advanced materials and manufacturing
  • Energy
  • Food
  • Environment
  • Large research infrastructures
  • Relationships, institutions and society.

 

Poster promoting Catalysing Australia–Japan Science and Innovation.
Catalysing Australia–Japan Science and Innovation. Credit: Australian Academy of Science

Key dates:

Activity or Event Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
Annual symposium of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Alumni Association in Australia (JSPSAAA) Sydney 400 01/03/2022 03/03/2022

Social media

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $30,000


Scientific exchange: Metal additive manufacturing

Sector: Scientific innovation

Country location: Australia / Japan

Grantee: CSIRO

Project description

Metal additive manufacturing (metal 3D printing) is an innovative manufacturing method that builds parts layer-by-layer. An energy source such as a laser beam, electron beam or arc plasma is used to melt a metal powder or wire to deposit each layer. Metal additive manufacturing can produce custom-designed parts, often with geometries and properties that are not possible using standard manufacturing processes.

CSIRO and the Joining and Welding Research Institute (JWRI) of Osaka University are researching and developing a range of metal additive manufacturing processes for application in industries including aerospace and biomedical manufacturing. The organisations have collaborated for almost 20 years on arc welding. The project aims to extend this collaboration to metal additive manufacturing. This will improve R&D outcomes, and create links between Australian and Japanese industry and researchers.

 

A large metal part produced by additive manufacturing, and computational simulations of the process.
A large metal part produced by additive manufacturing, and computational simulations of the process. Credit: CSIRO

Key dates

Social media

  • TBC

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $9,000


Sharing advances in next-generation telecommunications technologies for technological sovereignty

Sector: Scientific innovation

Country location: Australia

Grantee: The University of Adelaide

Project description

Our project 'Sharing Advances in Next-Generation Telecommunications Technologies for Technological Sovereignty' is supported by the Australian Government through the Australia-Japan Foundation of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Over 2022–2023, the project aims at bilateral exchanges of postgraduates and researchers between the University of Adelaide, RMIT University, Osaka University, and Kyushu University. These four universities have complementary and critical capabilities to drive next-generation (6G) telecommunications technologies planned to support ever increasing data traffic by 2030. The exchanges will allow us to share latest advances in this common area among the participants via laboratory visits and training. The project will promote our innovation, science, and education and people-to-people links for greater collaborations in next-generation telecommunications for technological sovereignty of Australia and Japan.

 

Adelaide team working collaboratively on terahertz technology
Our Adelaide team working collaboratively on terahertz technology. Credit: Withawat Withayachumnankul

Key dates:

Activity or Event Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
A/Prof Withawat Wit hayachumnankul delivering online seminars to Osaka University and Kyushu University. Zoom Students/staff at the Japanese universities 01/02/2022 28/02/2022
Prof Shiyoshi Yokoyama delivering online seminars to the University of Adelaide and RMIT University. Zoom Students/staff at Australian universities 01/05/2022 30/05/2022
A/Prof Masayuki Fujita delivering online seminars to the University of Adelaide and RMIT University. Zoom Students/staff at Australian universities 01/08/2022 31/08/2022
Dr Ke Wang delivering online seminars to Osaka University and Kyushu University. Zoom Students/staff at Japanese universities 01/11/2022 30/11/2022
Staff/student from Kyushu University to visit the University of Adelaide and RMIT University. They will spend 15 days to learn advanced knowledge and experimental skills on terahertz components and integrated optics from the Principle Participants' groups. Adelaide and Melbourne   01/02/2023 28/02/2023
Staff/student from RMIT University to visit Osaka University and Kyushu University in Japan. They will spend 15 days to learn advanced knowledge and experimental skills on terahertz communications and electro-optic polymers from the Project Partners' groups. Osaka and Kyushu   01/05/2023 30/05/2023
Staff/student from Osaka University to visit the University of Adelaide and RMIT University. The student will spend 15 days to learn advanced knowledge and experimental skills on terahertz components and integrated optics from the Principle Participants' groups. Adelaide and Melbourne   01/08/2023 31/08/2023
Staff/student from the University of Adelaide to visit Osaka University and Kyushu University in Japan. They will spend 15 days to learn advanced knowledge and experimental skills on terahertz communications and electro-optic polymers from the Project Partners' groups. Osaka and Kyushu   01/11/2023 30/11/2023

Social media

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $25,000


Somewhere, Everywhere, Nowhere

Sector: Society, Culture and Sport

Country location: Australia / Japan

Grantee: Insite Arts International

Project description

Humans (for now) live on one planet; a globalised world where the digital is used to link us with more opinions and information than ever before. Yet, simultaneously, that world seems to deepen the separation between people by location, proximity, political inclination, cultural histories and languages.

Somewhere, Everywhere, Nowhere, points to the similarities and bridges the two makers' stories and experiences. Australian and Japanese co-choreographers and dancers Alison Currie (whose recent work was commissioned by Australian Dance Theatre) and award-winning soloist Yui Kawaguchi join forces to compose a collision between the everyday and imagined possibilities.

Using sound, light and form to accentuate the contrasting techniques of each dancer, Alison and Yui's intricate choreography drifts in and out of sync to expose the significant, simple and absurd. An ephemeral performance about parallels and connection, Somewhere, Everywhere, Nowhere unveils how humans are defined not by what we know, but rather by what we are yet to discover.

  • Co-Direction, Choreography and Concept, Performers: Alison Currie and Yui Kawaguchi
  • Spacial, Set and Lighting Design: Fabian Bleisch
  • Sound Design: Sascha Budimski
  • Dramaturgy and Producer, Insite Arts International: Jason Cross
  • Associate Producer, Mendora: Ilja Fontaine
  • Company Manager and Producer, Insite Arts: Penelope Leishman

 

Alison Currie & Yui Kawaguchi
Somehwere Everywhere Nowhere | Alison Currie & Yui Kawaguchi. Credit: Sam Roberts & Rudolf Sagmeister

Key dates:

Activity or Event Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
Masterclass | Collaboration & Choreography AC Arts Dance Artists 15/10/2021 15/10/2021
Somewhere Everywhere Nowhere | World Premiere Performance OzAsia Festival 2021 | Adelaide Festival Centre | Space Theatre   21/10/2021 21/10/2021
Somewhere Everywhere Nowhere | Performance 2 OzAsia Festival 2021 | Adelaide Festival Centre | Space Theatre   22/09/2021 22/10/2021
Somewhere Everywhere Nowhere | Performance 3 | Final OzAsia Festival 2021 | Adelaide Festival Centre | Space Theatre   23/10/2021 23/10/2021

Social media

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $25,000


Sydney and Tokyo Waterfronts in an Age of Global Warming

Sector: Scientific innovation

Country location: Australia / Japan

Grantee: The University of New South Wales

Project description

The project contemplates research activities and joint design studios led by academics from UNSW Sydney and Waseda University to foster knowledge exchange and share different design approaches, while detecting and interpreting the challenges and opportunities that waterfront cities like Sydney and Tokyo face in a period of climate change. It aims to promote a cross-cultural comparison between Australia and Japan planning and design methodologies and intends to provide important insights on the conditions of the large urban waterfronts through a progressive and coherent research-by-design process divided into the 3 stages of mapping, analysis and intervention. Accordingly, a series of master-level design studios, seminars and workshops between Sydney and Tokyo combine into collaborative investigation with the intention to discuss and compare the problems of the waterfronts in these 2 cities. In parallel, this project intends to organize a 1-day international on-line symposium (webinar) provisionally titled: Repairing Waterfront in the Age of Global Warming: Learning from Sydney and Tokyo in November 2022 based on the collaboration between UNSW Sydney and Waseda University. On this occasion renown scholars, practitioners and academics from Australia, Japan and overseas will present an account of the status of art of the waterfront regeneration and urban design practices.

Sydney Harbour and Tokyo Bay (MM21) Waterfronts.
Sydney Harbour and Tokyo Bay (MM21) Waterfronts. Credit: Raffaele Pernice

Key dates:

Activity or Event Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
Preparation of first draft of the edited book containing the papers presented at the symposium (use of logo on visual/printed materials) Sydney general 01/03/2023 01/06/2023
On-line symposium event 24 November 2022 (use of logo on visual/printed materials) Sydney students and faculty; general 24/11/2022 24/11/2022
Joint design studios UNSW/Waseda University; July/August seminars of Professor Yaguchi at UNSW (use of logo on visual/printed materials) Sydney students; general 14/02/2022 31/08/2022
First Summer joint studio BEIL6013 Nomad Japan (UNSW Sydney/Waseda University); use of logo on visual/printed materials Sydney students; general 13/12/2021 21/01/2022

Social media

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $15,000


UQ-Blue-Tokyo: Promoting Cyber Security Sector Diversity and Bilateral Interdisciplinary Research

Sector: Scientific innovation

Country location: Australia/Japan/Online

Grantee: The University of Queensland

Project description

Cybersecurity is considered a national security issue in Australia and Japan, and both countries are collaborating at the government-to-government level to develop and maintain an open, free and secure cyberspace, whilst non-government actors play an important enabling the role in safeguarding both countries' data sovereignty, economic prosperity and social cohesion. An ever-increasing range of cyber threats requires increased awareness, and knowledge exchange between like-minded countries on cyber security and e-safety issues. This project augments the close and enduring government-to-government relationship between Japan and Australia, with a focus on what universities and think-tanks can contribute to overall cyber security resilience and exchange.

The project aims to increase awareness through building people-to-people linkages between research communities, industries, and students. The project will showcase excellence and expertise in cyber security capabilities in Japan and in Australia by covering topics such as: national security and cyber policies for enhancing regional cyber security capabilities; working towards a diverse workforce in cyber security; sharing of lessons learnt of the cyber security educational framework, interdisciplinary research, successful case studies, and cyber crime and cyber security strategies to host big events (e.g. Olympics).

 

UQ-Blue-Tokyo Cyber Security Workshop poster
UQ-Blue-Tokyo Cyber Security Workshop, Australia/Japan/Online 8th & 15th Dec. Credit: The University of Queensland

Key dates:

Activity or Event Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
Workshop 1: National Security and Cyber Policies: Enhancing regional cyber security capabilities, emerging challenges, key issues Australia/Japan/Online Policy makers, government officers, researchers, students 08/12/2021 08/12/2021
Workshop 2: Preventing and combating cyber crime at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics – Cybersecurity and law enforcement perspectives for Brisbane 2032 Olympics Australia/Japan/Online Policy makers, government officers, researchers, students 08/12/2021 08/12/2021
Workshop 3: Diverse workforce in cybersecurity: Expanding the pipeline and breaking down the barriers Australia/Japan/Online Policy makers, researchers, students 15/12/2021 15/12/2021
Workshop 4: Interdisciplinary Cyber Security Education Australia/Japan/Online Policy makers, researchers, students 15/12/2021 15/12/2021

Social media

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $20,000


Ventures Discovery Japan Incubator

Sector: Education and Australian studies

Country location: Australia

Grantee: University of Queensland

Project description

UQ Ventures, through its Discovery program, is delivering an exciting new incubator for Japanese highschool students. Delivered across four consecutive weeks, the program encourages entrepreneurial and innovative thinking and connects students with Australian founders.

Each week, experts will deliver a live virtual presentation, followed by recorded sessions and team-based activities. The workshops aim to give students a comprehensive understanding of all stages of an entrepreneurial journey, from customer discovery, ideation, market validation, and business modelling to pitching and storytelling. The program will end in a pitch competition, delivered virtually and streamed to stakeholders at a networking event on campus (pending COVID-19 restrictions).

The online incubator will act as a pilot for an in-person program that Ventures hopes to deliver over two weeks in Japan in 2023. The online pilot will provide the University with opportunities to grow partnerships with Japanese schools and partners, and to support the proposed in-person program.

Participants will receive a certificate at the end of the program.

 

Group photo of the Prizewinners at the 2021 Gen[in] Mentor Blaze
Prizewinners at the 2021 Gen[in] Mentor Blaze, supported by UQ Ventures, Discovery program. Credit: UQ Ventures

Key dates:

Activity or Event Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
Week One (Problem and Customer Discovery) Online Japan High School Students 14/03/2022 18/03/2022
Week Two (Empathising, Ideation and Creativity) Online Japan High School Students 21/03/2022 25/03/2022
Week Three (Business Model and Prototyping) Online Japan High School Students 28/03/2022 01/04/2022
Week Four (Market Vlidation, Pitching and Storytelling) Online Japan High School Students 04/04/2022 08/04/2022
Pitching Competition Online Japan High School Students 08/04/2022 08/04/2022
Pitching Competition Streaming Networking Event UQ Campus Japanese UQ students, local innovation ecosystem members, UQ networks 08/04/2022 08/04/2022

Social media

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $20,000


Women's leadership through craft: Mutual learning between Australia and Japan

Sector: Society, Culture and Sport

Country location: Australia / Japan

Grantee: Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

Project description

This project supports women craftspeople in Japan and Australia to develop their own leadership capacities relevant to their practices through an accessible, relevant gender-inclusive mentorship program. In both countries, younger craftswomen face challenges in assuming leadership positions in their communities and organisations, due to persistent socio-cultural and economical inequalities around gender. By empowering groups of women in Japan and Australia through co-developed mentoring approaches, the project aims to increase equity, diversity and inclusion in their respective crafts industries and communities. This aims to facilitate collaborative learning, seeding long-term multilateral, reciprocal relationships between craftspeople and social innovation-leadership experts in Australia and Japan.

 

DESIAP Mutual learning between women 2022.
DESIAP Mutual learning between women 2022. Credit: Yoko Akama

Key dates:

Activity or Event Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
Interim report publication DESIAP website Creative sectors, Social Purpose Organisations, Institutional Philanthropy organisations, government, 29/06/2023 30/06/2023
Roundable discussion on women's leadership in the creative sector Online Creative sectors, Social Purpose Organisations, Institutional Philanthropy organisations, government, 27/02/2023 28/02/2023

Social media:

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $20,000


Yuko Mohri participation in the 23rd Biennale of Sydney

Sector: Society, Culture and Sport

Country location: Australia / Japan

Grantee: Biennale of Sydney

Project description

Yuko Mohri, acclaimed contemporary artist from Japan, has been invited to participate in the 23rd Biennale of Sydney (2022), titled rīvus.

rīvus, meaning 'stream' in Latin, is being developed and realised by a Curatorium led by José Roca, Artistic Director, 23rd Biennale of Sydney, and team of Australian curators.

For the 23rd Biennale of Sydney (2022), Yuko Mohri will present a major new site-specific installation. This will be the first time the artist has exhibited in Sydney. Renowned for her sonic experimentations and audio-visual sculptural works, Yuko Mohri will produce a new installation that expands on her ongoing series Moré Moré [Leaky].

Through the Biennale of Sydney, new connections and relationships between Australia and Japan will be developed. Yuko Mohri's participation in the 23rd Biennale of Sydney will build closer cultural networks and partnerships through direct interaction between her works and ideas with Australian audiences, as well as associated programming and events.

The exhibition will be open to the public, free of charge, from 12 March – 13 June 2022 across Sydney, attracting visitation of over 500,000.

 

Yuko Mohri, Flutter, 2018. Installation view at Voluta (2018)
Yuko Mohri, Flutter, 2018. Installation view at Voluta (2018), Camden Arts Centre, London. Courtesy Camden Arts Centre. Photograph: Damian Griffiths. Credit: Damian Griffiths

Key dates:

Activity or Event Location Target audience Expected start date Expected end date
Media Release & Announcement of participants for 23rd Biennale of Sydney The Cutaway, Barangaroo Media 08/04/2021 08/04/2021
Media Release & Announcement of full program and participant list and program for 23rd Biennale of Sydney Barangaroo Media 16/11/2021 16/11/2021
Announcement of Participant (artist) Projects TBC Media 14/02/2022 14/02/2022
23rd Biennale of Sydney Opening Week Exhibition signage - Written acknowledgement (no logo) All Exhibition Sites All audiences 08/03/2022 12/03/2022
23rd Biennale of Sydney Open to the public Exhibition signage - Written acknowledgement (no logo) All Exhibition Sites All audiences 12/03/2022 13/06/2022

Social media

  • Facebook: @biennaleofsydney - use #biennaleofsydney #sydneybiennale #rivus #biennale #sydney #contemporaryart #arts

Australia-Japan Foundation grant offer: $25,000

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