Submission: Inquiry into Building Asia Capability in Australia through the education system and beyond

The Inquiry is focused on the development of Asia capability within our nation, including the teaching and learning of Asian languages, cultural literacy, and regional engagement within and beyond the formal education system. 

The inquiry will consider how Australia can build Asia capability across the life course, from early learning through to tertiary education and into the workforce. It will seek to identify system-level reforms and structural enablers that may support development of Australia's Asia capability.

Asialink’s recommendations to the Inquiry 

The recommendations below outline how to build Australia's Asia capablity. Numerous programs, processes, and institutions have already proven effective. In most cases, investing in and supporting these initiatives will provide the most efficient, low-risk way to scale and strengthen Asia capability while ensuring the sustainability of the work already accomplished. 

Asialink recommends:

1. Developing a bipartisan whole-of-government National Asia Capability Strategy.
2. Investing in Asia capability, by:
   1. Establishing a National Asia Capability Fund,
   2. Supporting organisations such as Asialink, Australia’s only national centre for
      engagement with Asia with a proven track record in delivering Asia capability,
      through sustainable long-term funding.
3. Embedding and promoting Asia capability across the life course, including in:
   1. The education system,
   2. People-to-people links, including through the diaspora,
   3. Business, trade and investment, and throughout the workforce,
   4. All levels of government.

Access a copy of Asialink's full submission via the download link above.