Perspectives:Asia | Asian-Australians: Enabling and elevating Australia’s competitive advantage to succeed in Asia

Jieh-Yung Lo, Founding Director of the Centre for Asian-Australian Leadership, Australian National University, presented a case for Australian businesses and governments to increase and prioritise Asian-Australian representation in senior leadership positions at the Perspectives:Asia seminar at QAGoMA on Thursday 13 May 2021.

The recently published Asia Taskforce final report A Second Chance: How Team Australia can succeed in Asia stated the acceleration and diversification of trade with Asia is the cornerstone to Australia’s post-COVID-19 economic recovery. However, increasing geopolitical tensions, strategic and economic competition for access to Asia, its markets and consumers means we in Australia will have to play to our strengths and tap into our competitive advantage if we are going to stand out. Australia’s diverse and Asia-capable Asian-Australian communities are our competitive advantage to not only help Australia succeed in Asia, but safeguard our economic prosperity and consolidate our place in the region.

Asian-Australians were recognised and identified by the Asia Taskforce as a critical national asset that requires ongoing investment by Australian businesses and governments if they are to reach their potential in helping to lead Australia to successfully navigate an increasingly complex and diverse region. Asian-Australians constitute approximately 15 per cent of the Australian population yet they remain seriously under-represented in senior leadership positions across Australia’s public institutions and private corporations.

Jieh-Yung Lo spoke about the unique advantages Asian-Australians can bring to strengthen Australia’s Asia skills and capabilities and pathways for our businesses and governments to better enable and elevate Asian-Australians to deliver on their full potential in support of Australia’s aspirations to engage, connect and succeed in Asia.

Watch the #PerspectivesAsia seminar online.

Perspectives:Asia is presented by the Griffith Asia Institute, Griffith University and the Australian Centre of Asia-Pacific Art (ACAPA) at QAGOMA. Previous Perspectives:Asia seminars are also available online.