The Executive Director's View - May 2012
Asia:NZ's acting executive director Adele Mason on the latest developments in the Asia region and within the Asia New Zealand Foundation.
New Zealand’s nearest Asian neighbour – Indonesia – has been in the spotlight in recent weeks, after last month’s visit by Prime Minister John Key, Trade Minister Tim Groser and a business delegation. During Key’s visit, New Zealand and Indonesia signed four new agreements covering agriculture, environment, labour and geothermal energy. Key also announced that the government would appoint a new trade commissioner to the region.
While the visit highlighted New Zealand’s growing engagement with Indonesia, the Asia New Zealand Foundation’s latest Perceptions of Asia survey revealed a need to increase New Zealanders’ understanding of the world’s fourth most populous country.
The survey included a special section on New Zealanders’ knowledge and understanding of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It found that when New Zealanders were asked to think about Asia, they mostly thought of China and Japan. Fewer mentioned the 10 countries that make up ASEAN, with only 17% mentioned Indonesia. Those surveyed also had a very basic knowledge of the ASEAN countries.
Asia:NZ sees the media as playing a crucial role in increasing New Zealanders’ understanding of Indonesia. In recent years, we have sent more than 20 New Zealand journalists to Indonesia for media internships, many through the ACICIS Journalism Professional Practicum programme.
We certainly expect to see recognition of Indonesia and its ASEAN neighbours grow amongst New Zealanders in the next few years. The government is working on a range of initiatives to increase engagement with Southeast Asia, including the ASEAN Young Business Leaders Initiative, which Asia:NZ is managing for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade. We have just farewelled the most recent participant in the scheme, Joan Cosico, of leading Philippines real estate company Robinsons Land Corporation. Cosico was particularly impressed by New Zealand’s focus on sustainable development.
The next participant is Nguyen Anh Duc, deputy chief executive of Saigon Co-op, Vietnam’s leading retailer. Duc arrives in New Zealand on May 20. In the following months, we will be hosting young business leaders from several ASEAN countries, including representatives of Indonesia’s mining and aviation industries.
Meanwhile, Asia:NZ’s Track II (unofficial diplomacy) programme is helping increase New Zealand’s engagement with one of the least-known members of ASEAN – Myanmar. A delegation of New Zealand-based Asia experts will travel to Yangon on May 17 to meet with Myanmar’s Institute of Strategic and International Studies. Two other inaugural dialogues this month, in Taipei and Seoul, are also extending our Track II work.
Across the Tasman, the need to increase “Asia literacy” amongst Australians has been the subject of much discussion recently. A summary of submissions on the white paper Australia in the Asian Century – being prepared for the Australian government by former treasury chief Ken Henry – shows strong support for increased proficiency in Asian languages.
But the submitters also argued that being "Asia-literate" was about more than language ability. They identified a need to broaden the study of Asian countries across subject areas, including history, literature, politics and culture.
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard herself acknowledged that “cultural literacy and understanding, or what Ken Henry describes as Asia-relevant capabilities, are vital to Australia's prospects in this century”.
Asia:NZ has long been pushing for increased Asia literacy in New Zealand’s education system. Our submission to Australia in the Asian Century noted the need for New Zealand schools to teach more about Asia, its countries, peoples, and cultures, so that young New Zealanders can enter the workforce or tertiary education with a better understanding of Asia.
We’re pleased to see a growing number of schools taking the initiative to teach their students more about Asia. Our Principals’ Asia Aware Network now has more than 120 members. Meanwhile, more schools and businesses are signing up to our Business Education Partnership initiative, in which New Zealand companies share their experiences doing business with and in Asia. The latest partnership to be signed is between Papatoetoe High School and Auckland International Airport.
I’d like to sign off by congratulating Asia:NZ culture director Jennifer King, who was awarded her MNZM (Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit) at Government House last week for services to Asian communities. Among her many achievements, Jennifer is the driving force behind the creation and organisation of the Chinese Lantern and Diwali festivals in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, which are among the biggest cultural events in Australasia.