Editors --- "Event reviews" [2007] MonashBusRw 58; (2007) 3(3) Monash Business Review 50
Event reviews
‘Where does Australian foreign policy re: Asia currently stand and where is it going?’
Presentation by The Hon. Alexander Downer, MP Melbourne, 22 August 2007
In the lead-up to the Australian federal election, public policy is high on the agenda. The presentation at Monash University by the Minister for Foreign Affairs covers familiar ground – the rise of China and India and work by Australia to further build bilateral relationships with those two countries; the crucial role of other major powers, including the US and Japan; the fight against terrorism; and climate change – but was interesting from start to finish. Question time proved a highlight, with the Minister answering questions with deftness and humour, covering topics from decline of foreign language education in schools, the international student market to drug trafficking. He also highlighted the personal impact of public affairs by recalling the unsuccessful appeals for clemency of Van Tuong Nguyen in Singapore in late 2005.
Review by Professor On Kit Tam, Deputy Dean International, Monash University.
12th International Metropolis Conference: Migration, Economic Growth and Social Cohesion
This Melbourne conference was one of the largest on immigration held in Australia for more than 10 years. Attended by 750 delegates from some 30 different countries, participants discussed topics ranging from security risks to coping with the diversity of new arrivals to the impact of programs to attract skilled migrants on both countries of origin and destination. Many developed countries like Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States look to immigration to address labour force shortages brought on by low fertility rates and aging populations. The movement of these skilled immigrants often leaves the less developed countries of origin with a shortage of skilled workers in key service sectors such as health care and education.
Striking a balance and trying to address the needs of both origin and destination countries was often a topic of lively discussion at the conference. The consensus of delegates was that there is a great deal of work to be done to develop the policy and the capacity to address these many complex issues. The discussions and exchange at the conference helped to define the policies required and the important work yet to be done.
Review by Tom Carter, Canada Research Chair in Urban Change and Adaptation and Professor of Geography, University of Winnipeg, Canada.
Migration and Social Protection in China Conference, Beijing, 25–26 September 2007
The focus of the conference was on the key issues involved in establishing a social protection regime for migrant workers in China, consistent with the Chinese central government’s objectives of ‘establishing an harmonious society’ and the integration of rural and urban populations.
The conference was both original in scope, and within the context of estimates that put China’s number of internal migrants at around 150 million, made for timely critical analyses of the deficiencies in existing social security arrangements. The importance of the conference was underscored by the calibre of speakers and attendees, which included many of the world’s most notable China specialists, along with representatives from the World Bank, the Ford Foundation, the ILO and UNESCO.
The overall conclusion drawn from the conference was that despite the range of work being undertaken by a key group of researchers around the world, there is still some distance to go with respect to instituting comprehensive social security coverage for China’s huge and diverse cohort of migrant workers. However, the calibre of work on migration and social protection presented suggests that we should be optimistic about the progress being made towards meeting the challenge of protecting the social welfare of Chinese migrants.
Review by Professor Mark Duda, Harvard University.