SMART ENGAGEMENT WITH ASIA: Leveraging language, research and culture FINAL REPORT PROJECT AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF THE HUMANITIES AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE ACADEMY OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES IN AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING SECURING EXPERT AUSTRALIA’S WORKING FUTURE GROUP Funded by the Australian Professor Ien Ang FAHA (Chair) Research Council and Professor Chennupati Jagadish FAA, FTSE (Deputy) conducted by the four Professor Kent Anderson Learned Academies Professor John Fitzgerald FAHA through the Australian Professor Fazal Rizvi FASSA Professor Krishna Sen FAHA Council of Learned Professor Mark Wainwright AM, FTSE Academies for the Australian Chief Scientist AUTHORS and the Commonwealth Professor Ien Ang Science Council. Securing Dr Yasmin Tambiah Australia’s Future delivers Dr Phillip Mar evidence-based research and interdisciplinary findings to support policy development in areas of importance to Australia’s future © Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA) ISBN 978-0-9875798-5-0 This work is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of it may be reproduced by any process without written permission from the publisher. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction rights should be directed to the publisher. DATE OF PUBLICATION March 2015 PUBLISHER Australian Council of Learned Academies Level 1, 1 Bowen Crescent Melbourne Victoria 3004 Australia Telephone: +61 (0)3 98640923 www.acola.org.au SUGGESTED CITATION Ang, I, Tambiah, Y, and Mar, P (2015). Smart engagement with Asia: Leveraging language, research and culture. Report for the Australian Council of Learned Academies, www.acola.org.au. REPORT DESIGN Lyrebird [email protected] 2 SMART ENGAGEMENT WITH ASIA: Leveraging language, research and culture ACOLA is the interface of the four Learned Academies: Australian Academy of the Humanities Australian Academy of Science Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering 3 Australia’s Learned Academies Australian Academy of the Humanities Australian Academy of Science The Australian Academy of the Humanities The Australian Academy of Science is a private advances knowledge of, and the pursuit of organisation established by Royal Charter in excellence in, the humanities in Australia. 1954. It comprises ~450 of Australia’s leading Established by Royal Charter in 1969, the scientists, elected for outstanding contributions Academy is an independent organisation of to the life sciences and physical sciences. The more than 500 elected scholars who are leaders Academy recognises and fosters science excellence and experts in the humanities disciplines. through awards to established and early career The Academy promotes the contribution of researchers, provides evidence-based advice the humanities disciplines for public good to assist public policy development, organises and to the national research and innovation scientific conferences, and publishes scientific system, including their critical role in the books and journals. The Academy represents interdisciplinary collaboration required to Australian science internationally, through its address societal challenges and opportunities. National Committees for Science, and fosters The Academy supports the next generation international scientific relations through of humanities researchers and teachers exchanges, events and meetings. The Academy through its grants programme, and provides promotes public awareness of science and its authoritative and independent advice to school education programs support and inspire governments, industry, the media and the primary and secondary teachers to bring inquiry- public on matters concerning the humanities. based science into classrooms around Australia. www.humanities.org.au www.science.org.au Working Together – ACOLA The Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA) combines the strengths of the four Australian Learned Academies: Australian Academy of the Humanities, Australian Academy of Science, Academy of Social Sciences in Australia, and Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. 4 Academy of Social Sciences in Australia Australian Academy of Technological The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia Sciences and Engineering (ASSA) promotes excellence in the social sciences in ATSE advocates for a future in which technological Australia and in their contribution to public policy. sciences and engineering and innovation contribute It coordinates the promotion of research, teaching significantly to Australia’s social, economic and advice in the social sciences, promote national and environmental wellbeing. The Academy is and international scholarly cooperation across empowered in its mission by some 800 Fellows disciplines and sectors, comment on national needs drawn from industry, academia, research institutes and priorities in the social sciences and provide advice and government, who represent the brightest to government on issues of national importance. and the best in technological sciences and Established in 1971, replacing its parent engineering in Australia. Through engagement body the Social Science Research Council of by our Fellows, the Academy provides robust, Australia, itself founded in 1942, the academy independent and trusted evidence-based advice is an independent, interdisciplinary body of on technological issues of national importance. We elected Fellows. The Fellows are elected by their do this via activities including policy submissions, peers for their distinguished achievements workshops, symposia, conferences parliamentary and exceptional contributions made to the briefings, international exchanges and visits and social sciences across 18 disciplines. the publication of scientific and technical reports. It is an autonomous, non-governmental The Academy promotes science, and maths organisation, devoted to the advancement education via programs focusing on enquiry- of knowledge and research in the based learning, teaching quality and career various social sciences. promotion. ATSE fosters national and international collaboration and encourages technology transfer www.assa.edu.au for economic, social and environmental benefit. www.atse.org.au By providing a forum that brings together great minds, broad perspectives and knowledge, ACOLA is the nexus for true interdisciplinary cooperation to develop integrated problem solving and cutting edge thinking on key issues for the benefit of Australia. ACOLA receives Australian Government funding from the Australian Research Council and the Department of Education. www.acola.org.au 5 Contents List of figures 8 List of tables 9 List of boxes 9 Acronyms 10 Project aims 12 Executive summary 14 Key findings 20 Chapter 1: Introduction 28 1.1 Background: The rise of Asia and regional connectivity 28 1.2 The need for smart engagement 30 1.3 The importance of multilingual competency 31 1.4 Enhancing and facilitating international research collaboration 32 1.5 Nurturing and deepening cultural relations 32 1.6 The role of diasporas 33 1.7 Business and education 34 1.8 About this report 36 1.9 Key findings 37 Chapter 2: Languages for smart engagement 40 2.1 Introduction 40 2.2 Linguistic landscapes 42 2.3 Language as an essential capability 47 2.4 Language in select sectors: English, its possibilities and limits 52 2.5 English in the Asian region 57 2.6 Diasporas as linguistic resource 62 2.7 Conclusion 63 2.8 Key findings 63 6 Chapter 3: Research collaboration as smart engagement 66 3.1 Introduction 66 3.2 Research activity in the Asian region 70 3.3 Research policies and strategies in the Asian region 74 3.4 International research collaboration patterns in the Asian region 89 3.5 Australian research collaboration with Asia 93 3.6 The role of diasporas 99 3.7 Research collaboration and intercultural capabilities 105 3.8 Key findings 106 Chapter 4: Cultural relations and smart engagement 108 4.1 Introduction 108 4.2 Australia’s cultural relations with Asian countries 112 4.3 Cultural diplomacy and soft power in the Asian region 114 4.4 Australian cultural diplomacy 121 4.5 Independent cultural-relations initiatives 131 4.6 The cultural role of diasporas 135 4.7 Key findings 138 References 140 Expert working group 156 Acknowledgements 158 Evidence gathering 160 Review Panel 164 7 List of figures Figure 1.1: Population born in Asia 33 Figure 3.1: Trends in R&D investment 70 Figure 3.2: Regional share of global publication outputs 71 Figure 3.3: Business R&D investment sourced abroad 73 Figure 3.4: Growth rate of publications by discipline area in Asian countries, 1997–2012 74 Figure 3.5: Scientific articles involving international co-authors 91 Figure 3.6: Co-authorship in Northeast Asia and between China/Japan/South Korea and ASEAN 92 Figure 3.7: Partners on Australia’s internationally co-authored papers 94 Figure 3.8: Papers co-authored with Australia (absolute numbers) 95 Figure 3.9: Top Ten source countries for international partnerships of Australian universities, 2003–14 96 Figure 3.10: Top Five countries in Asia by type of activity included within agreements 96 Figure 3.11: The proportion of co-authors with Chinese descent 98 Figure 4.1: Asia-focused FCI grants by activity category, percentages 123 8 List of tables List of boxes Table 2.1: Top ten languages Box 1: Note on geographical terminology 27 spoken at home (a)(b) 42 Box 2.1: Australia-Asia BRIDGE Table 2.2: English Proficiency Index, Asia 58 School Partnerships