{"id":11878,"date":"2025-08-01T16:52:59","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T06:52:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/?p=11878"},"modified":"2025-08-11T10:26:03","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T00:26:03","slug":"20-years-of-perspectivesasia-lessons-from-the-past-for-our-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/testblogs.griffith.edu.au\/asiainsights\/20-years-of-perspectivesasia-lessons-from-the-past-for-our-future\/","title":{"rendered":"20 years of Perspectives:Asia \u2013 Lessons from the past for our future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On Thursday 24 July, Griffith Asia Institute (GAI) and the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) came together to celebrate a remarkable milestone\u201420 years of the Perspectives:Asia<\/em> public lecture series. Held at the Gallery\u2019s iconic South Bank venue, the event reflected on the enduring success of a collaboration that has fostered public dialogue on Australia\u2019s place in the Asia-Pacific region since 2005.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Launched as a joint initiative between GAI and QAGOMA\u2019s Australian Centre of Asia Pacific Art (ACAPA), Perspectives:Asia<\/em> was designed to bridge culture, politics, and society. Over the past two decades, it has brought together artists, academics, diplomats, and community leaders to explore how Australia connects with its regional neighbours through wide-ranging topics\u2014spanning from sport and food to geopolitics and art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vice Chancellor of Griffith University, Professor Carolyn Evans, opened the evening by acknowledging the power of public forums like Perspectives:Asia<\/em> to shape understanding and policy. She emphasised the critical role that institutions such as GAI and QAGOMA play in fostering informed dialogue across cultures and warmly welcomed guests attending the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professor Caitlin Byrne, Pro Vice Chancellor (Business) and former Director of GAI, moderated the evening\u2019s panel discussion. A long-time champion of the series, Professor Byrne welcomed a distinguished group of panellists who each contributed unique reflections on the evolution of Perspectives:Asia<\/em> and Australia\u2019s growing engagement in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The panel included Professor Michael Wesley, now Deputy Vice-Chancellor Global, Culture and Engagement at the University of Melbourne, who offered insight into his original vision for the lecture series when he established it in 2005 during his tenure as GAI Director. He highlighted the need\u2014still relevant today\u2014for spaces where complex regional relationships could be explored through diverse perspectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professor Julianne Schultz, Professor Emerita Media and Culture and founding editor of Griffith Review<\/em>, reflected on her own participation in the 2007 session \u201cIn the neighbourhood: The challenges of Australia\u2019s regional engagement.\u201d She spoke to the series\u2019 legacy of tackling timely issues through the lens of personal experience, public debate, and cultural expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris Saines, Director of QAGOMA, shared the Gallery\u2019s deep commitment to the series, acknowledging the power of art and culture in bridging divides and enriching understanding. He paid tribute to the many speakers, audiences, and partners who have helped sustain the program over two decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Current GAI Director, Professor Christoph Nedopil, reiterated the Institute\u2019s ongoing commitment to creating meaningful public engagement around Asia-Pacific issues. He described Perspectives:Asia<\/em> as a \u201cplatform that continues to inform, challenge and inspire,\u201d particularly as the region enters a new era of geopolitical, environmental, and social transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the event concluded, panellists reflected on memorable lectures and moments that had resonated with them personally. There was a strong sense that while much has changed in Australia\u2019s regional engagement, the need for open, accessible conversations is more important than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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