Stand out reunion for UniSA's International Graduates
It
is an amazing thing to be talking to someone you have never met before
over cocktails in one of those famously high skyscrapers in Hong Kong
about how Sturt is performing in the SANFL, or the fact that Magic
Mountain has just been demolished to make way for new apartments in
Glenelg, or how the proposed abolition of student unionism may impact on
campus life in Australia.
The Australian Universities International Alumni Convention in Hong Kong in December 2004 offered just that opportunity to the thousands of former students, now successful careerists who studied in Australia, but returned to their home country after their graduation.
It was a grand affair with some fabulous entertainment for visitors from
all
across
Asia and the Pacific and some exciting speakers, including former Australian
Prime Minister Bob Hawke and the inspiring dancer Li Cunxin, author of his
own story Mao's Last Dancer.
UniSA graduates were highly visible at the conference. In fact UniSA graduates from Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia, all members of thriving alumni chapters, made up the biggest contingent of former students from any Australian university at the convention – and sporting bright red UniSA t-shirts, they were possibly the most flamboyant.
News from some of the chapters includes that the Taiwan Chapter only
formed in 2004 now has more than 30 members across 21 cities in Taiwan.
UniSA PhD graduate in engineering from Yung-Chou Kao is the inaugural
president.
The
Malaysian alumni chapter, now with 200 members, is all fired up for a year
of activities including family days, a mountain climb and a premier dinner
later in 2005. New president Badrul Hisham Jaafar and his wife Noriah
graduated from UniSA in 1985 and have been members of the Malaysian chapter
since its inception in 1999.
The Hong Kong and Singapore chapters were also out in force at the convention and plan to continue an active program of events this year.
You can search online for more information about any of the alumni
chapters and their activities – Hong Kong at
www.unisalumni.com.hk, Malaysia
at
www.unisa.edu.au/alumni/netwk/malay.asp, Singapore at
www.unisa.edu.au/alumni/netwk/singpre.asp, Taiwan at
www.unisait.org.tw