The Wang Gungwu Lecture, celebrating Chinese Australians’ contribution to Australian life, returns in 2023.
Chinese Australians have contributed to Australia’s business, political, scientific and cultural sectors for more than a century. The Wang Gungwu Lecture, named after the eminent Chinese historian Professor Wang Gungwu, shines a light on Chinese Australian achievements and provides a platform for discussion on what it means to be a Chinese Australian today.
Ms Wang discusses her experiences of social exclusion growing up in suburban Australia and the importance of art and literature in her own search for identity and sense of belonging.
Ms Wang explains, “I hope by sharing stories that are a celebration of all our differences, children may find a feeling of self-acceptance from a young age. I encourage those from diverse backgrounds to share your stories too. The more diverse stories there are out in the open, the more tolerant our society will be.”
The Wang Gungwu Lecture is a partnership between ABC International, the National Foundation for Australia China Relations and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
In 2022, renowned paediatrician and former Australian of the Year, Dr. John Yu AC, delivered the inaugural Wang Gungwu Lecture to a live audience at ABC Sydney’s studios, with a supporting address from chef, writer and television presenter Adam Liaw.
ABC Head of International Services Claire Gorman said: “After such a successful event last year, we are delighted to partner once again with DFAT and the National Foundation to celebrate the lives, achievements and contributions of Chinese Australians in our country. The ABC has a proud history of sharing the stories of Australians from diverse backgrounds both domestically and to our international audiences and we hope the Wang Gungwu Lecture will continue to provide an important platform for these stories to be heard and shared.”
National Foundation CEO Peter Cai commented: “We are privileged to have the Australian Children’s Laureate Gabrielle Wang as our keynote speaker for the second Wang Gungwu Lecture. Gabrielle’s work in bringing diversity and representation to children’s literature is vitally important to shaping young minds and creating a more inclusive and tolerant future”.
The 2023 Wang Gungwu Lecture will premiere on ABC Australia, on Saturday 4 February at 6:30pm AEDT, 5:30pm in Papua New Guinea, 3:30pm in Hong Kong and Singapore, 2:30pm in Jakarta, and 1pm in India. It will also be available on ABC iview and ABC Australia iview from 4 February as part of the ABC’s Favourites with Chinese Subtitles collection. The lecture will be broadcast on ABC TV in Australia on Thursday 9 February, at 11am AEDT.
About ABC International
ABC International, through owned and operated platforms ABC Australia, ABC Radio Australia, and ABC websites and apps, reaches a unique overseas audiences of at least 14,800,000 each month.
ABC AUSTRALIA is available in 38 countries and has a monthly viewership of at least 3,615,000 across Asia and the Pacific and ABC RADIO AUSTRALIA has a monthly listenership of at least 287,000 and reaches 18% of urban adult Pacific populations.
About the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations
The National Foundation for Australia-China Relations is an Australian government initiative, established in 2020, to strengthen constructive engagement between Australia and China and to engage Australia’s diverse Chinese Australian communities. As a national platform, the Foundation works across business, governments, and communities to provide practical support and expertise, facilitate connections, and coordinate capacity building and exchange programs.
