The importance of an international focus in teaching and learning will be highlighted at University of Queensland graduation ceremonies this week.
The former Federal Human Rights Commissioner and the Head of Mission to the People’s Republic of China will be guest speakers at the Arts and Social and Behavioural Sciences graduation ceremonies tomorrow, July 19.
Cementing relations between UQ and the Brisbane Consulate of the People’s Republic of China, Consul and Head of Mission Madame Liu Fei will speak at the 6pm ceremony.
About 860 Chinese students are studying at UQ this year and the consulate maintains a close relationship with the University through the sponsorship of students and through research and teaching in Chinese language studies.
In February, Madam Liu Fei presented UQ’s Institute of Modern Languages (IML) with 320 books on Chinese language, history, culture and customs.
IML Director Georgiana Poulter said Chinese is the fastest growing language at the Institute in terms of enrolments.
“Our students range from people who are doing business with China, to the children of migrants who can speak Chinese but want to develop their reading and writing skills,” Ms Poulter said.
UQ’s School of Languages and Comparative Cultural Studies has offered a Master of Arts in Translation and Interpreting (MATIC) (English and Chinese) since 2005. The degree has rapidly gained popularity since it started.
The first graduates from the MATIC program will be attending the 6pm graduation ceremony. The students from China are Meimei Guo, Claudia Yuen Fun Lee, Wai Ka Liu, Lei Shi, Kai Zhang and Ana Zhao.
UQ will hold graduation ceremonies for the first time in Shanghai and Beijing in October this year, highlighting again the importance of the relationship between the two countries.
Valedictorian at the 6pm ceremony is St Lucia resident Huaqi Ma who will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Literary Studies.
Professor Brian Burdekin AO will speak at the 2pm ceremony on July 19. Professor Burdekin is Visiting Professor at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute in Sweden and International Advisor to 25 governments and independent national human rights institutions in Africa, the Asia-Pacific and Central and Eastern Europe.
From 1995 to 2003, Professor Burdekin was Special Adviser on National Institutions to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. His responsibilities included advice and assistance to countries wishing to create or strengthen national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights. He also assisted in providing strategies to improve regional cooperation and to prevent violations of human rights from occurring.
Prior to taking up his appointment with the United Nations, Professor Burdekin was, from 1986 to 1994, the first Federal Human Rights Commissioner of Australia.
He welcomed the opportunity to speak at the ceremony and will comment on the current international human rights situation and the challenges and responsibilities confronting Australia.
The valedictorian for this ceremony is Bachelor of Arts (Honours) student Nina Ulasowski who majored in international relations. Ms Ulasowski lives in Brookfield.
The graduation ceremonies will be held in the UQ Centre, Union Rd, St Lucia campus.
To listen to graduation speeches, click here.
Media: Elizabeth Kerr (07 3365 2339 or 0422 940 572)
