Last night, DCA Board Chair Ming Long AM delivered the third annual Wang Gungwu Lecture, celebrating Chinese Australians’ contributions to Australian life. The annual lecture promotes the substantial and longstanding contributions of Chinese-Australians to our national story, and provides an enduring platform for discussion on what it means to be Chinese-Australian today. It will premiere on ABC Australia, ABC Asia and the ABC iview link will be available from 11PM this Friday 1 March, AEDT.
The first woman of Chinese heritage to lead an ASX200 company, Ming is on the boards of Telstra, IFM Investors, QBE Insurance (Auspac) and the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA). She is also the winner of the inaugural 2023 Asian-Australian Lifetime Achievement Award.
During the lecture, Ming shared her childhood experiences of feeling like an outsider after migrating from Malaysia to a small Australian country town. She reflected upon the impacts of Australia’s lack of racial literacy and how discrimination in the workplace and lack of trust towards Asian Australians can impede career progression.
“We are at a time of great disruption, from climate change to AI. We cannot continue to operate the same way we have always done. And we will need all the talent and diversity in our community to create the future we need, to create the future we want. We are stewards for our future and our legacy,” said Ming.
The Wang Gungwu Lecture is a valuable platform to celebrate the contributions and accomplishments of Chinese Australians and discuss what it means to be Chinese Australian. It is named after eminent Chinese historian Professor Wang Gungwu, and recognises the contributions of Chinese Australians to business, political, scientific and cultural industries. The Wang Gungwu Lecture was developed in partnership with ABC International, the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations, an initiative of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
Where to read more or watch:
- The 2024 Wang Gungwu Lecture will be available on demand on iview and ABC Asia from 11pm AEDT on Friday 1 March and will will be broadcast on ABCTV in Australia on Thursday 7 March at 11am AEDT.
- Read ABC Asia’s report: Ming Long tells Wang Gungwu lecture Australia still has a way to go in talking about race – ABC Asia
Relevant DCA resources:
- The Case for Inclusion@Work
- Culturally and Racially Marginalised Women in Leadership
- Racism at Work – Diversity Council Australia (dca.org.au)
Upcoming events: