Project Information

Focus

The project seeks to understand how academic ‘success’ and its achievement is defined, negotiated and supported in China and at the postgraduate level in Australia, and to develop resources that will maximize the academic success of Chinese postgraduate coursework students studying within their disciplinary context in Australia.

The following resources will be developed, trialled and implemented collaboratively in Australia and China, through workshops and collaborative exchanges in both countries:

• A model of best practice
• A customized toolkit of teaching and learning materials
• Associated pedagogies

The project will be characterised by four principles:

• Genuine collaboration between academics in multiple universities in Australia and China
• Cultural inclusivity which will involve inter-cultural communication, a respect for different learning styles and environments, and the development of educational best practices that are based on practices in both countries
• Customisation of skills and materials rather than a generic approach and the embedding of these throughout the duration of the project across postgraduate teaching
• A professional development approach which seeks to empower academic staff in both countries by enabling them to learn about each other’s views, expectations, skills and pedagogies

Key intended outcomes

The project's key intended outcomes are:

• Better prepared students (both pre-departure from China and post-arrival in Australia) for study on masters coursework programs in Australia (notably on communication and media programs)
• Greater understanding by participating Australian and Chinese academics of the learning goals and ambitions of postgraduate students who transfer from China to study in Australia, the intercultural challenges they face and given this, how academics might assist students to succeed in a new culture of learning and teaching
• Changed teaching practices in both Australia and China that incorporate a culturally inclusive approach which includes complementary pedagogical principles, methods and cultural understandings
• Enhanced institutional capacity in intercultural competency, learning support and international collaboration

Partner Universities

Murdoch University

Associate Professor Christine Daymon (Project Leader)
Dr Lindy Norris
Ms Linda Butcher (Project Manager)

Victoria University

Dr Maree Keating
Dr Fiona Henderson

Communication University of China

Dr Haixia Yu
Ms Dawei Wang
Professor Jin Xuetao

Other Participating Universities

Fudan University

University of Canberra

Mr James Mahoney

Deakin University

Associate Professor Nina Weerakkody

University of Sydney

Associate Professor Hui-Zhong Shen
Dr Richard Stanton

Reference Group

Associate Professor Peter Simmons
Associate Professor Betty Leask
Mr Julian Kenny
Ms Linda Resnick