In recent months, the issue of cuts to language programs at Australian universities has received significant media attention. We have collated below some of these articles. Please contact ASAA if you know of other articles that should be featured here. We’ve also included links to petitions circulating on this issue, and articles on our Asian Currents blog as well as ASAA statements.

Opinion pieces

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/apr/16/cutting-asian-language-courses-at-australian-universities-hurting-students-job-prospects-experts-say

https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/economic-diplomacy-global-tax-education-exports-and-team-australia

https://campusmorningmail.com.au/news/australia-risks-no-speaks-with-the-neighbours/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=website&utm_source=sendgrid.com

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/melbourne-uni-cuts-threaten-to-make-us-the-bogans-of-the-pacific-20210326-p57ehg.html#comments

https://www.asiaeducation.edu.au/blogs/aef-advocates/education-consultant/2021/02/25/looking-to-languages-new-opportunities-right-on-our-doorstep

https://asialink.unimelb.edu.au/stories/creativity-and-crisis-indonesian-in-australian-schoolshttps://www.aspistrategist.org.au/its-time-australians-knew-their-indonesian-neighbour-better/

https://theconversation.com/axing-protection-for-national-strategic-languages-is-no-way-to-build-ties-with-asia-154555

https://www.humanities.org.au/civicrm?civiwp=CiviCRM&q=civicrm/mailing/url&u=8783&qid=308550

https://asiasociety.org/australia/australias-language-deficit-threat-its-role-global-economy

https://insidestory.org.au/turning-away-from-indonesia/?fbclid=IwAR2wYVW6etorWIMQIM7hJHg7-g9-8e-otQk0K8JF-QU_jG6AKvsD1DB6Dp0

https://www.smh.com.au/national/dumb-and-dumber-language-cuts-risk-australia-s-regional-relationships-20201214-p56n7h.html

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/dumb-and-dumber-language-cuts-risk-australia-s-regional-relationships-20201214-p56n7h.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed

https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/australia-Indonesia-relations-need-to-talk-the-talk

https://www.sbs.com.au/language/english/audio/the-tip-of-the-iceberg-murdoch-university-is-the-latest-australian-university-to-announce-plan-to-abolish-indonesian-studies

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-05/asian-language-programs-fights-to-stay-hindi-indonesian/12934096

https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/education/unis-give-up-teaching-indonesian-just-when-we-need-our-close-neighbour-20201209-p56m3a

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/swinburne-looks-to-cut-all-foreign-language-studies-as-pandemic-bites-20201204-p56ksq.html?mc_cid=4540e3afe4&mc_eid=9a65a22c19#:~:text=%E2%80%9CWe%20are%20proposing%20to%20cease,of%20study%20through%20another%20university

https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/don-t-rely-luck-making-most-fta-indonesia

https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/time-reverse-indonesian-language-disaster-our-shores

 

Campaigns, reports and Media releases

https://www.megaphone.org.au/petitions/save-foreign-languages-swinburne-university-and-protect-swinburne-s-reputation?fbclid=IwAR3FRy2AroHWqP6GNuz8ZHxaKZkEUSPBLCpm2w5IwdPQKJOuvt3yU93_0BM&mc_cid=4540e3afe4&mc_eid=9a65a22c19

https://www.aigroup.com.au/policy-and-research/mediacentre/releases/uni-language-programs-14Dec/

https://www.acicis.edu.au/news/indonesian-language-programs-at-australian-universities-become-latest-casualties-of-covid-19-pandemic/

http://www.murdoch.edu.au/ALTC-Fellowship/_document/final_report/ALTC_NTF_Indonesian_in_Australian_Universities_FINAL_REPORT.pdf

 

Articles and statements by ASAA

 

https://asaa.asn.au/from-asian-engagement-to-the-new-cold-war-asian-studies-in-crisis/

https://asaa.asn.au/the-state-of-indonesian-language-in-australian-universities-the-past-20-years/

https://asaa.asn.au/news/statement-a-crisis-in-asian-languages/?mc_cid=4540e3afe4&mc_eid=9a65a22c19