The University of Adelaide
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Adelaide University has been a pioneer in the study of multiculturalism and ethnic diversity in Australia, both in teaching and research. The Centre for Intercultural Studies and Multicultural Education was established in 1989 to coordinate and build upon the wide range of cross cultural research within the University. The idea of the Centre first arose out of the report to the South Australian government Education for a Cultural Democracy (Smolicz Report, 1984) which recommended that the universities in the State should take steps to 'provide courses and undertake research in areas relevant to South Australia's multicultural society'. Although the Centre forms part of Adelaide University, its membership and its activities are open to all interested members of the community.
FOCUS AND ACTIVITIES The Centre's activities focus on cultural, linguistic and racial pluralism from a dual perspective:
The Centre's range of activities includes:
OVERVIEW The Centre for Intercultural Studies and Multicultural Education (CISME) exists structurally within Adelaide University, although the composition of the Board and its membership are drawn from other universities, and the diverse cultural communities which make up South Australia. Among the Board's members are speakers of Modern Greek, Italian, Polish, Latvian, Arabic, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hakka, Malaysian and Vietnamese. The Centre pursues studies in cultural, linguistic and racial pluralism both from international and Australian perspectives. Its work relates both to multicultural phenomena, which are to be found within the Australian community, and to intercultural experiences, which occur when Australians come into contact with cultures from other countries, or when academics, students, diplomats, business people or administrators from overseas spend time in Australia. In this way, the Centre's interactionist perspective is pursued both within the context of the multicultural reality of Australian society, and in terms of international links between Australia and other countries. CISME acts as a link between the international academic community and the Australian community at large, with special emphasis on the sharing of knowledge and research in the fields of language and culture, economic trends and diplomacy. The channels of communication extend widely beyond Australia to the international arena, with exchanges established around the world, but especially in the Asia-Pacific Region and with countries that are either ancestrally linked with the Australian people or important from the strategic, economic and trade point of view.
INTERCULTURAL INFORMATION NETWORK From its inception the Centre has enjoyed extensive contact with academic and cultural institutions and organisations on a world wide basis. Over the course of the past eight years its intercultural network in Europe, Asia and Africa has increased to the point that required the establishment of an Intercultural Information Network to serve the needs of academic, cultural and business organisations, ethnic groups and the State Government. CISME plays an active role as an affiliate memeber of the Association of Asian Social Science Research Councils (AASSREC) with the Director participating in the symposium on Confronting 'Asian Values' in the Perspective of Globalisation, held in Seoul, Korea in October 1999. CISME is one of only two organisations from Australia which are members of AASSREC. In 2000 the Centre became an official member of the International Social Science Council (ISSC) and the International Federation of Social Science Organisations (IFSSO).
AFFILIATION CISME has developed particularly close collaboration with other centres and universities in the Philippines, Korea and China in Asia and Poland, Germany, Belgium and Austria in Europe. Affiliation agreements have been signed with the University of Santo Tomas and the University of Asia and the Pacific in Manila, while close collaboration has been established with de La Salle University and the Leyte Institute of Technology (LIT) in Tacloban. In Poland, research cooperation has been actively pursued with the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology at Warsaw University, the Institute of Political Studies at the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Polonia Institute at Cracow University. One of the products of this collaboration has been a study of values among university students with special reference to such areas as civic consciousness, patriotism, spiritual values and career orientations.
RESEARCH Among research projects being actively pursued through CISME, a study on languages education in multicultural settings involves collaboration with scholars in Belgium, Wales, Germany and in the Philippines. The focus is on the co-existence of a dominant language, such as English, French or German, with other community (minority) languages in the countries concerned. Investigations into language usage and proficiency, attitudes to languages, and relations between family language and the language(s) used in the school have already been published. This research reflects and supports languages education in South Australia, where a wide range of languages is taught in schools and universities, including recent work in connection with the SA Curriculum Standards and Accountability Framework (SACSA).
SYMPOSIA The Centre's achievement in building up and utilising its information network has helped to open up the Australian community to international issues and to build bridges across cultures. In this regard one of the most important functions of CISME is the organisation of symposia on intercultural and multicultural issues. Sessions are usually held in Adelaide University Council Room and are generally attended by 50-100 people from diverse backgrounds, including Members of Parliament, Members of the Judiciary, diplomats, academics, senior officers of the Public Service and representatives of various professions, representatives of the media, business people and people working in international trade. CISME enjoys a particularly high level of participation from members of various ethnic communities, including leaders of the Greek, Italian, Polish, Latvian, Japanese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Chinese, Cambodian and several other communities. Altogether, over 6,000 attendances have been recorded at CISME seminars over the past seven years. Among the speakers at CISME seminars over the past ten years, there have been 94 from overseas and 73 from Australia. Of the overseas speakers, 43 came from Europe (25 from Western Europe and 18 from Central and Eastern Europe), 29 from Asia, 18 from North America and 4 from Africa.
PARTICIPATION & MEMBERSHIP Members of CISME number over one hundred, with the affiliate members and symposia participants constituting together an interacting body of some five hundred active people who are involved in important social, cultural and political aspects of South Australian life. CISME provides a structure for interaction both among its membership in South Australia and with its national and international partners.
PUBLICATIONS CISME has arranged for the publication of selected symposia papers in a book and monograph form. A book, entitled J.J. Smolicz on Education and Culture, edited by M.J. Secombe and J. Zajda was published by James Nicholas Publishers, Melbourne in 1999. CISME itself has published a number of research studies (eg three titles in the Australian Diversity series). Individual members of the Centre have also published widely, with monographs and papers appearing in several countries, both in Asia and Europe.
DUAL FUNCTION The Centre's activities in generating and transmitting knowledge have the dual function of providing cultural input from overseas, and of opening up the cultural resources to be found within Australian society itself. The latter function serves to further economic development through the linguistic proficiency, cultural know-how and social contacts which many minority group members retain in relation to their original countries. Such people can act as catalysts to further academic, cultural and educational exchanges, as well as to encourage trade and tourism. The Centre's international information activities are grounded in the understanding that Australia's economic, as well as cultural success depends on nurturing interaction with international centres of scholarship and entrepreneurship, especially in countries which have succeeded in making their cultural diversity work both productively and in the interests of harmony and creativity.
THE BOARD
Professor J.J.
Smolicz, AM, FASSA; e-mail jerzy.smolicz@adelaide.edu.au
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD: Dr Gian Carlo
Chiro Associate
Professor Alex Diamantis Mr Tim Haines Dr. Paul Hine Ms Vivien S.C.
Hope Ms Beatrice
Howarth Mr Roger Lean Dr Don Longo Dr Margaret J.
Secombe Associate
Professor My-Van Tran, OAM FOUNDER MEMBERS : Professor R.E.
(Sam) Luxton, FTS Professor Janis Priedkalns
STAFF
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DIRECTOR: