Dr Gerry Groot

Biography/ Background

Born in Murray Bridge South Australia and raised in SA's South East, notably Millicent where he graduated from Millicent Highschool in 1978, Gerry went on to do a BA at the University of Adelaide as a mature age student, former labourer, tree faller, and would be ranger.

While at the University of Adelaide, Gerry (luckily!) fell into the study of Chinese to complement his interests in history and politics. Under the wonderful teaching of Prof Andrew Watson, Sylvia Chan, Hsu Chiacheng,and Prof Trevor Wilson among others, Gerry was inspired to go on to do an Honours thesis on the Chinese historiography of united front work in 1989.

Gerry subsequently spent a number of years at Shanghai's East China Normal University as a language student before returning to Adelaide to commence a PhD on united front work and China's minor parties and groups.

While in China, Gerry experienced the sweet & sour of the liuxuesheng life. Among the highlights were appearances in Chinese movies and TV series, most notably Shanghai Yi Jia Ren (A Shanghai Family) in which he acted atrociously but had a key role, and Xiao Dao Ji (The Small Knives Society) in which he acted as the only Western good guy. More importantly for others, he also appeared as an extra in Jackie Chan's Drunken Master II. He is in two scenes so look out for him!

A revised version of Gerry PhD thesis appeared in 2004 as the book, Managing Transitions: The Chinese Communist Party, united front work, corporatism and Hegemony (Routledge)and was launched by the then opposition spokesman on foreign affairs, Kevin Rudd.

Since 2004 Gerry has published on crisis management in China and soft power. He is presently preparing a book on the ultimate soft power, Chinese ghosts and their place in Chinese society, culture and politics.

Gerry has wide-ranging interests and teaches across a wide variety of areas, from Asian studies, the impact of Asian influences on shaping Western societies, to Chinese politics, religion and culture.

Other interests include the diffusion of Chinese and Asian food styles and Western attempts to encapsulate oriental themes in music. However, he neither cooks the recipes in his Chinese cookbook collection, nor plays any of the kitsh tunes in his Orientalia music collection.

Gerry coordinates and/or teaches in such courses as: ASIA 1103 Asia & the World

ASIA 2008/3008 China Today Politics & Governance (Formerly Contemporary China)

ASIA 1101 Introduction to Chinese Society and Culture

ASIA 2021 Culture & Identities in Contemporary China

ASIA 2002 Key Issues in Asian Studies and East Asian Economies

In 2006 after a successful application to the Australian Research Council to host the 2008 ARC Asia-Pacific Signature Event, Gerry became Convener of Adelaide Asian Studies Group 2008 ARC-APFRN Signature Event Conference Organising Committee.

Between December First and Fifth 2008 the Adelaide Asian Studies Group, a consortium of Asian Studies scholars from all three South Australian universities, will host the Globalising Religions and Cultures in the Asia: Crossing Borders of Meaning Conference http://www.adelaide.edu.au/sigevent08/

Teaching Interests

Gerry usually has an active interest in teaching issues but these are currently on the backburner as a result of other obligations.

Currently suspended interests include teaching methodologies and plagiarism prevention.

Gerry has a particular interest in the problems new students face when they are making the transition to tertiary studies from high school or the workforce.

In 2002 Gerry was awarded a $20,00 UA Learning and Teaching Development Grant, Assessing Key Skills of First Year Students in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences with Sandra Taylor (UA Geography).

Most recently he has been involved with the Deane Fergie-led iniative, Pre-Orientation: A research-learning approach to university project which seeks to address problems of transition and to stress the centrality of research to universities.

Research Interests

The idea and applicability of Nye's concept of soft power to Asia

The history of Chinese Communist Party united front work

The intersection of business and politics in China

Chinese folk religion, especially ghost culture

The Falun Gong phenomenon

Asian influences shaping western culture, especially gastronomic ones and musical ones

Publications

Groot G. (2008 Forthcoming) Entries on United Front work department, China's Democratic Parties ( as a group and individually) and The All China Federation of Industry and Commerce. Gale Encyclopedia of Modern China

Groot G. 'Soft Power in the Asia-Pacific post 9-11: The cases of China, Japan and India,' Ch 4 in Groot G. & Jain, P. & Patrikeeff, F. (Ed) (2005/2006) Asia-Pacific and a New International Order (New York, Nova Publishers)

Groot G. (2004) Managing Transitions: The Chinese Communist Party, United Front Work, Corporatism and Hegemony (Taylor & Francis, New York)

Groot, G. (2002) 'Crises in China and Potential Dangers for Asia' In Purnendra Jain (Ed) Crisis and Conflict in Asia (New York, Nova Science Publishers, Inc.) 2002

Groot, G. (2002) 'Chinese Communism' in Encyclopedia of Asia (Berkshire Publishing Group, Great Barrington, MA)

Groot, G. (2000) Book Review of Robert Gamer (Ed) Understanding Contemporary China (Adelaide, Crawford Publishing House 2000) in e-ASSA, The Electronic-Journal of the Asian Studies Association of Australia

Groot, G. (1999) Book Review of Verner Worm, Vikings and Mandarins: Sino-Scandinavian Business Cooperation in Cross-cultural Settings (Copenhagen, Copenhagen Business School Press, 1997) in Copenhagen Journal of Asian Studies, no.13-98, 1999, pp. 88-91.

Groot, G. (May 1998) ''Petrol stations'? Political Education in China's Institutes of Socialism', Issues and Studies, Vol. 34, No. 5 (Taibei, Taiwan, ROC)

Groot, G. (1993) 'Waiguo ren zenme kan Zhongguo de tongyi zhanxian?' [How foreigners see China's united front.] Shanghai Tongyi zhanxian lilun yanjiu [Shanghai United Front Theoretical Research], 3, pp. 34-36. (In Chinese. This was the first article by a foreigner in this semi-secret journal.)

Groot, G. (1992) A Guide to Studying in China for Australian Students, (Adelaide, University of Adelaide, Centre for Asian Studies)

Professional Associations

Chinese Studies Association of Australia

Asian Studies Association of Australia

Asia Association for Global Studies

The Australian Institute of International Affairs

The Historical Society for Twentieth Century China

In addition, Gerry has been an active contributor to lists including Chinapol, H-Asia and Chinese Internet Research

Entry last updated: Tuesday, 26 May 2009