Press Releases
Australia-Japan Foundation announces the 2009 Sir Neil Currie Australian Studies Awards
TK09/2009
8 July 2009
The Australia-Japan Foundation announced the recipients of the 2009 Sir Neil Currie Australian Studies Awards today. The awards will go to six outstanding Japanese scholars and researchers.
The Awards commemorate the life of Sir Neil Currie, former Australian Ambassador to Japan and former Chairman of the Foundation. The Awards program was established in 2000 to promote deeper academic exchange between Australia and Japan and to encourage Australian studies at tertiary institutions in Japan.
The Australia-Japan Foundation received applications for the Sir Neil Currie Awards from scholars and researchers in a diverse range of fields, reflecting the closeness of the Australia-Japan relationship.
Mr Murray McLean, Australian Ambassador to Japan, said "I warmly congratulate the Awards recipients. It is particularly appropriate that this week, as the Australian Embassy is celebrating the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with "NAIDOC Week"*, that one of this year's recipients will research Indigenous issues at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.
"We will continue to support researchers and academia whose projects will increase understanding of Australia in Japan, through scholarship programs such as Sir Neil Currie Australian Studies Awards."
There are three Award categories: Post-Graduate/Research, Curriculum Development, and Publications.
This year's recipients are:
Post-Graduate/Research Program
- Ms Ritsuko Kurita (Research Program): "Recognition of Culture by Australian indigenous People in Multicultural Era", Host institution: Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
- Ms Naomi Sato (Master course): "Master of Marketing (including wine marketing in South Australia)", Host institution: University of South Australia
- Mr Toshio Hisaoka, (PhD course): "On Transitions between Different Stages of Australian Adult English Language Teaching: A Comprehensive Study in the Australian Coherent Language Curriculum", Host institution: Macquarie University, Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Human Sciences
Publications
- Professor Chihiro Kinoshita Thomson, School of Languages and Linguistics, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, The University of New South Wales: "New Pedagogies for learner agency: Japanese language education research and practice in Australia" by Co Co Publishing Co.Ltd.
- Ms Takako Minami, Graduate School of Humanities and Sciences, Research Organisation, Ochanomizu University: "What changes will be brought to families by abolishing donor anonymity in artificial insemination?: A case study of Victoria, Australia" by Kazama Shobou
- Ms Yuko Ota, Assistant Professor, Waseda University, Centre for International Education: "Japanese Language Teachers' World of Meaning and Practice - Life Stories of Primary and Secondary School Teachers in Australia" by Waseda University Publishing
Recipients will receive financial support and a certificate presented by Mr McLean, the Australian Ambassador to Japan on Wednesday 29 July at the presentation ceremony at the Australian Embassy.
The application period for the 2010 Australia-Japan Foundation Sir Neil Currie Australian Studies Awards will begin in late autumn.
For more information about the awards and past recipients, please see http://www.ajf.australia.or.jp/awards/sirneil/.
For further enquiries regarding the Awards program, please contact:
Michiyo Horita, Manager (Japan)
The Australia-Japan Foundation
Australian Embassy, Tokyo
tel: 03-5232-4065
michiyo.horita@dfat.gov.au
* NAIDOC week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.