Purpose

This paper aims to explore the two main viewpoints on Australia’s relationship with Asia; first, the highly visible informed pro-Asia protagonists, and second, pervasive public opinion as informed by history and the Australian self-image. The purpose is to present the polemic internal to Asian Studies and Business Schools currently. This paper postulates that only an (uncomfortable) whole-of-sector introspection would result in an authentic national narrative to drive mutual respect and business between Asia and Australia.

Design/methodology/approach

The current dismembering of Asian Studies degrees and Asian Business specialisations at Australian universities indicates a waning national support to the production of Asian specialists able to link the Australian economy into the advancing Asian commercial dominance. But such an assessment would not be completely accurate. The authors argue that as an important component of Asian business and economics, understanding the current situation is vital to breathing life back into the Asian Studies and Asian Business Studies disciplines at Australian national universities.

Findings

This paper concludes that the responsibility for creating specialists should fall to the university sector but is currently defaulting to the business sector. This paper proposes that business schools need to be more active participants in Asian engagement strategies. Thus, Australian universities and disciplines such as Asian Studies and Asian Business must have the academic will and the business support to take up a major role in positive evolution of the Eurocentric elements that currently hold back meaningful engagement.

Originality/value

This is a current issue that needs to be addressed.

中文翻译：

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与亚洲做生意：澳大利亚大学参与亚洲商业研究的案例

目的

本文旨在探讨澳大利亚与亚洲关系的两种主要观点；首先，广为人知的亲亚主角，其次，历史和澳大利亚自我形象所形成的普遍舆论。目的是介绍目前亚洲研究和商学院内部的争论。本文假定，只有（令人不安的）整个行业的反省才能产生真实的国家叙事，以推动亚洲和澳大利亚之间的相互尊重和商业往来。

设计/方法/途径

目前澳大利亚大学亚洲研究学位和亚洲商业专业的分流表明，国家对培养能够将澳大利亚经济与亚洲商业主导地位联系起来的亚洲专家的支持正在减弱。但这样的评估并不完全准确。作者认为，作为亚洲商业和经济学的重要组成部分，了解现状对于让澳大利亚国立大学的亚洲研究和亚洲商业研究学科重新焕发活力至关重要。

发现

本文的结论是，培养专家的责任应落在大学部门，但目前默认为商业部门。本文建议商学院需要更积极地参与亚洲参与战略。因此，亚洲研究和亚洲商业等澳大利亚大学和学科必须有学术意愿和商业支持，才能在目前阻碍有意义参与的欧洲中心因素的积极演变中发挥重要作用。

原创性/价值

这是当前需要解决的问题。