Staff
Director, Associate Professor David Ambrose
David Ambrose, born and educated in WA and at UWA, after short appointments in the School of English at UNSW, and in Classics at UWA, spent thirty years in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. During that time he studied Chinese at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and served in the Australian diplomatic Missions in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai. He was Director of China in DFAT and National Assesment analyst for East Asia in the Office of National Assessments. David was also seconded to the ANU Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies as Convenor of a multi-disciplinary research project: State, Society and Governance in Melanesia. He looks forward to is time with the Confucius Institute and the opportunities of renewing professional engagement with Things Chinese.
Business Development Manager, Ms Vada Ng
Vada Ng is the Business Development Manager responsible for the development of corporate and business programs in the Institute, in conjunction with the Institute Director. Chinese is Vada’s native language, both written and spoken, and she has extensive cross-cultural experience, particularly in relation to Chinese and Australian business, government and general cultural environments.
Co-ordinator, Confucius Institute Australia-China Education Fund, Mr Russell Harwood
Russell initiated the Confucius Institute Australia-China Education Fund in 2006 to provide better educational outcomes and a more secure future for children from disadvantaged backgrounds in rural southwest China. Since its inception the Fund's activities have been concentrated in Gongshan County, Nujiang Prefecture (Yunnan Province). Between 2005 and 2008 Russell spent approximately eight months in Gongshan, conducting PhD field work on the impacts of economic development upon China's isolated rural communities. Russell will complete his PhD in mid-2009. Russell is also an Associate Lecturer in Asian Studies at the University of Western Australia.
Honorary Fellow, Mr Geoff Davis AM
Geoff introduced the teaching of Chinese into Western Australian schools and has continued to be involved in its teaching, examination and promotion ever since. In 1984 he founded the Chinese Language Teachers Association of WA and served for many years as President. He also founded the Chinese Language Teachers Federation of Australia in 1994 and was its President for seven years. Geoff has also been involved in the development of syllabuses for Chinese teaching in WA schools. Member of the Order of Australia (2006) for his services to education, and is the first Honorary Fellow of the Confucius Institute.
