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ADU PReVIeW oPInIon

Building the infrastructure economic agency of Africans in Australia.
A number of new Africa-focused initiatives
have been developed in Australian universi-
for sustainable engagement ties, including the Africa Research & Engage-
ment Centre (AfREC) at the University of
Western Australia, the Africa Research Group
at Murdoch University, the Centre for Afri-
s Australia adequately prepared to build deep- again be critical to success. But such support can Research, Engagement & Partnerships
I er and more sustainable relationships with the will likely need to be based on a demonstrated (CARE-P) at the University of Newcastle, and
diverse African continent, its countries and its long-term commitment to meaningful engage- the African Research & Engagement in Aus-
peoples over the long-term? ment and reciprocal benefits, not episodic tralia (AREiA) initiative at the University of Mel-
Until now, Australia’s engagement with Af- transactions. bourne. Curtin University is also developing a
rica has been mostly episodic rather than stra- In addition to the participation by Deputy new Global Africa initiative and Curtin Mauri-
tegic, according to a recent book on the history Prime Minister Richard Marles and Minister for tius is the only Australian university campus
of Australia-Africa relations by Nikola Pijovic. International Development and the Pacific Pat based in Africa.
Given the global importance of Africa and Conroy at the June CHOGM in Rwanda, the The third dimension is national infrastruc-
a growing African diaspora in Australia, such appointment of Tim Watts as the new Assis- ture. Given the proliferation of key initiatives
an approach appears counter-productive and tant Minister for Foreign Affairs is a good sign. and programmes outlined above, what is
unsustainable. Mr Watts’ address to the recent Africa Day missing in Australia is a central coordination
Consider Australia’s largely successful celebration in Canberra indicated that the new mechanism linking these initiatives in a more
broad and deep strategic engagement with government is keen to ‘reinvigorate’ its relation- structured way both to each other and to gov-
East and South-East Asia over the last four ships with the continent. ernment.
decades – now deeply enmeshed with many The upcoming annual national “Africa In a recent report, we recommended the
countries to its north through trade and invest- Week” in Perth, anchored by Africa Down urgent establishment of an Australia-Africa
ment, regional organisations, education, tour- Under, will be another important high-level Council, drawing on a similar but ultimately un-
ism, migration and beyond. opportunity to recharge Australia-Africa rela- supported recommendation made by a parlia-
Might Australia now start looking West to- tionships and demonstrate the commitment of mentary committee over a decade ago.
wards Africa in similar ways? Is Australia con- Australia’s political leadership. In our model, such a Council would bring to-
sidering its place in the ‘African Century’? How The second dimension is knowledge, or gether government and three clusters of Aus-
can Australian and African leaders collaborate what we might call ‘Australia-Africa literacy’. tralia-Africa activity; the higher education and
to tackle critical global challenges? What is the state of our national knowledge research sector, the industry and commercial
There are three key dimensions that need about the African continent and African-back- sector, and the diaspora and community sec-
to be considered for deepening such engage- ground peoples in Australia? How much is tor.
ment; political leadership, knowledge, and known about Australia across Africa? Among the benefits would be enhanced
infrastructure. I discuss each below in turn, I would suggest that knowledge both ways national coordination, stronger bases for in-
providing examples of what is currently be- is limited and often relies on unhelpful ste- formed national policy development, height-
ing done and concluding with what Australia reotypes of the other, including those in the ened national visibility, and more efficient use
needs if it is to develop longer-term strategic commercial media, which, in the Australian of resources to sustain Australia-Africa en-
and sustainable engagement with Africa. context at least, often portrays Africa and Afri- gagement.
The first dimension is political leadership. Af- cans in negative ways. Do we have adequate Within this structure, the Australian Govern-
ter arguably a decade of Australian political dis- research, education opportunities and critical ment could also consider the establishment of
engagement from Africa, with national foreign thinking to serve as a basis for building in- a National Australia-Africa Centre to serve as
policy attention focused elsewhere, the recent formed and respectful relationships? a flagship research body, repository of knowl-
change of government in Canberra presents Here, the higher education and research edge and expertise, and a mechanism to de-
opportunities for new thinking about Australia’s sector has a crucial role to play, with a number liver potential new Africa-focused teaching and
international relations. of initiatives over the last decade indeed seek- training in Australia.
In a 2013 book which captured the Rudd/ ing to build Australia-Africa literacy. The demonstration of greater political lead-
Gillard Labor Government’s foreign policy The Australia Africa Universities Network ership, building of knowledge, and resourc-
towards Africa, we identified how taking a (AAUN) is a consortium of 23 Australian and ing of national engagement infrastructure are
broader view of Australia’s global identity and African universities who collaborate on re- three necessary dimensions of building long-
interests elevated Africa’s strategic importance search and education projects. During the er-term and sustainable Australia-Africa rela-
to Canberra. Included in this was recognition upcoming Africa Week, the AAUN will launch tions. Without these, Australian and Africa will
that Africa’s 54 votes in the United Nations are a new initiative, the Emerging Leaders in Aus- remain on each other’s margins.
critical for a country’s election to important in- tralia-Africa Diplomacy programme, which will
ternational bodies, such as the UN Security build reciprocal knowledge and networking Dr David Mickler is the Dean Global, Africa
Council. among the next generation of scholars and and an international relations academic at
In later research, we identified how a co- policymakers across our countries. Curtin University, Perth. He was previously the
ordinated Africa engagement strategy by the I was also pleased to deliver the inaugural founding director of the Africa Research & En-
Australian Government over several years Australia-Africa literacy programme recently at gagement Centre (AfREC) at The University
was successful in deepening ties with African the Diplomatic Academy in Canberra, entitled of Western Australia (2018-22). His books in-
countries, resulting in an estimated 50 African Africa: Understanding its diversity, international clude New Engagement: Contemporary Aus-
countries voting for Australia in its successful engagement and Australian interests. In addi- tralian Foreign Policy Towards Africa (2013),
UN Security Council seat election in 2012. tion, a new Australian Research Council Dis- The African Union: Challenges of Peace, Se-
As Australia is bidding for another term on covery Grant, led by Curtin University over the curity and Governance (2016) and Africa and
the Council in 2029-30, Africa’s support will next three years, will examine the Political and the Sustainable Development Goals (2020)

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