LECTURE: Australia - China: Challenges of the new century

Profile:

Dr Alan Thomas has been Australian Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China since March 2003. He also has non-resident accreditation as Ambassador to Mongolia and to North Korea. A senior career diplomat, Dr Thomas was Deputy Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) in Canberra before taking up his current appointment.

As Deputy Secretary in Canberra, Dr Thomas had responsibility for relations with North Asia (China, Japan and Korea), international security issues, and the corporate management of DFAT. He was also a Board Member of the Australia China Council, the Australia Korea Foundation, the Australia Japan Foundation, the Asia Australia Institute of the University of New South Wales, and the Australian Institute of International Affairs. Prior to becoming Deputy Secretary, he had held positions in Canberra as Head of the Corporate Management Division of DFAT (1998-00), Head of North Asia Division (1997-98) and Head of Staffing Branch (1995-97). Dr Thomas also served as Head of the Americas and Defence Branch in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet from 1989-91, and was a senior ministerial adviser to the federal Minister for Education in the early 1980s, Ambassador to Brazil from 1992 to 1995 and held postings with the Australian Embassy in Tokyo (1986-89) and the Australian High Commission in Singapore (1979-83).

Educated at the University of Western Australia and the Australian National University, Dr Thomas holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with First Class Honours, and a PhD in History. He is the author of a book on the history of the Australian Broadcasting Commission entitled Broadcast and Be Damned: the ABC’s First Two Decades (Melbourne University Press, 1980)

This is a presentation of the University of Western Australia coordinated by the Institute of Advanced Studies as one of its annual programs and supported by the Chinese Studies Group.

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