MCLC: ANU Asian Studies petition

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ANU Asian Studies petition
Dear colleagues and friends of Asian Studies, in Australia and overseas,
I am grateful to the Modern Chinese Literature and Culture Resource Center at Ohio State University for re-posting my op-ed in the Australian media on the proposed devastation of and staffing cuts at The Australian National University's School of Culture, History and Language, the university's core Asian Studies teaching and research centre.
MCLC has asked me how concerned international scholars might show solidarity with our cause. Please find the relevant information and suggestions below. May I express our collegial thanks in advance.
1. For recent Australian media coverage on the Review of the School and proposed cuts, see:
'Language staff, students fear for school in ANU "restructure"', John Ross, The Australian, 30 March 2016
'Puzzling Rationale to ANU budget cuts', The Canberra Times, 29 March 2016
'ANU Asian language budget cuts see top academics placed on fixed-term contracts', Emma Macdonald, The Canberra Times, 29 March 2016
2. Click here for an Expression of Protest email template addressed to ANU vice-chancellor, Professor Brian Schmidt. Please feel free to add any further thoughts you might have, append your details and press send! Or write directly to the vice-chancellor at: vc at anu.edu.au.
3. Click here and here for two Change.org student petitions — feel free to add your name to the signatories. For further information go to the Facebook pages 'Language Diversity at ANU' and 'Hands off Asia Pacific Studies'.
4. Many members of staff and students at ANU feel strongly that the School of Culture, History and Language review (2014–2016) was conducted in a purposely obfuscating and confusing fashion. For example, it is widely known that some of the leading international academics invited to participate in the 'external review' of the school in August 2015 have expressed to the University's leaders their surprise and displeasure at how their views were represented and manipulated. If you are concerned about the future of our School, the fate of Asian Studies in Australia (ANU is the preeminent centre for the study of Asia in this country) or the state of Asian Studies in the 'Asia-Pacific century', please send your views to the dedicated email account below:
chlpetition at gmail.com
Please note: it would be useful if you could indicate whether you are willing for your statements or words of support to be quoted in the Australian media.
5. Please share this email with colleagues far and wide.
Yours sincerely,
William Sima
PhD Candidate
The Australian Centre on China in the World, ANU
Author of China & ANU: Diplomats, adventurers, scholars, ANU Press, 2015, downloadable at: http://press.anu.edu.au/titles/china-anu/
by denton.2 at osu.edu on March 31, 2016
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