elevating asian-australian leadership

COVID-19 has been more than just a health and economic crisis but a societal one, with reports of racism and a ‘macho strain of nationalism’ on the rise worldwide – and Australia is no exception. Since the emergence of the pandemic, some Asian-Australians were all of a sudden made to feel like outsiders with some questioning their Australianness, identity and sense of belonging. In this time of need, strong leadership is required, no less than in the form of Asian-Australian leadership to safeguard our cohesive society.

Convened by Asialink at the University of Melbourne, Johnson Partners and the Centre for Asian-Australian Leadership at the Australian National University, the 2020 Asian-Australian Leadership Summit (AALS) came at a critical time. Australia has a significant and growing Asian-Australian community at around 12 per cent of the total population yet according to the Australian Human Rights Commission Cultural Diversity Leadership Blueprint, only 1.6 per cent of Chief Executives and equivalents are of Asian-Australian backgrounds. Not only do we need to address the rise of racism and discrimination, we also need to advance our thinking and focus on how best we better recognise and utilise Asian-Australian talent domestically and internationally to secure Australia’s post-COVID-19 recovery and future prosperity.

The second annual Asian-Australian Leadership Summit sought to address the rise of racism and discrimination by bringing attention to the issues faced by Asian-Australians and amplifying the voices of those most impacted.