China scholar Mark Wang still remembers a time in the 2000s when Australia’s China studies was vibrant and in a leading position in the world.
Academics say China studies sector in ‘crisis’ amid a funding shortage and ‘climate of fear’ By Jenny Cai
“At that time, the student interest, government policy and funding for China studies in Australia were really strong,” said Professor Wang, the director of the University of Melbourne’s Centre for Contemporary Chinese Studies.
“Australian universities once hired so many China-related experts like myself, researching and teaching specialised knowledge about China.