NEWS
Student selected for cross-cultural and economic exchange
Journalism student Rebecca Colquhoun is spreading her wings and heading to China for the third China Australia Journalist Exchange, this week.
The program, an initiative of the Asia Pacific Journalism Centre (APJC) and the All China Journalists Association (ACJA), will be held from May 16 to 26 with the theme “Exploring economies and cultures”.
Colquhoun is in her third year of a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) and her second year of a Diploma of Languages (Chinese Mandarin).
She will join five other Australian journalists, including reporters and editors from Radio National Breakfast, The Weekly Times, The West Australian, The Courier Mail and ABC Rural.
The program is designed to broaden understanding between China and Australia, with the journalists visiting Shanghai, Yinchuan and Beijing over the 10-day exchange.
In each city, Colquhoun will be meeting with government, business and NGO leaders, academics, journalists and members of the community.
She was selected for the program by Stephen Ries of ANZ Bank and will be writing and taking photographs for ANZ’s news website, BlueNotes.
Colquhoun said she is thrilled about the opportunity to interact and speak to those in the trade and business sectors in China.
“My last trip to China was in 2012, so I’m interested to see how much has changed since then,” she said.
“I hope to gain insight into the many challenges China is facing as it emerges as a world power.
“I am also excited about hearing the opinions of those in trade and business about the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and how the country hopes to retain its cultural identity over the next 20 years.”
Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) Program Manager Dr Philip Dearman commended Colquhoun on her selection to the cultural exchange.
“We’re grateful that one of our students can benefit from the work of the APJC and the ACJA, and for the generous funding provided by the ANZ,” Dearman said.
Colquhoun has an extensive news writing and reporting portfolio, spaning from The Straits Times in Jakarta, to interning at the ABC’s Asia Pacific News Centre.
She is also Executive Producer of the Student Youth Network’s (SYN) flagship news and current affairs program, Panorama on SYN 90.7FM.
RMIT’s School of Media and Communication is highly renowned for its strong industry links and future-focused practice.