澳大利亞國立大學（ANU）的中國研究係處於混亂狀態，亟需整頓。一份外部審查披露，前總理陸克文（Kevin Rudd） 在位時撥款5300萬澳元建立的“中華全球研究中心”（Australian Centre on China in the World，簡稱CIW），如今麵臨900萬澳元的赤字，已經接近破產。
《澳大利亞人報》獲得的這份評審報告由澳大利亞外國事務和貿易部（DFAT）的高級官員以及來自哈佛大學、牛津大學和新加坡國立大學的教授編寫。 報告就該機構麵臨的“可怕”境況提出了警告和擔憂，特別是在中國政府對澳大利亞影響力日益增加的情況下。
“中國正在越來越多地尋求影響澳大利亞經濟和社會重要領域的政策和討論，包括澳大利亞華人社區，”審查小組稱。“沒有哪所大型學術性大學能夠忽視中國的崛起……但目前澳大利亞國立大學並沒有準備好應對這些挑戰。”
2010年，時任總理的陸克文為在他的母校ANU設立澳大利亞中華全球研究中心，向該校撥款3500萬澳元作為創辦資金，並撥款1800萬澳元建立一座新大樓。在這份評審報告於去年11月份完成之後，該大學承諾對該研究中心進行重大調整，並剝奪了該中心的獨立運作權。
“中華全球研究中心如今步履蹣跚，不能說是達到了預期…… 不能排除中華全球研究中心倒閉的可能性，”評審小組稱。“我們提出的解決辦法是，將CIW改造成為大學的中國研究和教學活動的‘樞紐’。”
在該大學發表的聲明中，澳大利亞國立大學亞太學院院長Michael Wesley表示，新的變化將“加強中華全球研究中心的研究能力、獨立性和範圍”。
該審查概述了該中心嚴重的財務問題，因為該中心無法吸引足夠的獨立收入，並過度依賴於捐贈。“（該中心）有缺陷的資金和預算模式，導致了長期赤字支出，”報告說。
評審專家組建議該大學嚐試與聯邦政府重新談判撥款協議，免除其900萬澳元的透支，並將其年度運營成本削減一半。
該大學拒絕進一步評論中心的財務困難。
根據審查，截至8月，該大學隻有一位以中國研究作為主要研究領域的教授，令研究能力“嚴重削弱”。而這名教授很快轉為兼職員工。報告說：“員工數量已經減少，大多數高級教員已經離開，士氣低落。”
在新的整頓下，該中心將留在為其設立而建的大樓中，並將任命一名新的總監，但是將不會有永久性的係員工。該大學將招聘以中國精英政治，中國近代史，文化研究和當代中國社會為中心的高級學者。
審查小組成員包括，DFAT官員，北亞區首席助理秘書Graham Fletcher，哈佛大學教授Mark Elliot，牛津大學教授Rana Mitter，新南威爾士大學教授Louise Edwards，格裏菲斯大學教授Sue Trevaskes和新加坡國立大學教授Wang Gungwu。
學術界對該中心的調整意見不一。Swinburne大學的中國專家John Fitzgerald說，該中心的概念從一開始就存在缺陷，而計劃對該中心的新投資是“絕對必要的”。
Fitzgerald教授說：“CIW中心是在總理的領導呼籲下創建的，沒有進行競爭性招標，因此它不一定是以最佳方式建立的。”
“它的管理不透明，其研究與該大學已有的中國專家知識和資源並沒有很好的結合。”
另一位不願透露姓名的中國學者說，剝奪該中心的獨立運作地位是一個錯誤，並質疑為什麽該中心沒有關注中澳關係領域。
“我認為，所計劃進行的改革意味著，國立大學對於澳大利亞的中國研究產生重大影響的可能性的終結，”該學者說。“他們似乎很願意看到（Bob Carr領導的）悉尼科技大學（UTS）的澳中關係研究院（ACRI）成為這類研究的唯一中心。”
《澳大利亞人報》此前曾報道過對於澳大利亞政府內部缺乏中國專業知識的擔憂。
去年11月，一份向國庫部發出的報告警告說，負責就中國經濟政策提供谘詢意見的官員對中國領導人和決策者如何運作缺乏了解。歐洲知名智庫，墨卡托中國研究中心（Mercator Institute of China Studies）也曾警告說，歐洲各國政府缺乏高質量的獨立中國專業知識。
Introducing CIW
On 23 April 2010, in his George E Morrison Lecture titled, Australia and China in the World the then Prime Minister, the Hon Kevin Rudd, announced the establishment of the Australian Centre on China in the World (Zhonghua quanqiu yanjiu zhongxin 中華全球研究中心／中華全球研究中心, CIW for short in English) at The Australian National University (ANU).
In his lecture Prime Minister Rudd said of the establishment of the Centre:
We must take scholars, experts and policy makers out of the silos of separate academic disciplines and departments. We need to foster a new degree of collaboration and engagement between scholars and practitioners of different backgrounds and expertise. And to do that, I believe we need to establish a new centre for study, learning and the exchange of ideas and understanding. A place where scholars, thinkers and policy specialists can engage in an across-the-board approach that brings history, culture, literature, philosophy and cultural studies perspectives into active engagement with those working on public policy, the environment, social change, economics, trade, foreign policy, defence policy and strategic analysis.
I can think of no better place than the Australian National University to further the sophisticated research and dialogue on China's engagement with Australia, our region and globally.... The Australian Centre on China in the World will enhance the [University's] existing capabilities to create an integrated, world-leading institution for Chinese Studies. The Centre will be a hub for national and international scholars. It will also be linked virtually with other university centres with related expertise both at home and abroad.
The Australian Government's aspiration is to make this centre the pre-eminent global institution for the integrated understanding of contemporary China in all its dimensions - and for the study of contemporary China's regional and global engagement.
Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd before delivering the 70th GE Morrison Lecture at ANU, 23 April 2010, with (from left to right): Emeritus Professor Geremie R Barmé, Executive Director of the ANU China Institute Dr Richard Rigby, then ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Chubb, and the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Senator the Hon Kim Carr.
In recognition of the Centre and its ambitious vision, the Vice-President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping (習近平 / 習近平）, presented a major gift of books during his visit to ANU in late June 2010. The gift to the Centre of over 1,000 works reflects some of its key interests and includes works on Chinese thought, history, literature, society, politics, economy and trade and the environment.
The Centre has been created with the concept of what we call 'New Sinology' (後漢學／後漢學) in mind. As Kevin Rudd put it in his April 2010 Morrison Lecture:
I believe it is time for what the Australian National University's Professor Geremie Barmé has described as a 'New Sinology' (Hou Hanxue).
That is, a Sinology or study of China that is mindful of the positive traditions of exchange and learning with China, from the time of Matteo Ricci in the sixteenth century, through the time of George E Morrison and CP Fitzgerald to the present day. A New Sinology that inherits the positive legacy of understanding and engagement that enlivened so many people who were drawn to the study of China in the past. A Sinology that engages with the Sinosphere and a vibrant and energetic contemporary China - in all its dimensions.
Geremie Barmé has written that a New Sinology advocates "a robust engagement with contemporary China and indeed with the Sinophone world in all of its complexity, be it local, regional or global."
New Sinology is not based on old theories. It is about engaging with a re-emergent China. It says that China should not simply be viewed as a threat. Nor should this New Sinology be based on a reticence towards speaking honestly or critically about today's China, for fear of causing offence.
Instead we seek a new balance.
One that goes beyond old Cold War concepts of fan-Hua (反華 / 反華) or qin-Hua (親華 / 親華) - that is, of either being anti-China or pro-China - as if we are eternally locked into a binary world. This is about a more sophisticated way of understanding today's China.
A New Sinology capable of opening up new ways of understanding this great and ancient civilisation, and what it might offer again in the future. The challenge for us all is how we move forward to promote a deeper, textured understanding of the China in the twenty-first century. Both a China that encourages us all, as well a China that from time to time causes us to ask ourselves where China is going.
Australian Centre on China in the World
中華全球研究中心／中華全球研究中心
The Australian Centre on China in the World is a research institution established to enhance the existing capabilities of The Australian National University (ANU). It aims to be an integrated, world-leading institution for Chinese Studies and the understanding of China, or what has been called 'Greater China' or the 'Chinese Commonwealth' (the People's Republic of China, the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions, as well as Taiwan and the Chinese diaspora), on a global scale.
CIW takes a broad, holistic view and engages multidisciplinary expertise in areas including Chinese history, thought, culture, media, politics, society, gender, environment, economics, foreign and strategic policy, and regional affairs. The Centre aims at realising a national capability by enhancing the University's ability to guide national research and educational efforts, and to stimulate interest in the study of China by working with other key research/teaching institutions and scholars in Australia and internationally. We will use these connections to help train and support upcoming generations of China scholars, specialists and China-literate young people.
The Centre is primarily a research body led by humanities work in collaboration with the social sciences. The brief and vision of the Centre are for it to pursue research, education and outreach activities in innovative ways not achieved by similar institutions. The Centre will also serve the long-term national interest through the pursuit of independent scholarship and thought, and will go beyond a reactive and short-term approach to issues related to the Chinese world and the global presence of China.
The activities of the Centre constitute an addition to the range of China-related research and teaching work being undertaken by the ANU China Institute (the umbrella and coordinating body for ANU-specific China work university wide), and the various schools of the ANU College of Asia & the Pacific. The Centre is not a replacement of, or substitute for, the already substantial commitment ANU places on Chinese Studies. It will draw on ANU expertise in the context of the Centre's brief.
The key aims for the Centre are:
- to enhance innovative research and education on China;
- to enhance Australian understandings of China in the global context;
- to increase substantially the profile of China-related work in Australia and internationally.
Read the full transcript of the 70th George E Morrison Lecture Australia and China in the World given by former Prime Minister the Hon Kevin Rudd MP on 23 April 2010, in which the Centre was announced. (Chinese language version also available. 中文版)
