Australia-China scientific collaboration productive

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Australia-China scientific collaboration productive

By Xu Haijing (Xinhua) 13:16, August 17, 2013

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Dating back to 1960s, when Australia and China were yet to establish diplomatic relations, scientists from both countries had already started paying visits to each other.

Half a century later, this relationship is described by Australian Chief Scientist Ian Chubb as scientifically productive and mutually beneficiary.

Professor Chubb, in a recent speech at the Australian National University (ANU), recalled that in 1963, Professor Wilbur "Chris" Christiansen, a radio astronomer at the University of Sydney, visited China as a guest of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, starting communications between the two countries' science circles.

The relationship now "has given rise to many exciting discoveries, innovative new products and strategic new relationships".

These include the development of the first electricity generating plants to capture carbon dioxide for storage so contributing to world-leading research on reducing carbon pollution from coal-fired power stations; clinical trials of potential treatments for diabetes and pre-diabetes conditions; the discovery of biological control agents that have the potential to improve China's national wheat harvest by up to 10 percent.

The relationship also includes academics working with industry. The Baosteel-Australia Joint Research and Development Center is a world-first joint venture between the Chinese steel company and four Australian universities.

In his speech on Wednesday, titled "Partners in influence: How Australia and China relate through science", Chubb said China has been increasingly important to Australia, being "the most significant education partner and a growing research partner".

In 2012, Chinese students accounted for around 30 percent of all international students enrolments in Australia and 40 percent of all international enrolments in higher education.

China and Australia have also become prolific partners in scientific publications, with a wide range of institutions involved and the full spectrum of the sciences.

China is moving up the global ladder in terms of the number of research publications, overtaking the United Kingdom as the second- ranked country in scientific publication output. Australian papers co-authored with Chinese colleagues has risen from 4 percent in 1996 to 14 percent in 2009.