Two University of Newcastle graduates have won prestigious Australia China Alumni Awards for exceptional achievements in their careers.
Dr ZHANG Beibei has won the Young Australian Alumni of the Year Award for her work in the finance industry, and Professor ZHANG Fengming has won the Business Events Sydney Australia China Alumni Award for Research and Innovation.
Two other Newcastle alumni - environmental studies graduate Associate Professor ZHOU Yun, and sociologist Dr WANG Shuguang - were among the 55 finalists.
The Awards, presented overnight in Shanghai by the Australia China Alumni Association and CPA Australia, recognise and promote the accomplishments of Australian-educated university alumni now based in China.
The University's Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Global Relations), Professor Kevin McConkey, said the awards demonstrated the strength of the University's international education program.
"We are incredibly proud to see our graduates achieving such great success in China," he said.
"This recognition of highly successful alumni demonstrates how the University of Newcastle can help people succeed in an international context and across a variety of fields.
"The University enjoys a thriving relationship with China, an important international education and research partner. We work with many Chinese universities and our partners in education and research greatly value these collaborations."
The University currently has 1,200 undergraduate and postgraduate Chinese students studying in Newcastle.
Information on the finalists and winners follows.
Professor McConkey is available for interviews. Please note that he is currently in Shanghai, which is two hours behind Australian Eastern Standard Time.
Winner - Australian Education International Young Australian Alumni of the Year
Dr ZHANG Beibei, Assistant General Manager, China Merchants Property Development.
Ms ZHANG Beibei obtained her doctorate at the University of Newcastle in 2006. After graduation, she worked in the field of assets valuation and mergers and acquisitions. Dr ZHANG has written several papers on real estate financing and financial innovation, is a consultant for two investment consulting companies and has been invited to take an Associate Professor position at Henan University of Economics and Law.
Winner - Business Event Sydney Alumni Award for Research and Innovation
Professor ZHANG Fengming - Department of Physics, Nanjing University; Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Tianwei New Energy Holdings Co Ltd
Mr ZHANG Fengming completed his PhD in Physics in 1997 and worked as a research scientist in Sydney before joining Nanjing University in China as a Professor. He is a founder of China Sunergy, a manufacturer of photovoltaic products in China.
Finalist: AusAID Scholarships Alumni Award
Associate Professor ZHOU Yun - Director of International Cooperation, Chinese Research Academy of Social Science (CRAES).
Ms ZHOU Yun is Director of the International Cooperation Centre at CRAES. She has been involved in a number of projects funded by World Bank, ADB and AusAID, Canadian International Development Agency, and the Swedish International Development Agency. Her interests are climate change and energy, environmental impact assessment, and public participation in environmental protection.
Finalist: Business Event Sydney Alumni Award for Research and Innovation
Dr WANG Shuguang - Director (Research), Institute of Sociology, Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences; Associate Professor, School of Psychology, University of Newcastle.
Mr WANG Shuguang is a leading sociologist, psycho-cultural researcher, and national recognised international advisor in HIV/AIDS. He completed his PhD at the University of Newcastle in 1998 and has led a number of international research projects in HIV/AIDS.
