Transnational Teaching and Research in Australia in the 'Asian Century' : a narrative-based case study

This article uses the narrative case study approach to document the shifts in research and teaching in the contemporary Australian higher education environment. The release of the Federal Government’s ‘Australia in the Asian Century’ White Paper in 2012 is considered here as the formal starting point for a shift towards a more transnational paradigm in terms of research content and approaches, as well as course curricula. However, both appear to continue to be marked by ethnocentrism and instrumentalism in the mainstream. Some strides are being made towards amplifying previously marginalised voices and enhancing cross-national and intercultural links at home and abroad by associations such as the Asian Australian Studies Research Network. Institution-based projects such as the ‘Transnational Teaching Teams’ project at the University of Wollongong documented here are attempting to bridge the gap in terms of creating an internationalised curriculum and linking the same to student progression and learning outcomes.