Charles Sturt University Alumni Magazine

Falling in love with Australia On Saturday 20 May 2017, CSU Study Group hosted their inaugural China alumni event in Shanghai. Attended by 30 alumni from across China and as far afield as Malaysia, the luncheon was hosted at the renowned Fairmont Peace Hotel, overlooking the magnificent Shanghai skyline and the Bund. The event included addresses from CSU Study Group Director, David Knight, who spoke of the rapid progress of the Chinese economy and the advantage CSU alumni have by accessing the dynamic China market. Following lunch, Claudio Da, Study Group Marketing Manager, invited guests to speak about their experiences. Online student Wendy Wei spoke of the positive impact her education had on her life and her decision to become an educator. William Wong, who completed study with CSU and went on to be a highly successful sales and marketing director at Carlsberg before opening his own thriving consulting firm, entertained the room with his witty tales of studying with CSU in Kuala Lumpur. Mofei Yuan, who graduated in 2015 and studied at CSU’s Study Centre in Melbourne, spoke of the fond memories she created and expressed her desire to support CSU as a show of gratitude for the quality of education she received.

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Attending the luncheon, Gael Evans-Barr, then Manager of Alumni and Foundation Relations, said of the 190,000 CSU alumni worldwide, more than 6600 are in China. “I’m always truly delighted to see so many alumni at such events have studied at one of our regional campuses. It’s wonderful to hear that everyone has such fond memories of their time on campus. Most reflect on their appreciation of the campus environments, the wide open spaces, the Australian wildlife and the supportive staff. “One graduate remembers the Albury-Wodonga Campus well as that is where she met her now fiancé." Gael said the Alumni team was asked to arrange the couple’s wedding ceremony and reception on campus in 2018. "It must be love!” International events are planned for Hong Kong and China in 2018. Visit alumni.csu.edu.au/home/events for details of upcoming CSU Alumni events.