"I believe that Van Gogh's masterpiece 'Starry Night' has become an enlightening source for countless people to understand the vast universe and the enchanting starry sky. When we look up at the stars, do you, like me, feel an endless curiosity about the mysteries of distant space and the secrets of the universe? If the starry sky in Van Gogh's eyes belonged to France at the end of the 19th century, then today, we are extremely honored to bring the splendor of the southern hemisphere's starry sky to China with the valuable support of the Australian Consulate-General in Shanghai."
——Excerpt from2011 Nobel Prize in Physics Laureate
The 12th President of the Australian National University
Professor Brian SchmidtFor 'Australia' Stands the Universe
Foreword for the Southern Hemisphere Astronomy Exhibition in Shanghai
"Australia" Stands the Universe Debuts in Beijing
Every exhibition is a journey of the soul.Following its successful exhibition at the Australian Consulate-General in Shanghai last year, the 'Australia' Stands the Universe Southern Hemisphere Astronomy Exhibition recently made its debut in Beijing.The exhibition is jointly organized by the Australian National University (ANU) China Centre and the Australian Embassy in China.As the only national higher education institution established by the federal government in Australia, the Australian National University has always had a global perspective, closely collaborating with scientific communities around the world to promote international academic exchanges. The ANU China Centre, as the university's only office in China, has always adhered to the university's 'going global' strategic concept, engaging in in-depth exchanges with China's top research institutions, and striving to bring ANU's latest achievements and most beautiful discoveries to China with the responsibility of a national university.For the opening ceremony of this exhibition, the China Centre was honored to invite Ms. Carolyn Atkinson, Counsellor for Public Affairs and Culture at the Australian Embassy in China and an ANU alumna, to host the event. His Excellency Scott Dewar, the Australian Ambassador to China, delivered a speech for the event. Another heavyweight guest of the evening was Professor Shen Zhiqiang, Director of the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory. As a senior expert in the field of astronomy, he gave a lecture titled 'The Power of the Starry Sky' to the attending ANU and other Australian university alumni, focusing on the direction of black holes.In addition, Dr. Amanda Barry, Director of the Future Students Team at ANU, also gave a speech. Dr. Brad Tucker from the ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics pre-recorded a related introduction video for the event.Ms. Yu Nannan, Director of the ANU China Centre, also attended the event.The 'Australia' Stands the Universe Southern Hemisphere Astronomy Exhibition in Beijing received strong support from the Australian Embassy in China, showcasing17 photographic works, curated by the ANU China Centre and Dr. Brad Tucker, with the design of the exhibition handled by Mr. Fang Xingwei, an outstanding alumnus of the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences Class of 2023.On the day of the event, everyone gained a lot. A series of heated discussions on physics and astronomy-related questions took place on-site, including: whether humans are alone in existence; whether there are aliens; whether the moon is hollow or solid; how long humans will have to wait to land on Mars, and so on."Australia" Stands the Universe Beijing Opening Ceremony
Wonderful Event Photo Collection
"Australia" Stands the Universe
——ANU Southern Hemisphere Astronomy Exhibition
Here, there is not only the science and dreams under the southern hemisphere's starry sky,but also the poetry and distance of the universe.On October 18, 2023, 'Australia' Stands the Universe——Australian National University Southern Hemisphere Astronomy Exhibition (Starry Starry Night: ANU's Southern Hemisphere Astronomy Exhibition) officially opened to the public at the Australian Consulate-General in Shanghai. The exhibition, co-organized by the ANU China Centre and the Australian Consulate-General in Shanghai,was the first public opening in mainland China, aiming to let children in the northern hemisphere learn more about physics and astronomy knowledge and broaden their horizons through the research strength and hardware facilities of a world-class higher education institution.
Australian Consulate-General in Shanghai
"Australia" Stands the Universe Southern Hemisphere Astronomy Exhibition officially opened to the public at the Australian Consulate-General in Shanghai.
The multiple photographic works exhibited in the 'Australia' Stands the Universe Southern Hemisphere Astronomy Exhibition,focus on the enchanting Milky Way, sky, the Mount Stromlo Observatory in Canberra, southern hemisphere, and the Siding Spring Observatory, two major observatories. There are also exhibition contents tailored forchildren, astronomy enthusiastsand female scholars engaged in astronomical research.As one of ANU's important works in China, the ANU China Centre, in strong collaboration with the Australian government including embassies, consulates, and academic professional groups, hopes to popularize physics and astronomy knowledge in a more accessible and vivid way.Since its exhibition in Shanghai, the 'Australia' Stands the Universe Southern Hemisphere Astronomy Exhibition has received recognition from the education sector, cultural sector, students, and various parties. The exhibition has had the honor
of being exhibited successively at the Australian Consulate-General in Shanghai and the Australian Embassy in China, and since December 2023, it has expanded to international high schools in China for a touring exhibition, aimingto deeply disseminate southern hemisphere astronomy and science knowledge to younger groups.Currently,"Australia" Stands the Universe has been successively launched at international high schools that are domestic friendly partners of the Australian National University, including WLSA Shanghai Academy, Dulwich College Shanghai (Pudong), and Shanghai Pudong New Area Private Huili School. We thank the students of each school for their enthusiasm and support for this exhibition.
If your international high school is interested in hosting such an exhibition, please contact us to register. We look forward to collaborating with more international schools to promote science education together.ANU Physics and AstronomyAs one of the advantageous disciplines of the Australian National University, physics and astronomy teaching and research have always enjoyed a high international reputation. In the latest '2024 QS World University Rankings by Subject',ANU's physics and astronomy program ranks first in Australia and 45th in the world.ANU's excellent ranking in the field of physics and astronomy is also inseparable from the university's strong research and faculty strength. Our students can learn from world-leading research scholars, such as Professor Brian P. Schmidt, the 2011 Nobel Prize winner who has just stepped down as the university president but continues to work at the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics (RSAA),engaging in scientific research
.In addition to leading global academic rankings and outstanding research and faculty strength, the ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics alsopossesses two major observatories, the Mount Stromlo Observatory and the Siding Spring Observatory. These two observatories are equipped with multiple telescopes, including the 3.9-meter Anglo-Australian Telescope, the SkyMapper wide-field survey telescope, and the southern hemisphere's only space simulator facility WOMBAT, among other world-class teaching and research facilities.Moreover, ANU has alwaysemphasized cultivating students' practical abilities, andmaintained good cooperative relationships with the industry.Specifically, ANU not only collaborates with China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) project in Guizhou but also participates in the construction of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) in Western Australia, as well as numerous joint telescope projects between the ANU Siding Spring Observatory and the Nanjing Purple Mountain Observatory.
The ANU China Centre team has also actively cooperated with local related institutions, includingANU's collaboration with the Shanghai Planetariumon the Australian National University 'Supernovae' Projectand so on.Currently, there are 10 Chinese doctoral students studying physics and astronomy at ANU, with another 8-10 students studying in the field of gravitational wave astrophysics, which is a joint project between the ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics and the ANU Research School of Physics and Engineering (RSAA and RSPE).For more introductions about ANU physics and astronomy, you can click on the article '
ANU Astronomy: Exploring the Mysteries of the Universe in the Vast Starry Sea' to continue reading.More exciting contentPlease continue to follow the official ANU account
