EU Day was celebrated at the National Wine Centre in Adelaide last week with a special event hosted by the EU Centre for Global Affairs at the University of Adelaide and The Hawke EU Centre for Mobilities, Migrations and Cultural Transformations at the University of South Australia.
The event was attended by post-graduate students (Masters and PhD) studying in disciplines such international trade and wine business, University staff from a variety of areas including economics, business and Asian studies, as well as members of the South Australian business community, the South Australian Government and the Federal Government.
Jonathan Chew, Public Relations Manager from Pernod Ricard Winemakers gave a short presentation on exporting South Australian wines to China.
Pernod Ricard is the French parent company of Jacob’s Creek, producing wine in Australia and exporting it to Asia. This is a great example of EU foreign direct investment in Australia targeted at reaching export markets, to the benefit of both the EU and Australia.
Jonathan Chew mentioned the importance of China to the wine industry. In the 5 years to 2014, Chinese demand for red wine grew 136% with wine becoming a more accessible luxury. Although China produces its own wines, production cannot satisfy domestic demand and therefore the potential in China is extraordinary.
Dr Roberta Crouch, Program Director, for the Master of Wine Business at The University of Adelaide gave a presentation on European exchange opportunities available to students at The University of Adelaide.
Students enrolled in the Master of Wine Business or International Business can complete 1 year of the 2 year programs at partner Universities in Europe, giving students international experience and perspective, as well as a parchment from each university at completion.
The Scribe 21 program, sponsored by the EU and Australian Government offers unique exchange experiences with linkages for research, industry based projects, internships and teacher exchange.
David Morfesi, Director of the EU Centre for Global Affairs closed the event highlighting what brilliant opportunities exist between Europe, Australia and Asia, both for education and business.
Photos from the event:
