Faculty of Arts Associate Dean (International) Professor Naren Chitty AM has been appointed Visiting Professor of Jilin University in Changchun, China, one of the country’s top 10 universities and a Macquarie University partner.

Professor Chitty received the appointment given his previous academic relationship and shared interests in Soft Power and public diplomacy with Jilin’s Dean of the School of International Studies, Professor LIU Debin.

“Professor Debin visited Macquarie back in 2011 and had expressed interest in meeting me at the time,” said Professor Chitty. “Unfortunately it was a missed opportunity as I was away, but since managed to meet with him during a Soft Power conference and workshop last year.”

Honoured by the appointment, Professor Chitty says he is planning to further develop Macquarie’s research ties with the University, which already includes medicine, science and arts.

“I have been asked to contribute to three of Jilin University’s academic publications, and have already submitted one article,” he said. “In turn, colleagues at the University are currently contributing to a book on Soft Power that I’m editing.”

Professor Chitty adds that Professor Debin is already interested in linking the School of International Studies with the network of the proposed Soft Power Relationship Alliance, which will extend the long-established collaboration between Macquarie and China’s premier media and communication university, the Communication University of China.

Professor Chitty’s five year term will see him return each year to run workshops for staff and graduate students.

Read more about the Soft Power Advocacy and Research Centre.