National Symposium on Australia-China School Partnerships

Head: Regulation and Accreditation
The Association of Independent Schools of NSW

Caraline is the Head of Regulation and Accreditation. She joined AISNSW in 2018 and leads the Regulation and Accreditation teams. Caraline’s teams support schools to meet State and Commonwealth regulatory requirements, particularly NESA requirements, and provide a range of services relating to teacher accreditation, including Experienced Teacher accreditation. Prior to joining AIS, Caraline worked at NESA as a Senior Inspector in NESA’s School Registration and Accreditation Directorate where she lead a team of inspectors responsible for school registration regulation as well as managing NESA’s regulatory programs for CRICOS and TAA approval. In her 15 years at NESA she also held roles in the curriculum team as a VET Curriculum Officer and in the policy team as one of NESA’s Liaison Officers for the North Coast. Caraline’s teaching background is as a secondary school TAS teacher, specialising in Food Technology, Hospitality and Design and Technology.

Australia-China Studies Forum RMIT

Guosheng Yang Chen is the Honorary University Fellow and Director of Chinese Australian Studies Forum at RMIT University. With nearly 50 years of experience in education, she has taken leadership and management roles bringing various sectors together including education, government, business, and community at both local and international levels. In 1984, she was invited by the Victorian Ministry of Education to join the education system in Victoria, where she has led a number of national and international projects for 40 years. She successfully initiated and managed a number of programs that sent Australian students and academics to China, and brought Chinese leaders from education, business and government to Australia for professional development.

Senior Lecturer
La Trobe University

Dr Helen Yang is a member of IEAA’s Research Committee and a Senior Lecturer of Accounting at La Trobe Business School. She is passionate about transnational business education in emerging economies, a major source of international students for Australia. Dr Yang has held academic leadership positions at several Australian and Chinese universities and has received multiple prestigious teaching awards, including an Australian Award for University Teaching, for her outstanding contributions to the leadership and scholarship of transnational education. Dr Yang completed her schooling and undergraduate education in China, holds a PhD from Victoria University in Australia and has also completed two masters degrees: an MBA (Accounting) from Victoria University and a Master of Education from the University of Melbourne. As a member of CPA Australia and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, Dr Yang actively engages with industry and the accounting profession.

Co-Founder
Aceleader Education Group

Jenny is Co-Founder of Aceleader Education and also chairs the Board at Zhongguancun Foreign Language School and has had extensive experience in international education since 1999. She holds a Masters degree in Education Leadership and Management from the University of Sydney and lived in Sydney for 7 years with her daughter, who attended school from Year 3 to Year 9. Her career spans higher education and K-12 international education, with deep insights into the differences and commonalities between Chinese and Western educational systems. She has successfully led and facilitated transnational collaborations between universities in China, the UK and Australia and with RMIT University for VCE and PLC for HSC programs.

Executive Director, International Education Division
Department of Education, Victorian Government

Linda Vaughan leads the Department of Education’s International Education Division. The Division is responsible for leading the internationalisation of education in Victorian government schools and facilitating education-related, government to government linkages and cooperation between Victoria and other countries. Linda has over 13 years of experience in the public service and has held a variety of roles during this time, including in training packages and managing the transition of the automotive industry within the Department of Education and Training. She has also managed employment programs and held executive positions in the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions in industry development and participation with a particular focus on the manufacturing, food and construction sectors. Linda is also the current chair of Australian Government Schools International (AGSI). Linda holds a Master of Arts (Aberdeen University) and is originally from Scotland. In her spare time Linda is a St Kilda FC tragic and enjoys the rare wins and occasional finals appearances.

Director, Global Engagement
Aide Education and Migration

Hongbin (Lucas) Li, is as the Director of Global Engagement at AIDE Education. Since 2019, Lucas has been actively involved in developing institutional partnerships to foster Australian education opportunities through VCE offshore programs and Higher Education projects in China and Southeast Asia. He has played various roles in collaborating with Victorian schools to initiate and implement VCE offshore programs across various Chinese cities. His own positive experiences in a VCE program in China fuel his commitment to connecting future students with Australian educational opportunities. Before stepping into the international education sector, Lucas taught at Alphington Grammar School. He earned his Bachelor of Education from Monash University and is set to begin his Master’s in Digital Education at Oxford University in October of this year.

Principal
Presbyterian Ladies College Armidale

Nicola Taylor has enjoyed a career in education sector, spanning over 30. With a passionate interest in student learning and curriculum development, she has held numerous executive leadership roles and served as Principal of two schools for over 16 years. Since 2016, Nicola has taken the lead in school based transnational education, establishing PLC Pathways a residential, co-educational ELICOS program. Her involvement with schools in China has provided governance support, mentoring, and assistance with the delivery of NSW HSC by the first school in mainland China. Currently, Nicola serves as the Principal of PLC Armidale and PLC Pathways.

Chief Executive Officer
International Education Association of Australia

Phil has been IEAA's Chief Executive Officer since November 2011. Previously, he was a Member of the Victorian State Parliament (1988–2006), Minister for Tertiary Education, Training and Multicultural Affairs (1996–1999) and Deputy Leader of the Opposition (2002–2006). Since retiring from politics, Phil worked at Stott’s Business College and Cambridge International College. Phil is the Chairman of the Roundtable of International Education Peak Body CEOs and a member of the Tuition Protection Service Board. Phil is also a Board member of the Bennelong Philanthropic Foundation and the Bangarra Group Board.

Senior Chinese Language Teacher
St Margaret's and Berwick Grammar School

Xiaoxiao Li (Sabrina Li) , an esteemed educational leader, is the Education category winner at the "40 under 40 most influential Asian-Australians." As International Student Coordinator and Senior Chinese Language Teacher at St Margaret's and Berwick Grammar School, she leads transformative initiatives like the International Students' Study Tours between Australia and China. Sabrina also heads Qeeri, an AI-driven edtech platform that not only enhances educational engagement but also helps students explore career pathways. Her projects strengthen connections across Australia and China, promoting significant cross-cultural exchanges. Sabrina’s innovative approach and dedication to educational excellence have established her as a pivotal figure in linking these diverse communities.

Teacher
Abbotsford Primary School

Simon Huang is a well-rounded educator with a demonstrated history of teaching excellence in both independent and public schools. He specialises in multiple subjects including Business studies, Global politics, Chinese, Digital Technologies, PE and Maths. As an innovative language educator, Simon was selected for the inaugural Teaching Excellence Program (TEP) in 2022, followed by a Teaching Innovation Fellowship at Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership in 2023. Simon represented Newmark Primary in the Australia-China Digital BRIDGE Program in 2023. Currently, Simon is working as a classroom teacher at Abbotsford Primary School, a leading bilingual school in Australia.