Speeches
Thursday, 27 November 2025
Luncheon for Governor of Shandong
I warmly welcome members of the Shandong delegation to Government House.
I trust you’ve enjoyed your time in Adelaide so far dining at Penfolds Estate, exploring the Tarnanthi exhibition at the Art Gallery of South Australia, and of course visiting the historic scoreboard at Adelaide Oval.
Governor Zhou, it is a pleasure to see you once again, following on from our meeting in Shandong in April last year.
We enjoyed a productive discussion on the many existing and potential connections across our regions in renewable energy, AgTech, education, wine and other endeavours.
Shandong Province and South Australia share an enduring Sister-State Relationship. It’s our state’s most active and long-standing, and we are proud of it.
Since 1986, we have seen students from Shandong Province enrich South Australian universities, South Australian wine and seafood produce increasingly welcomed by Chinese consumers, and institutional partnerships strengthening across both regions.
Today we are pleased to reconnect with old friends and consider how we might enhance our existing cooperation, particularly in the area of education.
As patron of StudyAdelaide, I am pleased to be able to tell you that South Australia’s education sector is undergoing significant transformation.
A new university, Adelaide University, will open its doors to students early in 2026, bringing together the University of South Australia and the University of Adelaide. It aspires to be ranked in the top 1 per cent of universities worldwide.
Another of our universities, Flinders University, has opened a state-of-the-art new city campus to deliver an optimal learning experience.
I am pleased to learn that two TAFE MOUs, one with Qingdao Vocational and Technical College of Hotel Management and the second with Shandong Provincial Education Department, will be signed during your visit to South Australia.
As patron of StudyAdelaide, I am pleased we are joined by representatives of South Australia’s education sector here today, to identify ongoing opportunities for our mutual benefit.
Education is a cornerstone in the relationship between Australia and China, and South Australia and Shandong, and long may that continue.
I look forward to visiting Shandong in 2026 to mark 40 years of our sister-state agreement, to continue deepening ties and exploring new opportunities for our partnership.