Study Tours
Study tours are conducted periodically by AIIA Victoria and New South Wales Branches, and present a rare opportunity for members to visit fascinating areas of the globe, and to meet local dignitaries and representatives along the way.
The objectives of our Study Tours are:
1. To broaden Australia’s understanding of the international affairs of other countries
2. To develop lasting relationships with think tanks in the countries we visit
3. To encourage a better understanding of Australia’s foreign affairs and international outlook
4. To foster a deeper understanding and appreciation for the culture, history, politics, art, architecture, and natural beauty of a region
| Upcoming Study Tours | |
| 12 April – 22 April 2024 | Taiwan – AIIA VIC is resuming our overseas Study Tours in 2024. This tour will be led by Rowan Callick OBE FAIIA and will follow the election of a new president and parliament. For more information, please click here. |
| Previous Study Tours | |
| 3-17 Nov 2019 | Taiwan – AIIA Victoria organised a study tour to Taiwan, where a delegation of 14 participated in different activities and official meetings. Please click here for more details of the itinerary and program. |
| 10-23 Jun 2019 | Indonesia – AIIA Victoria in conjunction with AIIA Western Australia hosted a fifteen-day Study Tour Delegation to Indonesia. It was led by Patrick Moore, President AIIA Victoria. John McCarthy AO FAIIA, former Australian Ambassador to Indonesia participated in the Study Tour. Please click here for more details on the tour. |
| 10-20 Oct 2018 | Timor-Leste – AIIA Victoria has previously organised study tours to Timor-Leste in 2010 and 2014. With the recent signing of the Maritime Boundary Treaty with Australia, as well as Timor-Leste’s recent snap parliamentary elections following months of political wrangling, 2018 represented an opportune time for the Institute to run a third study tour to the country. The aim of the trip was to garner a firsthand understanding of Timor-Leste’s political, economic, cultural and natural landscapes. Click here for full details of the itinerary. Please find the Study Tour report below. |
| 04-21 Apr 2018 | Iran – In April eighteen AIIA Study Tour members travelled to Iran to meet with institutions and to explore sites of cultural and historical significance. In Tehran the delegates met with the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS), which sponsored the Study Tour group’s business visas. At this meeting, the AIIA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with IPIS. This will facilitate further joint ventures between the two institutions. The group also met with non-governmental organisations, think tanks and universities to discuss Australia-Iran bilateral relations, Iranian domestic politics, refugees, the fate of the JCPOA and the effects of sanctions on the country. Additionally, the Australian Embassy in Iran welcomed the AIIA delegates to a dinner at the residence following an informative briefing. The Study Tour group visited numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites around the country. Some of these included Iran’s famed Persian gardens, the Golestan Palace, the Lut desert, and Persepolis. AIIA delegates were welcomed into Iranian families’ homes to dine with them in Kerman and Yazd. The group was touched by the Iranian people’s warmth and hospitality which could be felt across the country. |
| 08-25 Apr 2017 | Iran – The Study Tour commenced in Tehran. Discussions with the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS), who sponsored the trip, and other think tanks and organisations, covered Iran’s foreign policy objectives including its role in the Syrian and Yemen conflicts, the May 2017 Iranian Presidential elections, Iranian civil society, the effects of sanctions on the Iranian economy, and the Australian-Iranian bilateral relationship. Delegates took advantage of the rich culture of Iran and visited many sights and UNESCO World Heritage areas in the major cities and the countryside. These included Golestan Palace and the National Museum in Tehran, Isfahan, Yazd, Shiraz, the ruins of Persepolis, and the Lut Desert. The hospitality of the Iranian people demonstrated that Persian society is still rich with warmth and culture. |
| 09-22 Jul 2016 | Sri Lanka – a country of great beauty and abundant natural resources. It now finds itself well placed geographically to benefit from India’s growth and the dynamism of the broader Asian region. Despite Sri Lanka’s rich history and enduring promise, it was hit hard by the devastating 2004 tsunami and is only now emerging from decades of civil conflict. The purpose of the study tour was to gauge the extent to which Sri Lanka has been able to recover and rebuild after the civil conflict, and advance socially, politically and economically. More broadly, delegates sought to understand the country’s extraordinary history and experience the rich culture and hospitality of the Sri Lankan people. The group was given privileged access to leading figures in politics and civil society, and to institutions and sites throughout the country. Thanks to the generous support received from the Sri Lankan Government, the Australian High Commission and various prominent NGOs, that exposure allowed delegates to explore the key issues facing the country. Study Tour Report: AIIAV 2016 Study Tour to Sri Lanka Report. |
| 24 Oct – 04 Nov 2014 | Timor Leste – The Tour began in Dili, and travelled to Baucau, Tutuala/Jaco Island, Maubisse, Balibo, Atauro and completed the journey in Dili. The study tour was designed to engage participants in a comprehensive program of activities ensuring first hand, in-depth insights into Timor-Leste’s political history, culture and economy. Briefings included meetings with the nation’s leaders and representatives of many not-for-profit organisations that have contributed to the nation’s development. Program Outline: AIIAV 2014 Study Tour Timor-Leste Information and Itinerary |
| 20 Apr – 04 May 2013 | Myanmar – The itinerary was designed to provide participants with an introduction to Myanmar’s cultural treasures as well as an overview of the remarkable changes that have occurred in the country since the opening up of the political system (and indeed of the whole economy and society) over the last few years.The briefing program included meetings with politicians from government and opposition parties, diplomats, economists and business people, journalists, representatives of human rights and humanitarian organisations and cultural figures. It provided an opportunity to see how government is conducted at the local, regional and national levels. Return Study Tour Report: AIIAV-2013-Study-Tour-to-Myanmar-Report (1.4 MB) . Program Outline: AIIAV-2013-Study-Tour-Burma-Program-Outline (256.18 kB) |
| 05 -19 May 2012 | China – The tour provided participants with a sense of Beijing and Shanghai, as well as a look at two very different parts of the country – Pingyao, an extremely well preserved traditional Han Chinese city dating back to the 14th century (which is inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list) and Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province. The tour also included briefing programs in Beijing and Shanghai, providing contact with embassy and consular officials, business people, media, academics, economists and bankers, politicians and representatives of humanitarian organisations and NGOs. Program: AIIAV Study Tour China 2012 Program (159.09 kB). Tour Leader’s Overview: IIAV-2012-China-Study-Tour-Leader-Report (362.52 kB) |
| 07 – 19 Apr 2011 | Vietnam – The tour included visits to Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hue and Hoi An, Dalat, Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekon River Delta, providing participants with an insight into some of the cultural and touristic highlights of Vietnam. There also were diplomatic, political, commercial and academic briefings in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Return Study Tour Report and Programme: AIIAV Study Tour 2011 Vietnam Report (273.58 kB); AIIAV Study Tour 2011 Vietnam Programme (190.61 kB) |
| 26 Apr – 07 May 2010 | East Timor – A tour of East Timor including visits to Dili, Maubisse, Baucau, Los Palmos and Com. Return Study Tour Report: AIIAV – Study Tour 2010 Timor Leste Report (295.9 kB) |
| 23 May – 06 Jun 2009 | Indonesia – A tour of Indonesia including visits to Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta and Bali. Return Study Tour Report and Programme: AAIAV Study Tour to Indonesia 24 May – 6 June 2009 (109.28 kB); Tour Leader’s Report of the AIIAV Study Tour to Indonesia 24 May – 6 June 2009 (Zara Kimpton) (141.46 kB) |
| 06 – 19 Jul 2008 | Russian Federation – A tour of the Russian Federation including visits to Moscow, Vladimir, Suzdal, Kostroma, Yaroslavl, Sergiev Posad and St. Petersburg. Return Study Tour Report: Tour Leader’s Report of the AIIAV Study Tour to the Russian Federation 7-19 July 2008 (Leslie Rowe) (106.67 kB) |
| 11 – 27 Nov 2007 | India – A tour of India including visits to Delhi, Agra, Bangelore, Mysore, Madumalai, Coimbatore, Cochin, Alleppey, Chennai and the Mahabalipuram. |
| 07 – 22 May 2006 | Turkey – AIIAV Study Tour – Turkey, May 2006A tour of Turkey including visits to Ankara, Cappadocia, Egirdir, Kusadasi, Izmir, Istanbul and the Gallipoli Battlefields. |
| 31 Jan – 14 Feb 2005 | Cambodia and Laos – Locations visited included Phnom Penh, the Siem Reap, the ancient city of Angkor, Vientiane and Luang Prabang. |
| 09 – 22 Apr 2003 | Sri Lanka – Locations visited included Kandalama, Kandy, Wadduwa and Colombo. |
| 03 – 16 Apr 2000 | South America – Chile: 3-6 April; Argentina: 7-9 April; Brazil: 9-16 April |
| 10 – 27 Sep 1998 | People’s Republic of China |
| 14 – 28 Nov 1996 | South Africa – Locations visited included Johannesburg, Sun City, Swellendam and Cape Town. |
| 29 Mar – 09 Apr 1987 | People’s Republic of China – Locations visited included Beijing, Xi’an, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen |