Makassar (ANTARA) - Aussie Banget Corner at Hasanuddin University is the first Australian Information Center in South Sulawesi, inaugurated officially by the Australian Consul General in Makassar, Richard Mathews, on July 15, 2017.
It was selected based on a request from the Australian Consulate-General in Makassar and housed at the Language Service, formerly known as the Language Center of Hasanuddin University or Layanan Bahasa Universitas Hasanuddin (LB UNHAS). At that time, Dr. Hera, the current coordinator of Aussie Banget Corner, was the secretary of LB UNHAS.
The Australian government is very concerned about the development of education. The quality of education determines the future of a nation. UNHAS, universities in Australia, and the Australian government have a strong relationship.
The presence of this Aussie Banget Corner is a manifestation of the relationships and cooperation that have been well established.
Since its establishment, the Aussie Banget Corner has functioned as a source of Australia-related information, including scholarships and studies. In addition, the corner also provides a reading room and a collection of fiction and non-fiction books related to Australia provided by the Australian Consul General.
Many students, especially English literature students, visit and borrow books as references for their assignments. Many also use novels by Australian authors as research objects in their literary studies.
For regular programs, Aussie Banget Corner usually facilitates the Consulate General in carrying out its annual agenda. For example, the annual film festival held by the Consulate General is not only in commercial cinemas; they usually provide temporary cinemas on campus for watching together with students for free. Many more of the Austrian Consul General's activities in Makassar involve Aussie Banget Corner.
It is hoped that Aussie Banget Corner will get more book collections in the future. In addition, strong coordination between UNHAS internal institutions is also expected to maximize the functions and tasks of this corner.
The corner's coordinator has also compiled several programs that were postponed during the pandemic so that in 2023, Aussie Banget Corner will carry out these programs.
