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The JSAA is the professional association for those in Australia who teach, research or study Japan. The Association was established in 1978, and membership is open to Japanese Studies practitioners in Australia and overseas. Become a Member ⟶
Recommendation of the Translation of Titles in the Australian Academic System to Japanese
In Australia, academic titles and their hierarchy within universities differ from those in Japan, leading to a significant disparity between the titles employed in the Australian system and their direct translation into Japanese. This has been causing misunderstanding and negatively affecting Australian academics in Japan.
Of particular note, the titles of "Senior Lecturer" and ‘Associate Professor’ in Australia carry a higher level of status and prestige compared to their equivalent translations in Japan.
Here's an overview of academic titles in Australia and how they differ from Japan.
Academic Titles in Australia:
Lecturer: This is typically the entry-level academic position in Australia. Lecturers are responsible for teaching and may engage in research activities as well.
Senior Lecturer: A more senior teaching and research position, similar to an Associate Professor (准教授, Jun-Kyōju) in Japan. The position also typically entails managerial responsibilities at the school level.
Associate Professor: This title is used for academics with significant teaching, research experience as well as substantial managerial responsibilities at the faculty level. It is somewhat equivalent to a "Full Professor" (教授, Kyōju) in Japan.
Professor: In Australia, the title of "Professor" is the highest academic rank and is associated with a distinguished record of teaching, research, and service. It is regarded as a prestigious title and carries high status. Japan uses the title "Professor" (教授, Kyōju) for top-ranking academics, but it may not carry the same level of prestige as in Australia.
In light of these differences, the Japanese Studies of Australia （JSAA）recommends to standardise the translation of these titles as follows:
Lecturer: 上級講師, Jōkyu-Kōshi
Senior Lecturer: 准教授, Jun- Kyōju
Associate Professor: 教授, Kyōju
Professor: 教授, Kyōju
This standardisation will help bridge the gap in understanding the differences between the Australian and Japanese academic systems and promote a more accurate representation of academic titles in both contexts.
These videos promote Japanese language education at Japanese Studies at university.
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DESIGNS WANTED!
Logo Design Competition for the Japanese Studies Association of Australia (JSAA) 2026
Submission Guidelines:
Due Date: 13 April Midnight AEST.
The logo may include wording like "JSAA" or "Japanese Studies Association of Australia" (see an example of ASAA logo here) but it is not required.
The committee suggest 2/3 colours at most included in the design, most likely in cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks.
You may include an explanation of your logo design
The logo must not be generated by AI, due to potential copyright issues.
Only current JSAA members may submit a design, and each member may submit only one design (though members may engage a professional designer if they wish)
The winning design will receive a monetary prize of $250 and a one-year membership.
Submit to the following email address: jsaaasia@gmail.com
Please include your phone number and email address in case we need to contact you.
Your logo design should be sent as a PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF or PDF file no larger than 3 MB and with a resolution of at least 300 dpi.
Please submit both colour and black and white versions of the design. Gradients of colour, contrast and other image elements may be adjusted by the JSAA Committee, including to meet accessibility
Submitted logo designs and materials will not be returned.
A sub-committee from the Executive Committee will judge the logos on the following designs:
Clarity & readability
Relevance to the organisation’s identity
Simplicity and scalability (works small and large)
Professionalism
Print-friendliness
Colour suitability
Inclusivity & cultural appropriateness
Please check the following additional conditions.
Conditions of acceptance:
1. Submitted logo designs must be created by those submitting, must be new-never published anywhere, and must not infringe on the copyrights, trademarks, etc. of any third parties.
2. Submissions that are offensive to public sensibilities, in violation of laws or regulations, intended to promote specific ideologies, political views, or religions, inconsistent with the JSAA aims, or intended for profit will be disqualified.
3. The selected design will be withdrawn from use, if it is later found to violate any of these conditions.
4. The selected design may be modified and processed as necessary for use as the official logo. In the event that the selected design and the applicant does not meet the necessary conditions, or if the applicant does not agree to any supplementary modifications, etc., the selection will be cancelled and void even after the decision has been made.
5. All rights to submitted designs and the copyright to the selected logo will belong to the Japanese Studies Association of Australia. Those submitting designs agree to relinquish their authors’ moral rights, and the submission of the Entry Form is regarded as constituting agreement to the above.
6. The selected logo may be withdrawn from use if any information submitted with the design is later determined to be false.
7. The selected logo design in its final form will be used to promote the JSAA and JSAA events.
8. Personal information of those submitting logo designs will not be disclosed or offered to third parties without the designer’s permission.
9. Receipt of submissions or notification to unsuccessful applicants will not be sent. Please note that we are unable to respond to any inquiries regarding the selection process.
海外在住研究者に対する「個人向けデジタル化資料送信サービス」利用制限の見直しに関する要望書 (26 May 2025)
A letter of request regarding the restrictions on overseas researchers' usage of the National Diet Library's "Digitized Contents Transmission Service for Individuals"
The full letter (in Japanese) can be read [here].
In Loving Memory of Carol Hayes
It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Professor Carol Hayes.
Many of you would know of Carol’s ongoing battle with brain cancer. Carol passed away surrounded by loved ones on Sunday the 16th of October.
Carol’s contribution to Japanese Studies and to the JSAA has been enormous. She was a longstanding member of the JSAA and held various roles on the executive at different times including President from 2013-2015. She was consistently a positive and important presence mentoring ECRs, postgraduate students and colleagues. Carol was recently recognised for her contributions in many areas within Japanese/Asian Studies, Japanese language education and, more generally, her various roles at ANU, with a promotion to the position of Professor.
Carol will be greatly missed not only for her academic contributions, but also her warmth, kindness and cheeky sense of humour.
The JSAA objects to the closure of the Japanese language program at Swinburne University, and the executive has written letters demanding a review of the decision to the Swinburne management as well as the Minister for Education and the Shadow Minister for Education. You can help by signing this petition:
Upcoming events.
If you wish to forward information regarding events, conferences, job opportunities and the like for this calendar please contact the Secretary Dr Satoshi Nambu.