About the JSAA
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.
We hold a conference every two years. Membership to the JSAA entitles you to a reduced registration rate at our conferences.
The Association publishes a fully-refereed journal, Japanese Studies, edited by Professor Carolyn Stevens at Monash University and distributed by Taylor and Francis. Your membership entitles you to three editions of the journal every year. We welcome articles on all aspects of Japanese Studies from all over the world.
The JSAA, Inc. is managed by an elected executive, and we see our mission as being to promote study and research on Japan, and to argue for the needs of Japanese Studies practitioners and students in Australia. We also welcome links with Japanese Studies Associations and individual practitioners from other countries.
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.
A (Brief) History of the Japanese Studies Association of Australia
The Japanese Studies Association of Australia (JSAA) has been the peak body for teaching and research in Japanese Studies and Japanese Language Studies since 1978. However, the roots of Japanese Studies and Japanese Language Studies can be traced back to the early twentieth century when Professor James Murdoch (1856–1912) established the teaching of the Japanese language at the University of Sydney in 1917. Although Japanese was also taught at the University of Melbourne as early as the 1930s, the study of Japan and the Japanese language developed slowly until World War Two. During the war, it was important to have Japanese speakers for intelligence purposes and later they were needed for the conduct of war crimes tribunals located in Australia, Japan and the region. Australian service personnel contributed to the Allied Occupation of Japan and many of the postwar Japanese programs mentioned below employed former Army personnel as language instructors. In addition to Japanese programs at universities, Japanese language training was also carried out through the Defence Force School of Languages at Laverton, Victoria.
Japanese language programs were introduced at several tertiary institutions in the 1960s, including the Australian National University (ANU), the University of Queensland (UQ), Monash University, the Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT, now Curtin University) and Swinburne Institute of Technology (now Swinburne University). Monash, under the leadership of Czech linguist, Professor J. V. Neustupný (1933–2015), was distinctive in pioneering a communicative approach, compared to earlier programs which had often focused on literary language. When Joyce Ackroyd (1918–1991) was appointed Foundation Professor at UQ, it was particularly worthy of note as there were very few female professors in Australian universities at that time. In subsequent developments, Japanese language programs were established in association with business schools in some universities.
The JSAA was officially established in 1978. Throughout the 1980s, Japanese Studies underwent a major paradigm shift from a largely classical and literary focus to a more critical examination of contemporary Japanese society. The association's inaugural conference, held at the Australian National University in May 1980, paved the way for subsequent conferences on diverse themes. In the 1980s, two Australia-based scholars, Professor Ross Mouer and Professor Yoshio Sugimoto, mounted a critique of discourses of Japanese uniqueness (Nihonjin-ron). Japanese Studies scholarship in Australia has forged a distinctive reputation for this critical approach as well as the integration of Japanese Studies and Japanese language education.
In the 1990s, as Australia-Japan relations matured, so did the JSAA. The Association's newsletter evolved into a scholarly publication, Japanese Studies: Bulletin of the Japanese Studies Association of Australia, reflecting the growth of Japanese Studies as an academic field. The Bulletin later became the JSAA's fully-refereed journal, Japanese Studies, which is currently published three times a year by the international publisher, Taylor and Francis. This interdisciplinary journal has an international reputation for welcoming contributions informed by Cultural Studies, Gender Studies, Queer Studies, Postcolonial Studies and other contemporary critical approaches. This is just one example of the integration of Australia-based Japanese Studies into international networks of scholarly communication.
While the majority of the Association’s members are from the tertiary sector, members have also been involved in advocacy for Japanese language education in schools; have served on matriculation examination committees; have provided professional development activities; and have engaged in other forms of liaison with the primary and secondary school sector. JSAA Biennial conferences usually includes workshops directed at teachers of Japanese as well as postgraduate students from across the world.
JSAA has played a pivotal role in shaping Japanese studies in Australia by addressing various topical issues, including language education, university funding, and departmental (re)structures. Government support for Asian Languages and Studies (including Japanese Studies) has been sporadic, with several initiatives being abandoned after just a few years, often due to changes in the ruling party. JSAA has actively campaigned for ongoing funding.
At its peak in the 1990s, Japanese was taught at almost all universities in Australia, but in recent years, in the wake of university restructuring and budget pressures, several programs have been discontinued (for example, Swinburne University and Australian Catholic University). Nevertheless, according to the Japan Foundation’s Survey Report on Japanese Language Education Abroad 2021*, Australia has the third highest number of learners of Japanese, and the highest per capita rate of people studying Japanese. There have been generational shifts in the reasons for interest in Japanese Language and Studies: initially a strategic and military focus, then an interest in Japanese culture, arts and philosophy, followed by a strategic interest in business and trade links with Japan, to the current interest in Japanese popular culture.
Despite significant progress, challenges persist, particularly with the changing political and economic environment for universities in Australia. The JSAA remains committed to providing a vital platform for advancing Japanese Studies in Australia, fostering scholarly exchange, and promoting a deeper understanding of Japan among Australian academics, students and the broader community.
*https://www.jpf.go.jp/e/project/japanese/survey/result/survey21.html
Emeritas Professor Vera Mackie
Former President and Life Member of JSAA
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