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With
a chair in Asian Languages and Studies and directorship of the Centre of East
Asian Studies at Monash, Professor Bruce Jacobs works in a field of growing
interest to the Western world.
Bruce's concerns with human rights and totalitarian systems sparked his interest in studying China when he was an undergraduate at Colombia University in the US.
"It is fascinating to witness the huge changes in China's economic, political and social development as the straightjacket of the planned economy is lifted off," he said.
In 1976, Bruce moved to Australia to lecture at La Trobe University. Since then, he says, he has become truly 'aussified', giving up his US citizenship to become an Australian citizen in the mid-1980s.
In 1991, Bruce joined Monash as head of the then Department of Asian Languages and Studies. Currently he is associate dean (International) for the Arts faculty, as well as concurrent professor at Nanjing University in east China. Both roles provide him with opportunities to lecture and work on joint projects in China. A notable example is the injury prevention agreement he recently organised with Nanjing Medical University, in conjunction with Monash's Accident Research Centre.
In the face of what he sees as increasing work pressures for academics, Bruce says it is important to have a balanced lifestyle. He is a staunch supporter of the North Melbourne Football club and enjoys cycling along the Plenty River and bushwalking in Australia's alpine country.
- Lisa Pawlicka
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