ADVANCE
CONNECTING
AUSTRALIANS
GLOBALLY

Advance – The Global Australian Network.

Since our founding in the aftermath of 9/11, we’ve grown to serve members globally and provide services, events, and opportunities to Australia’s greatest national resource: our people—at home and abroad. Our mission is to strengthen Australia by nurturing a globally connected mindset at home and abroad. We do this by supporting the flow of information and ideas between Global Australians and their home country.

#AlwaysAustralian

What we do

The Global Australian Awards are central to everything we do. We identify high-achieving Australians overseas and introduce these GameChangers to Australian audiences. The Awards also provide a focal point for the flow of information and ideas, and enable us to develop inspiration, insight and resources to share with the Global Australian community.


Who we support

The Advance community includes our members and social media followers, who are at any point along their international journey: whether they are considering working overseas in the future, currently building their career overseas; or ready to return home. We also welcome former international students at Australian universities into the Advance network to maintain and grow their connections with Australia. Our membership is located around the world, with around 43% of members in North America; 15% in China and Hong Kong; 13% in the UK; 12% in the rest of Asia; and 11% in Europe. A demographic breakdown of the Advance community is here (based on 2022 survey results).

Going Global
When moving overseas, it’s important to immerse yourself in the new culture, and make connections wherever you’re headed. Advance offers listings of important overseas events and job listings to help you get started on this journey, as well as our regular NextGen program so you can prepare for your move and learn from people who have successfully made the move before you.

Working Overseas
If you’re an expat living overseas, it can be easy to lose touch with your professional contacts in Australia. Advance offers a variety of resources to help keep in touch professionally with Australia, and find like-minded Australians located overseas near you. Our global network of Advance Ambassadors are well-established and highly connected into the Australian community. A monthly news rundown summarises key policy changes, debates and events happening in Australia. The stories of other global Australians, shared through our ongoing program of roundtables, interviews, podcasts and postcards, share how others are navigating the challenges of living overseas, and enable you to connect with Australians in your region.

Returning Home
Returning home after working overseas, whether it be for 6 months or 20 years, can be difficult. Beyond any reverse culture shock when re-immersing yourself in Australia, the professional challenges are real – finding old contacts, making new connections, and the time it can take to find a role that suits your skills acquired overseas. Advance recognises these issues, and provides resources to help you, including our LinkedIn community, job listings and regular Coffee Hour and Talent Return Program to reintroduce you to the right networks in Australia.

How we are funded

Advance is partially funded by the Australian Federal Government in recognition of the soft power and global industry insights delivered by our diaspora. We are also supported by the generous contributions of our founding patrons, philanthropic donors, and corporate sponsors who value Advance’s role in connecting global talent and elevating Australia’s global reputation.