Caroline Wang 王涵

Professor of Practice @ UNSW SPREE - School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering

About

I am Professor of Practice at the UNSW School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering (SPREE). I focus on partnership-based, strategic initiatives that build our School's global presence and impact.My work aims to help reduce misunderstanding, build trust-based communities of practice across disciplines and borders, lowering the barriers to successful collaboration in our complex geopolitical and commercial environments.I am the author of Rising Tide: China’s Outbound Cleantech Capital Surge Drives Global Collaboration Toward Net Zero, which examines how the pairing of Chinese global cleantech investment with host country industrial policies is reshaping global geoeconomics.With a decade of experience across the Australian government, international policy and cross-border engagement, combined with hands-on strategic collaborations with Chinese and international partners — and fluency in Mandarin, French and Italian — I have a track record in advising senior officials and Ministers across education, defence and emergency management portfolios, and leading multistakeholder policy initiatives. Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less" - Marie Curie "If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart" - Nelson MandelaSpecialties:• Government • Complex policy and project leadership • Stakeholder engagement • Critical/analytical thinking • International relations • Legal • Strategic communications • Multilingual and intercultural communication • Diversity, equity and inclusion

Country

Australia

City

Greater Sydney Area

Industry

International Trade & Development

Skill

clean energy industrial strategy, cleantech supply chains, cross-border industrial strategy, Renewable Energy Markets, China industrial policy, Cross-Cultural Communication, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Disaster Risk Reduction, Public International Law, Stakeholder Relations, Editing, Bilingual Communications, Environmental Policy, International Organizations, Communication, Immigration Law, Legal Document Preparation, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Government, Critical Thinking

Experience

Professor of Practice

UNSW SPREE - School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering

2026-3 - Present · 7 mos

Sydney, NSW

Adjunct Fellow

UNSW SPREE - School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering

2025-12 - Present · 10 mos

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Adjunct Fellow

Australia-China Relations Institute, University of Technology Sydney

2026-2 - Present · 8 mos

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

China Engagement Lead

Climate Energy Finance

2025-1 - 2026-2 · 1 yr 2 mos

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

• Lead international engagement and partnership-building on clean energy technologies, focusing on Australia-China collaboration. • Advise governments and industry leaders on China’s outbound clean-tech investment strategies and market entry models. • Analyse global outbound direct investment trends by Chinese clean-tech companies, including localization strategies and joint ventures. • Represent Climate Energy Finance at high-level forums and industry events, facilitating dialogue among stakeholders.

Senior Associate Policy

Premier's Department NSW

2023-8 - 2025-1 · 1 yr 6 mos

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

- Advised senior government leaders on regulatory frameworks, risk management and cross-agency coordination, including issues relevant to clean energy technologies and infrastructure - Led government engagement with industry, academia and technical experts, including a major inquiry into lithium-ion battery safety and a government-funded research project on mental health for first responders - Coordinated multi-stakeholder consultations, balancing technical, regulatory and public-interest considerations - Developed briefing materials for ministers and executives in consultation with internal and external stakeholders

Senior Policy Officer, International Policy, New Zealand and Pacific

Defence Australia

2022-8 - 2023-8 · 1 yr 1 mo

Canberra

- Supported high-level international dialogues and bilateral cooperation, working with foreign counterparts and international partners - Advised senior leadership and the Minister for Defence on strategic international engagement, policy positioning and diplomatic coordination - Contributed to cross-border initiatives requiring political awareness, cultural sensitivity and stakeholder alignment.

French Teacher

Alliance Française de Canton

2021-5 - 2022-6 · 1 yr 2 mos

Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

Taught intermediate and advanced level French to classes of Chinese primary and high school and university students.

Partnerships Manager

InterCulture往来文化

2021-3 - 2022-6 · 1 yr 4 mos

Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

- Lived and worked in China, managing cross-border sustainability partnerships between Chinese organisations and European diplomatic missions - Designed and delivered bilingual (Chinese–English) programs, facilitating dialogue on sustainability and global cooperation - Built trusted working relationships with Chinese stakeholders, navigating local institutional, cultural and operating environments - Gained first-hand experience operating in Chinese professional and social contexts.

Senior Research Officer

Australian Senate

2020-2 - 2020-9 · 8 mos

Canberra, Australia

- Managed complex public inquiries involving industry, civil society and high-level government stakeholders. - Coordinated hearings, external submissions and public reporting, ensuring clear communication and stakeholder engagement - Drafted briefing papers and reports for inquiries, including the high-profile inquiry into lessons to be learned from the 2019-20 bushfires - Supported senior parliamentarians with evidence-based, publicly defensible advice.

Senior International Policy Officer

Australian Government Department of Education

2019-5 - 2020-2 · 10 mos

Canberra, Australia

I conducted research and provided strategic advice to the executive of the Department and the Minister for Education about policies and initiatives to support Australia's international education engagement and partnership development, and represented the department at sector events and forums. I represented the Department at tertiary sector forums and events.

Visits Officer, International and Parliamentary Relations Office

The Department of the House of Representatives

2018-10 - 2019-5 · 8 mos

Canberra, Australia

I designed, planned, coordinated and delivered parliamentary study tours and visit programs for incoming foreign parliamentary delegations and dignitaries, and provided protocol support to facilitate the Australian Parliament's international engagement activities, notably the Australian Parliament's Inter-Parliamentary Study Program for Senior Parliamentary Staff and the Inter-Parliamentary Study Program for Speakers of Pacific Parliaments.