30TH ASEACCU ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Useful Information


"What makes a Catholic University Catholic?"

Expressing and Integrating Identity and Mission

As a Catholic university, ACU draws inspiration from the “heart of the Church” from the Catholic intellectual tradition which proposes an integrated spiritual and philosophical approach to the most enduring questions of human life.

At ACU, our mission is our difference. Through the lens of the Catholic intellectual tradition, acting in Truth and Love, we are committed to human dignity, the pursuit of knowledge and the common good.

As a Catholic university, we are stewards of our Catholic tradition and our unique Australian heritage. Our mission defines who we are, what we do and the outcomes we strive to achieve for our students and staff. We actively support the living out of our mission in many ways and invite all our staff, students and stakeholders to join us on this journey.


  • 1. Registration
  • 2. Timetable for ASEACCU 2024
  • 3. Registration fee payment
  • 4. Extending Stay at the Hotel
  • 5. Airport Arrivals
  • 6. Contact Detail
  • 7. Requirements for Visa/ETA Application
  • 8. Certificate
  • 9. Conference Kit
1. Registration

1 – Registration period

  • Registration is open now until July 20, 2024
  • Registration should only made via the ASEACCU Conference 2024 Website

As you may require a visa to enter Australia, we encourage participants to register as soon as possible.

2 – Registration Fee

  1. Faculty and staff conference USD 650
  2. Student conference USD 450 
  3. Registration fee includes all as follows:
  • Transportation to and from Attractions 
  • Meals ( AM Snacks, Lunch, most PM Snacks, Dinner)
  • Hotel Accommodation for the program duration: 
    • Student conference: Accommodation from Tuesday 20th August to Saturday 24th August, 4 nights with breakfast.
    • Faculty and Staff conference: Accommodation from Wednesday 21st August to Saturday 24th August 2024, 3 nights with breakfast.
  • Conference Kit

3 – Registration Policy

Once booked, registration fee is non-refundable.

2. Timetable for ASEACCU 2024
  • Registration Period: April 2024 until 20th July, 2024
  • Conference Duration: August 20 – 23, 2024
3. Registration fee payment

ASEACCU 2024 payment

  • The registration fee must be paid either by credit card or bank transfer. Please follow the instructions in the payment portal.
  • The registration fee payment deadline for both conferences is on 20th July, 2024.

Bank Transfer Information 

Member institutions can pay the ASEACCU Conference in USD through the following account: 

Account Name: Universidade de São José

Bank Name: Banco Nacional Ultramarino

Account Number: 9006835049

Bank address: Avenida Almeida Ribeiro, No. 22, Macau (China)

Swift Code: BNULMOMX

IBAN: N/A (in Asia) 

Important: Please cover the Bank charges and the wire transfer fee your Bank may charge.

4. Extending Stay at the Hotel

Please note Accommodation for Staff/Faculty includes 3 nights (21st, 22nd and 23rd August). Breakfast included for the 22nd, 23rd and 24th August.

Accommodation for Students includes 4 nights (20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd August)
Breakfast included for the 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th August.

If you wish to extend your stay at our conference accommodations outside of the above dates, you may book directly through their website:
Student Accommodation: https://www.ibisstylessydneycentral.com.au/
Faculty& Staff Accommodation: https://www.marymackillopplace.org.au/stay-at-mary-mackillop-place/anderledy-lodge/

Mrs Deborah Cho at Mary Mackillop Place manages the booking for the Faculty and Staff Conference. You may reach her directly at event.bookings@mmp.org.au.

Please note rooms are subject to availability and accommodation at other locations may be required.

5. Airport Arrivals

ACU will have an arrival desk (shared with Study NSW) at Sydney International Airport on Tuesday 20th August 2024 from 7am – 1pm.

Visit this desk located at Exit A of the airport arrivals hall if you need assistance getting to your accommodation. From here an ACU staff member will guide you on how to catch public transport to your accommodation.

Alternatively, if you’d prefer to catch a taxi/uber the ACU staff member will guide you to the location to catch your ride.

For those arriving outside this date/times, you will be emailed instructions on how to get to your relevant accommodation from Sydney International Airport.

6. Contact Detail

ACU together with the ASEACCU Secretariat will be creating a WhatsApp Group Chat for all participants for easy communication on general information.

This information will be sent to all participants in the week leading up to the conference.

For direct and formal communication, you may reach the ACU Team through email tait.forster@acu.edu.au.

7. Requirements for Visa/ETA Application

Visa requirements may vary from one country of origin to another. Please click this link and type in your country of origin to read specific information and guidelines. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-finder/visit

Australian Electronic Travel Authority (ETA)

Some Conference delegates may be able to apply for an Australian Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) application. The ETA allows eligible passport holders to travel to Australia for short-term stays for tourism or business visitor purposes. (Check the website to see if this is applicable to you.)

See the Electronic Travel Authority website to find out more and to check your eligibility to apply: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/electronic-travel-authority-601

More Information:

Participants, attendees and speakers that will not be working, performing or otherwise be paid to contribute at the event may be eligible to apply for the following visa options:

Visitor (subclass 600) Business stream visa. For more information see: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov. au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/visitor-600/business-visitor-stream

Electronic Travel Authority – ETA (subclass 601). For eligible passport holders and more information see: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/electronic-travel-authority-601

eVisitor (subclass 651) Business stream visa. For eligible passport holders and more information see: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/evisitor-651

Visitor (subclass 600) Business visa applicants should include as much information as possible to support their visa applications (see: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa- listing/visitor-600/business-visitor-stream#HowTo).

In addition, visa applicants should include the following information:

  • evidence of any international travel outside of their own country (for example, copies of visas and passport pages containing entry and departure stamps)
  • information and evidence of attendance at similar events of this type/nature

NB: Eligibility for an eVisitor visa and ETA will be determined by the country of passport that the applicant holds.

Biometrics

Visa applicants outside of Australia will need to provide biometrics when they apply for a visa that is part of the Australian biometrics program, or where they are from a country, or located in a country at time of application that is part of the Australian biometrics program.

For information regarding Australia’s biometric program including visas and countries that are part of the program, please see: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-support/meeting-our- requirements/biometrics

Health and Character Requirements

Most visa applicants must meet minimum health standards before they can be granted a visa, and the department may assess your health as part of the visa application process. This is referred to as ‘meeting the health requirement’. For more information regarding health requirements please see: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-support/meeting-our-requirements/health

Applicants must be of good character to visa Australia, and must meet the character requirements in order to be granted a visa. For further information regarding character requirements please see:https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-support/meeting-our-requirements/character

Visa Application Process and Processing Times

Visa applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis, and actual processing times can vary due to individual circumstances including:

  • whether the applicant has lodged a complete application, including all necessary supporting documents and paid associated visa application charges
  • how promptly the applicant responds to any requests for additional information
  • how long it takes to perform required checks on the supporting information provided
  • how long it takes to receive information from external agencies, particularly in relation to health, character, and national security requirements
  • when the application is lodged taking the current global visa processing times into account

Processing times are impacted each month by cases that are complex, changes to volume of applications and changes to Ministerial Directions. More information about visa processing times please see: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-processing-times/overview.

For this reason, we would advise that visa applications be lodged at least 4 to 6 weeks prior to a person’s intended date of travel.

Travellers should familiarise themselves with Australia’s border and entry requirements. 

For further information, see ‘Entering and leaving Australia at: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/entering-and- leaving-australia/entering-australia

8. Certificate

To reduce conference costs, environmental impact and ensure a seamless and efficient experience for all conference attendees and the organizers, an authorized e-certificate will be sent to you through the email you inputted during your registration process, immediately after the conference.

9. Conference Kit

Student and staff/faculty participants will receive:

    • ID/Name badge
    • Lanyard
    • T-Shirt
    • Conference bag
    • Notebook
    • Pen
    • Drink bottle
  • 10. Guest Speaker
  • 11. Attractions
  • 12. Things to See and Do in Sydney
  • 13. Local Transportation
  • 14. Liturgy
  • 15. Volunteerism
  • 16. Currency
  • 17. Electricity
  • 18. Weather and Clothing
  • 19. Drinking Water
10. Guest Speaker

Detailed information about the guest speakers in the conference program can be found on the following page: https://aseaccu.asia/2024/speakers/

11. Attractions

Part of the conference will be attending some of Sydney’s most popular attractions. Travel to and from these sites will be pre-arranged.

Students will be attending the Australian Museum for a self-guided tour.

Faculty/Staff will be attending the Art Gallery of New South Wales to view a collection of Indigenous Australian art, which is one of the largest collections in Australia.

Following these visits a Mass will take place at the Crypt at St Mary’s Cathedral, followed by a dinner at NSW Parliament House.

12. Things to See and Do in Sydney
From the iconic sails of the Opera House to the golden sands at Bondi Beach, Sydney is brimming with spectacular icons. Discover the city’s unmissable attractions by ticking the following essential experiences off your bucket list: 
  1. View some of Sydney’s famous attractions by clicking on the link below:
    https://www.sydney.com/things-to-do/attractions
  2. For some suggested places to eat and drink in Sydney click on the link below:
    https://www.sydney.com/things-to-do/food-and-drink
13. Local Transportation

Sydney is very easy to get around by train and bus.

  • Transportation fees for the ‘official trips’ included in the conference program are covered in your conference registration fee.
  • Should you wish to take additional trips around the city on your own, head to the link below for timetables and pricing:
    https://www.sydney.com/travel-information/transport
  • For information regarding closest train stations to the student and staff accommodations for the conference, please refer to the following document here 
14. Liturgy

For the masses during the conference, kindly refer to the  2024 ASEACCU Programme.

15. Volunteerism

Participants in the ASEACCU Conference may ask help from the ACU-ASEACCU working team or from the ACU Hospitality and Tourism Management-student volunteers during the event.

16. Currency

The Australian Dollar (AUD) is the official currency of Australia.
For the daily foreign exchange rate visit: https://www.rba.gov.au/statistics/frequency/exchange-rates.html

17. Electricity

When traveling to Australia, ensure that you have a power plug adapter or voltage converter. The plug type is I, which is the plug that has three flat pins in a triangular pattern. Australia operates on a 230V supply voltage and 50Hz.

https://aseaccu.asia/2024/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Picture-1.png
18. Weather and Clothing
  • Sydney’s winter months are June to August when average temperatures drop between 8.8 – 17°C (47.8 – 62.6°F).
  • For the Sydney weather forecast for August 2024, you can visit: https://world-weather.info/forecast/australia/sydney/august-2024/
  • We recommend that you bring sweaters, a jacket, and have an umbrella handy in case of wet weather.
19. Drinking Water

Sydney’s drinking water from the tap, is from natural sources and is filtered to the high standards set by the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. This helps to ensure that the water is safe to drink straight from the tap.

With ACU’s commitment to sustainability it is recommended that you use and refill your conference drink bottle, or personal drink bottle, throughout your time in Sydney, rather than purchasing bottled water.

All program and arrangement preparation will be updated and adjusted depending on health protocols and availability of guest speakers.

The ASEACCU’s Steering Committee and ACU as host institution, would like to reserve the right to alter the details of the program depending on time constraint and condition.