Marco Polo Project

2021 Nexus 'Future City' pitch competition is coming! Register and compete to win the prizes! Apply here

Nexus is a partnership between the City of Melbourne, Nanjing Pukou High Tech Park, and ACASE with support from Runway, State Government of Victoria. Nexus supports all Victorian and wider Australian start-ups and scale-ups to commercialise its research capability, launch and expand into the Chinese market.

The 2021 Nexus ‘Future City’ pitch competition will consist of two business categories that hold high-tech solutions, Startups, and Scaleups/mature businesses.

The competition is open to all innovation sectors including Agritech, Biotech, Foodtech, Healthtech, Sportstech, renewable energy, new materials, AI, ICT, and big data.

Thank you to those who have supported the Marco Polo Project community by giving your token votes on Grill'd jar last month. Your support means a lot to us and we would like you to express our sincere appreciation for your continued support!

How can students beat procrastination?

There are many practical ways out there to help you to stay on track with your daily to-do list. However, to beat the habit of procrastination, we have to practice self-compassion. This is because often we procrastinate due to the avoidance caused by negative thought patterns, such as anxiety and perfectionism. To break this cycle, we need to acknowledge that we are doing our best and keep moving forward, as well as reducing any guilt of not starting earlier that is holding our pace.

In the Marco Polo Project, we have a program called “Count Me In” to help you get past your limits through time management techniques. Read more at

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How can busy students deal with stress?

There is a range of things that can build up stress levels in everyday life. International students particularly face many stressful situations when studying overseas, from cultural shock to financial and academic concerns.

Three international students from the Queensland University of Technology share their effective self-care techniques to manage stress. Firstly, they agreed that practicing mindfulness by doing some restorative activities are good ways to take a break from their daily routines. Also, being organised by planning helped them to avoid being overwhelmed by upcoming tasks and events. Besides, sports have been useful to improve their physical and mental well-being and build their connections. Speaking of connections, joining clubs or societies can help students to find like-minded people, and potentially meeting other students who face the same type of stress so they can support one another. If the stress is unbearable, remember it’s always okay to ask for help from counseling services which are available at most universities.

In the MPP, we have a range of programs designed to build your soft skills and connections with like-minded people. Read more about our programs at

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We are excited to announce our Strategic Advisor Sam Shlansky was shortlisted for The Bridge Create Change Award in the 2021 7NEWS Young Achiever Awards VIC! Good luck to everyone at tonight's Gala Presentation night.

What are the benefits of being bilingual?

Being bilingual or multilingual adds value to your professional skills, as research shows that making decisions in a second language tends to be more reason-driven. Multilingualism also provides more opportunities to build a professional network with others in the workforce. For instance, when you encounter people who speak the same second language as you, people become more open and attentive to listen to you. On top of this, a second language increases your business and employment opportunities. Freelancing roles such as a translator, interpreter, or teacher become ways to supplement your income when you speak more than one language. Australia’s diversity is another motivating factor for companies to hire multilingual people as they are more flexible and can provide unique viewpoints from their experience.

In the Marco Polo Project program, we run a Chinese and English Translation club online weekly on Wednesday and Sunday. Our aim is to help you reflect on aspects of language and culture as well as reinforce your understanding of cultures through translation.

Read more about Translation Club here

Join us online on Meetup

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Support the Marco Polo Project community every time you order a burger from Grill'd!

Our jar is on display at Grill'd Southgate!

Come and grab your favorite Grill'd burger, connect with friends, and help us drive the token votes in Marco Polo Project Jar.

Support the Marco Polo Project community every time you order a burger from Grill'd!

Our jar will be on display on the 1st of April at Grill'd Southgate!

Come and grab a burger, connect with friends, and pop your bottle cap in Marco Polo Project Jar!

Support the Marco Polo Project community every time you order a burger from Grill'd!

Our jar will be on display on the 1st of April at Grill'd Southgate

Come and grab a burger, connect with friends, and pop your bottle cap in Marco Polo Project Jar!

Default Settings is an experimental creative project that questions reflectivity, discourse, polyphony and agency.

About this Event:

Default Settings is an experimental creative project that questions reflectivity, discourse, polyphony and agency. It invites a digital audience and a small cast of associate storytellers to reflect on the various intersecting story-worlds that they inhabit, and stretch our capacity to create a common world(s) by interweaving different stories, stemming from their different traditions.

All writers have been given a theme, write separately for each performance. For this event the theme is Seed.

Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2021
Time: 7:00 PM AEDT
Get your ticket at https://buff.ly/2PiolEr

What’s the impact of Cross-Cultural Collaboration?

Working within a team with diversity is the key to produce creative ideas and solutions. This is because diverse cultural perspectives can inspire creativity and drive innovation when combined together.

During the collaboration, you will also gain some valuable personal benefits. For instance, you’ll be less likely to make assumptions as those assumptions of a given culture might not be accurate or applicable in a given situation. Instead, it requires you to learn to engage in active observations and asking questions.

When studying in Australia, oftentimes you will find yourself collaborating with other students coming from different cultural backgrounds for assignments and projects. In the MPP, our “Energise Me Now” program provides you the skills to be prepared for creating an effective cross-cultural team.
Read more about “Energise Me Now” here

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