The Australia India Institute, based at The University of Melbourne, is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education and Training, the State Government of Victoria and the University of Melbourne. © Copyright: Australia India Institute 2015 Edited by Kog Ravindran and Chris Henning Contents Director’s Report 4 Chair’s Report 6 AII@Delhi Director’s Report 8 AII@Delhi Annual Report 10 Australia India Leadership Dialogue 2015 16 Partners 18 Publications 21 Art and Culture 24 Workshops, Roundtables and Seminars 26 Indian Studies 28 Projects 30 Orations and Talks 34 Business Development 36 AII in the News 38 Director’s Outreach 40 In their Own Words 43 Patrons and Fellows 48 Governance and Staff 50 Financial Reports 53 Institute along with the Commonwealth This list of objectives is by no means Government and Victorian Government, but exhaustive. The AII has a huge array of different also with its other founding partners, La Trobe stakeholders, and among other more specific and the University of New South Wales. I am aims of the AII are its desire to foster better delighted that we have recently signed an MoU people-people understanding across the with the Queensland University of Technology Australia-India boundary, promote community and I am receiving very encouraging signals initiatives related to South Asia in Australia, and from many other universities. Watch this space. sponsor exchanges between students, scholars and others between Australia and India. I The NGN will be part of a broader effort to should also mention the wonderful programme establish the AII as a centre of ideas. I want the of events that our talented Communication and AII to be internationally recognised as a place Events team are developing for next year, from where people can be curious, interdisciplinary, major Public Lectures on ‘Keywords for India’ and experiment with ideas. It will also be a to informal drop in sessions at the Institute. centre in which scholars, students, and others I am also hoping to launch a new series of can pause for a moment and think in rigorous ‘Inspiring India’ lectures by prominent figures and careful ways about how the world is from India and will be leading a ‘Contemporary changing and what consideration of India might India Masterclass’ on India in the autumn tell us about such transformations. in Australia. These new ventures would not A second area where we can innovate is in be possible were it not for our small but the field of teaching and learning, broadly hardworking team who continue to deliver the understood. I would like to see the Institute Institute’s objectives. AII Director’s Note more involved with Masters and undergraduate Finally, I want to stress that the AII is a national teaching and executive education for Institution. I have thoroughly enjoyed travelling government, businesspeople and civil society. to La Trobe University and the University of India is not only important in its own right as New South Wales to understand India-related a sixth of humanity. It is also a lens through activity in these institutions. I am very excited I have had a wonderful first three months in my new role as Director and CEO which to think through issues such as health, of the Australia India Institute. This is a tremendously exciting time to be about the opportunities available for the AII education, and development. to catalyse India-related studies in UNSW working on India and the Australia-India relationship and there is nowhere A third area where there is a real potential for and La Trobe, which both contain a number better in the world to be studying these issues than the AII. I have received of world-class specialists on South Asia. I am superb support from Professor Susan Elliott at the University of Melbourne, further consolidation and growth is in the sphere of policy, inside government and in especially grateful to Ms Fiona Docherty, PVC Mr Robert Johanson and my predecessor Professor Amitabh Mattoo. relation to business and commercialisation. International at UNSW, and Professor Nick The Government’s new Innovation Agenda Bisley, Director of La Trobe Asia, for all their I have also had the opportunity to meet a in Australia. There are world-class academics clearly priorities international cooperation and advice and kind assistance. number of other eminent individuals who have working on South Asia in Australia, but not exchange in the filed of entrepreneurship. The It is difficult for someone from the UK to indicated their enthusiasm for assisting in the as many as there could be. Moreover, some AII should leverage its tremendous experience immediately understand the rhythms of next stage of the AII’s development. elements of South Asian studies have waned in this area to be a leader in policy formulation Australia and a new country (for example that in recent years, such as university support in relation to India. We could help to identify a What should this next stage look like? This it is hot at Christmas!) But I feel that I’m hitting for languages. This is an area where the AII suitable ‘landing pad’ for Australian business my stride after the first few months at the AII has been the question that has preoccupied me could take a lead and I’m delighted that several seeking to invest in India, to use the language during my first three months. There is a tangible and Melbourne, and I am immensely grateful to universities have already shown an interest of the new Agenda. We could help to identify everyone who has helped me settle in. I wish all sense of opportunity on every side, but how to in the effort I am leading to establish a ‘New possibilities for Australian universities priorities and focus is always a challenge. these people and everyone reading this report a Generation Network (NGN) scholars working and skills providers to partner with Indian productive and happy 2016. on policy-relevant India-related topics in I think three key objectives can be taken institutions. And we could help to put business different universities. The AII has an excellent from my conversations so far. First, there is a leaders in contact with one another in Australia relationship not only with the University of pressing need to revitalise South Asian studies and India. Much of this work is already ongoing, Craig Jeffrey Melbourne, which is a major funder of the a tribute to the work of Professor Mattoo. CEO and Director, Australia India Institute 4 5 Chair’s Report The last 12 months have been nothing short of supported by Visy Industries in Australia and momentous for the Australia India Institute. The Mahindra and Mahindra in India, provided a Institute opened its first centre in India, AII@ platform for thought leaders to discuss and deepen Delhi, held the first Australia India Leadership this crucial relationship. I am very much looking Dialogue and welcomed a new Director, Professor forward to next year’s AILD in Melbourne. Craig Jeffrey, after a year-long, worldwide search. And all this as the enormous momentum in The arrival of Professor Craig Jeffrey in October Australia-India relations continued from 2014, has opened a new era at the AII. Coming to with the two governments making major steps Melbourne from Oxford University, Craig is to conclude the Comprehensive Economic an outstanding successor to Professor Amitabh Cooperation Agreement. No doubt we have had Mattoo. He is an exceptional scholar and with an exciting year indeed. him we have the chance to build the AII as one of the world’s leading centres for the study of India. The opening of AII@Delhi in August 2015 by the then Minister for Education and Training, I’d like to thank our partners and funders, in Christopher Pyne, represents a major extension particular our primary funder, the Federal of the Institute’s international reach. AII@ Department of Education and Training. My Delhi will foster collaboration between the thanks also go to the Victorian Department of two countries in research, education and skills Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and development. The Institute also opened its first Resources, the University of Melbourne, and node in Queensland, at Brisbane’s Queensland our partners at La Trobe University, QUT and University of Technology, to join the other two the UNSW. Finally, I’d like to thank the AII’s Australian nodes at La Trobe University and the staff, who have made so much happen with such University of New South Wales. success in the last year. The inaugural Australia India Leadership I commend to you this 2015 Annual Report, Dialogue, held in New Delhi over three days in which records the Institute’s activities in detail. October, brought together cabinet ministers, I’m looking forward to even greater things in senior bureaucrats, Members of Parliament, 2016. distinguished academics and leading journalists Robert Johanson from both Australia and India. The AILD, Chair, Australia India Institute 6 AII@Delhi Director’s Report In 2015 the Australia India Institute established a permanent intellectual mature, ideas matter. One needs to move from will aim to be the intellectual space where home in India. In the heart of India’s capital, AII@Delhi was inaugurated the transactional to focus on the bigger picture. people can meet and ideas can proliferate, so by Australia’s Education Minister, the Honourable Christopher Pyne, MP, Stable, strong and sustainable relationships are that the Institute becomes the most sought- during his visit to India in August 2015. not built merely on the possibility of mutual after destination for the most important gains, but on a vision of a shared future.