2012 Written and Edited by Christopher Kremmer and Alexandra Hansen Designer: Stibbo.Com
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University of Melbourne 147 – 149 Barry Street Carlton, Victoria 3053 www.aii.unimelb.edu.au T: + 61 3 9035 8047 2012 Written and edited by Christopher Kremmer and Alexandra Hansen Designer: stibbo.com The Australia India Institute, based at The University of Melbourne, is funded by the Australian Government Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education, the State Government of Victoria, and The University of Melbourne. Copyright: Australia India Institute 2013 Contents Director’s Report 2 Chair’s Report 3 2012 Highlights 4 Focus on India 14 Debates 15 Media 16 Education 20 Emerging Leaders 21 Business 22 Giving Back 23 Outstanding Orations 24 Publications 32 Lectures, Dialogues and Events 34 Programs 38 Media Impacts 39 Patron and Board 42 Governance 44 Fellows 45 Staff 46 Financial Reports 48 The year 2012 will arguably be remembered as one of the most significant in Australia’s relationship with India. With support from across the political spectrum, Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s visit to New Delhi in October crowned years of patient diplomacy by successive Australian and Indian governments aimed at deepening and broadening ties between our two democracies. The Australia India Institute is pleased to have played a role in encouraging and facilitating these developments. In just three years since its launch in 2009, the Institute has played a vital convening In the latest Australian Census data, Indians role, setting and implementing an exciting agenda constituted the largest single group of new migrant by bringing Indian and Australian scholars, policy arrivals. The growth of the Indian Diaspora in makers and opinion leaders together in dialogue, Australia is a phenomenon rich in potential. The and by fostering partnerships in vital areas of Federal government’s White Paper Australia in the common interest. Our new teaching programs, at the Asian Century, released in October 2012, demonstrated undergraduate and postgraduate levels, hope to create that at the political level too, there is commitment to an intellectual capacity within Australia to understand building both strategic and cultural ties. In the years the complexities of contemporary India in this critical to come, Indian and Australian navies will increase phase of engagement. Our Task Forces aim to provide cooperation, and Hindi will be one of four priority the policy community within the two countries with languages offered to Australian schoolchildren from fresh ideas to move the relationship forward. And our Year 1 onwards. An expansion in the resources devoted Director’s Report growing in-house academic and policy expertise is a to the study of India at Australian universities is also vital resource for all those interested in India and in underway, with a permanent chair in Indian Studies the bilateral relationship. funded in large part by the State Government of Victoria about to be established at The University of The essential challenge at this critical juncture, when Melbourne and hosted by the Institute. new opportunities for cooperation and partnership are emerging, is to maintain momentum and engage with The Australia India Institute remains the only national stakeholders to turn aspirations into realities. Rarely centre devoted to building the overall relationship before has there been such a moment of opportunity. between our two nations. As the relationship expands In academia, business, government and people-to- there will inevitably be pressures on the capacity of people relations, connections and partnerships forged our small Institute to satisfy increased demand for now will stand us in good stead amid the uncertainties our support and expertise, and we do hope we can that always accompany periods of economic and fulfil these expectations. We are thankful for the geopolitical re-alignment like the one currently financial and in-kind support of the Commonwealth underway in our region. Proliferating engagement and Victorian State governments, and The University across the board is apparent, from increasing numbers of Melbourne, which has been crucial to our ability of visiting delegations, to the high quality of applicants to intervene decisively in this important area of for research scholarships and fellowships we offer, endeavour. We also value our partnerships with and expanding interest in the Institute as a centre of The University of New South Wales and La Trobe expertise on the part of print, broadcast and online University. media. Professor Amitabh Mattoo Director, Australia India Institute 2 Chair’s Report In 2012 the Australia India Institute came of age. public lectures, and cultural and other outreach We have consolidated our role as a key gateway for activities. engagement between our two nations. We are also delighted to welcome strategic and policy This annual report conveys the excitement and energy analyst Rory Medcalf as an associate director based at the Institute has generated in its early years. From The University of New South Wales in Sydney. We look high-profile task force reports and influential emerging forward to more projects being developed with other leader fellowships, to its growing cohort of research partner institutions, including La Trobe University in scholars and role in policy formulation, the Institute’s Victoria. footprint is expanding to the benefit of a wide range of With expectations and levels of interest between India stakeholders. and Australia at an all-time high, new challenges We are pleased to announce that our inaugural are emerging. The Institute is currently funded until director, Professor Amitabh Mattoo has extended his the end of 2014. If we are to continue servicing and tenure and will remain at the helm in Melbourne until nurturing an expanding Australia-India relationship, a early 2015. The past year has also seen a number of longer-term, secure funding arrangement will need to key appointments that deepen the Institute’s reservoir be put in place. of India expertise. Author and journalist Christopher For now, it is with pleasure that I present to you the Kremmer joined us as Communications Director, 2012 Australia India Institute Annual Report. This caps and 2013 Young Australian of the Year (Victoria) a year of substantial progress and achievement as we Hayley Bolding has added her youthful dynamism to look ahead with confidence to 2013. the management of our scholarship and study tour programs. They join a small and enthusiastic staff Robert Johanson, working to deliver a packed program of seminars, Chair, Australia India Institute Board 3 In October 2012 the Australia India Institute staged its third flagship international conference entitled The Argumentative Indian: Critical Debates in the World’s Largest Democracy & Perspectives from Australia. The Nobel Laureate in Economics, Professor Amartya Sen of Harvard University welcomed delegates in a video presentation in which he attributed India’s flourishing democracy to its long tradition of intellectual and philosophical dissent and debate. Professor Sen’s call to engage was taken up enthusiastically by some 700 registered delegates, including Indian and Australian political leaders, The Federal member for Goldstein, the Hon Andrew Robb academics and social activists from around the world, addresses the conference who debated India’s progress and challenges as an emerging leader on global and regional issues. From the Australia India Institute Oration, delivered BJP. Several leading Indian journalists also attended, by Professor Glyn Davis, Vice-Chancellor of The including Siddharth Varadarajan, editor of the University of Melbourne, to social activist Kiran Bedi’s respected daily newspaper, The Hindu, Shankkar clarion call for action on corruption, this world-class Aiyar and H.K. Dua. The Governor of West Bengal gathering of India expertise put Australia on the map and India’s former National Security Advisor, M.K as a dynamic and engaged partner in the India story in Narayanan gave a keynote address which painted a the Asian Century. positive outlook for Australia-India relations in the fast 2012 Highlights Conferences Critical discussions on the most relevant issues facing changing Indo-Pacific region, relations which he said India today were held over the three days. Foreign had reached a ‘defining moment’. Policy and International Relations enthusiasts were in The then Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs, their element, and sessions on the media highlighted Science and Research, Senator Chris Evans addressed some phenomenal facts and realities about the colossal the conference on the importance of engagement with powerhouse that is the Indian media. Gopalkrishna Asia, and the Federal Member for Goldstein, Andrew Gandhi closed the conference with an inspiring and Robb spoke about Australia’s and India’s political poetic valedictory speech, leaving no-one doubting systems and the way forward. that he had inherited his grandfather, Mahatma Gandhi’s capacity to inspire. For more information about the conference go to www.argumentativeindian.org A notable feature of the conference was the strong representation of all India’s main political parties including the ruling Congress Party and Opposition 4 2012 Highlights Conferences 5 University of Melbourne Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Engagement) Professor Susan Elliott, along with the A.I.I Director and Marion van Rooden, Executive Director (Labour Markets and International Education), Department of Business and Innovation,