India Forum

Background and Tentative Charter

• Objectives


• Proposed plan of action

With a population larger than one billion, an economy that in purchasing power parity terms is the fourth largest in the world, an improved trend growth rate performance in recent years, a flourishing democracy with a free press, its potential as an emerging super power in information based industries as well as its strategic location, India stands apart from most developing countries. Although India faces many problems, its potential in the region (if not globally), particularly in view of various policy initiatives taken recently, is immense. India’s varied cultural, religious and linguistic mosaic, that has attracted the attention of scholars for considerable time, has thrown up several interesting questions and opened up scope for rethinking. In the past decade India has provided leadership addressing the challenges posed by cultural and technological globalisation, attracting renewed research interest across the world. The India Forum at the Australian National University (ANU) proposes to sharpen scholarly attention in Australia on to India and facilitate the creation of a critical mass of expertise in Indian studies.

In the past several leading scholars and students in the ANU have been involved in Indian studies. There is a widespread feeling among many scholars that these efforts need to be rejuvenated and ANU’s research and teaching capital in this area needs to be augmented so that the university can participate more fully in major international debates relating to resource utilization, population and the environment, culture and development, and restructuring of the economy in India.

The establishment of the Australia South Asia Research Centre (ASARC) in 1994 has facilitated ANU’s important and growing research into the Indian economy. The Indian interest on such issues is evidenced by the fact that since its founding ASARC has had contacts with policy and governmental circles in India at the highest level.

The recently launched Graduate Studies in Sustainable Heritage Development (GSSHD) in RSPAS has also renewed interest in research and training at the ANU focusing on arts, culture and heritage of India. In addition, several individual scholars (both faculty and students) are working on India in various units of the ANU. However, there are still gaps that need to be filled up and a greater interaction between Australia and India need to be established leading to a dialogue between the two giants in the Asia-Pacific region. Time has now come for the creation of a Forum to bring this scattered scholarship on India under one supportive platform.

In addition, every year, the ANU welcomes a large number of students and researchers from India; some hone their skills to become experts within Australia on their country, others take back such expertise to India. It is forecasted that India will, in the near future, provide one of the largest contingents of foreign students in Australia.

The proposed India Forum is an effort to enhance the scope and quantity of India research at ANU in order to better reflect the emerging importance of India and progressively bridge the chasm between the potential for such work and actual attainment.

India Forum

Keeping in view of the above, and also the ANU’s traditional and resurgent interest in India studies as well as its commitment to multiculturalism and diversity issues, we propose to organize an India Forum that will act as a network for India enthusiasts, researchers and diverse experts, and will help create increased and livelier interaction between the pools of expertise that are already available within ANU. The Forum will help to form a common ground for India enthusiasts while paying attention to and highlighting the diverse country that is India. The Forum would take place within ANU, and will bring together the full participation of interested members. It will encourage discussions and exchange of information, various kinds of support and frequent seminars. It will also attempt to interact with other scholars in Australia working on India. Anyone with an interest in India-related research is welcome to join the forum.

Objectives

1. To establish a pool of expertise available within the ANU and Australia and facilitate effective interaction through meetings/seminars/conferences/business forums;
2. To promote greater linkages and strategic resourcing with relevant institutions and agencies in India and other India studies programs in Australia and across the world;
To raise the profile of India-related research in Australia and provide avenues for Australian scholars in general to interact with academics working on India-related issues; and
3. To provide advice to relevant and interested parties on policy matters, business opportunities and on accessing resources including books and various kinds of data on India.

Proposed plan of action in the short-term

1. Create a list of active members (across all disciplines) who would be willing to share with the Forum their India-related work. This may take one or more forms, e.g., holding of periodic seminars and updates, creation of an India Forum webpage with links to the India-related research done by individual scholars.
2. Facilitating cooperation between scholars in organizing joint research as well as preparing research project proposals for funding.
3. Explore the possibility of publishing on India studies at the ANU.
4. Providing a forum for students (both graduate and undergraduate) working on India related issues to discuss their research and get ideas on fruitful topics, source materials and data sources.