Focus and Research

The Division of Economics has already built a high international reputation for economic research in the rapidly expanding areas of Northeast and Southeast Asia and in the Island nations of the Pacific Ocean. ASARC complements and expands this existing research capacity in the sub-continent and islands of South Asia.

The central focus of the Centre is on economic reform and internationalisation of the economies, while the primary association of the Centre will be with the Economics Division. The subject matter of research will extend to international relations and political economy of South Asia's reform and integration into the international economy.

1. The behaviour of calorie and protein intake in rural India — in particular a study of nutrition–poverty traps (funded by the Department for International Development (DFID), UK). Download project summary in rtf or pdf
2. The view of international environmental arrangements and the arguments for a world environmental organization — in particular the interest of Asian development countries in such an organization. Also the role of international distribution of consumption in determining global environmental degradation (funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, USA) papers available on request;
3. Review of anti-poverty programs in India (funded by International Fund for Agricultural Development, Rome);
4. Review of the prospects for attainment of Millennium Development Goals in India (funded by the World Bank);
5. Global public goods and the emerging world order (funded by the United Nations Development Program);
6. The effect of liberalisation on economic inequality in India (funded by World Institute for Development Economics Research (WIDER), Helsinki);
7. Proposals for global taxes and charges to supplement international aid funds (funded by WIDER, Helsinki);
8. The sustainability of fiscal deficits in developing countries (funded by WIDER, Helsinki);
9. Tariff policy in the Indian Ocean Rim countries (funded by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Commonwealth Government of Australian);
10. Pricing issues in Australian telephony (funded by Network Economics Consulting Group, Australia);
11. ASARC-ICSSR agreement on research collaboration [rtf]