|
| Australian institute for research, collaboration |
| Archana M Prasanna / Bangalore Nov 23, 2009, 00:31 IST |
|
The Australian government has provided over A$8 million to fund the creation of the Australia-India Institute at the University of Melbourne. The institute is a platform to support research, training, executive briefings and policy advice for the benefit of both countries, according to Australia-India Institute Deputy Director John Webb.
“India and Australia are building closer ties on trade in goods and services, in travel and tourism, in political and defence cooperation. The Australia-India Institute has been established to contribute to this closer relationship by strengthening research and professional links between the two countries,” says Webb.
It will also undertake an outreach programme designed, in the words of the Australian Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard, to increase Australians’ understanding of India, its culture, its history and its place in the world.
“In the field of scientific research, India is something of a ‘sleeping giant’ with a strongly increasing contribution to the world’s research. The giant is awakening, and scientific collaboration between Australia and India is increasing rapidly. A key driver for this has been the bilateral Australia India Strategic Research Fund — Australia’s largest with any country, asserts Webb.
Webb’s key ambition is to increase the number and range of young Australians who spend some time as interns in India, gaining professional experience. For example, from the experience of the University of Melbourne, over the past 6 years, well over 200 medical and health science students have spent several weeks at the renowned Primary Health Care Centre in Jamkhed, Maharastra.
Another example is that of a group of 16 young architecture students just returned from three weeks at CEPT University in Ahmedabad, working in a design studio with fellow students and professional architects. And, for student mobility in the opposite direction, the University of Melbourne has hosted students from the IITs at Kanpur and Kharagpur for research internships in 2008 and 2009. The institute will have its headquarters at the University of Melbourne. The University of Melbourne joined with the University of New South Wales in Sydney and La Trobe University, also in Melbourne, in the submission for support from the Australian Government, says Webb, adding that Australian Universities have established a range of partnerships with Indian institutions — both universities and research centres — which will be involved with projects and programmes of the Australia India Institute. “The details of these partnerships are still being worked on.”
The Australian Government has provided A$8.106 million to the Institute with another A$2 million being contributed from the partner universities. The institute’s mode of operation will be, as far as possible, collaborative, working with partners. Thus, budgets for particular projects or activities are expected, generally, to include financial and in-kind contributions from a variety of sources.
“Consultations with our partners are underway to develop the work plan of activities for 2010. We will have a plan of Visiting Fellows, joint research projects, seminars and conferences focused on themes such as environment, health, education and regional relationships,” says Webb.
The focus of the Institute is collaborative research on matters of mutual interest to both Australia and India. “This is a historic opportunity for researchers and policy makers of both countries to work together. We have received a very positive response to this opportunity from colleagues in Australia and India,” concludes Webb.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Read Business news in |  |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Advertisements |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Content Guide
