BRISBANE, Australia (Diya TV) — The first Forum of Academics of Indian Origin in Australia has launched at the Queensland University of Technology, marking a significant step in strengthening education and research ties between Australia and India. The event brought together senior government officials, leading scholars, and Indian-origin academics from universities across the country.
The High Commission of India and the Consulate General of India in Brisbane organized the forum in partnership with the Australian Department of Education and QUT. The new platform aims to deepen academic cooperation, support joint research, and expand people-to-people links between the two nations.
Officials said the forum will help harness the expertise of the Indian diaspora in Australia’s higher education sector. The initiative follows discussions held in Sydney during the recent Australia-India Education & Skills Council meeting, attended by India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Australia’s Education Minister Jason Clare. Both ministers expressed interest in using the skills of Indian-origin academics to enhance bilateral collaboration.
Acting High Commissioner of India to Australia Irina Thakur and Consul General in Brisbane Neetu Bhagotia attended the inaugural event. They were joined by senior Australian officials, including Vanessa Lapthorne, Assistant Secretary for International Engagement at the Department of Education.
QUT Deputy Vice-Chancellor for International and Business Development Professor Mark Harvey welcomed the participants. He said QUT was proud to host the forum’s first meeting and noted that the idea came directly from academics of Indian heritage who want a stronger, more structured network.
Thakur said the gathering represents an important step forward in the evolving partnership between Australia and India. She stressed that deeper ties in classrooms, laboratories, and research centers must accompany the countries’ growing strategic and economic cooperation.
Bhagotia said the forum holds particular value for Brisbane and Queensland, where the population of Indian-origin academics has grown in recent years. She said the network could support student mobility, joint projects, and visiting delegations.
The daylong meeting featured three panel sessions on global academic strategies, emerging technologies, and health research. Speakers discussed the fast-growing role of artificial intelligence in education and research and highlighted its impact on policy and industry.
In an online keynote address, Australian Academy of Science President Professor Chennupati Jagadish urged researchers to focus on responsible research and ESG principles. He said Australia and India share common challenges in areas like clean energy, food security, digital technologies, and advanced manufacturing. He also said researchers in both countries have a responsibility to work together in ways that benefit society.
Academics from multiple disciplines, including STEM, health, media, agriculture, and business, attended the forum. Many said the platform was long overdue. They noted that although collaboration with Indian institutions is common, there has not been a national network specifically for Indian-origin academics working in Australia.
Speakers proposed several ideas for building long-term cooperation. These included joint PhD programs, co-supervised projects, visiting fellowships, and new research centers focused on areas such as AI, climate, engineering, and health. Participants also suggested rotating the forum across major Australian cities and forming working groups to sustain progress between meetings.
Australian officials outlined recent policy developments that support stronger bilateral ties, including mutual recognition of qualifications and new frameworks to boost student and staff mobility. They said the forum could help identify areas where institutions can act quickly and design practical steps for collaboration.
Organizers said the successful launch sets the foundation for a recurring national forum dedicated to advancing research and education partnerships. They emphasized that the initiative aims to ensure that Australia–India relations grow not only through government agreements but through the everyday work of academics and students.
The forum is expected to meet regularly and expand its role as a hub for shared research, innovation, and academic exchange. Participants said the new network will help strengthen the academic bridge between Australia and India for years to come.
