As Deakin University celebrates 30 years of impactful engagement in India in 2024, this milestone symbolises more than just its legacy in the region. It marks a deep, enduring commitment to building and expanding meaningful partnerships with India’s industry, academia, and government. Deakin has long been a partner in driving innovation and nurturing talent with a unique “in India, with India, for India” approach. Since commencement of its India operations in 1994, the university has been actively contributing to research, education, skill development, and humanitarian leadership, creating a strong foundation for long-term societal advancement.
Looking ahead, Deakin’s vision for the next chapter of engagement in India focuses on deepening existing relationships and creating a sustainable roadmap for addressing developmental goals. The university is investing1 million Australian dollars for expanding collaboration across key sectors, bridging knowledge and expertise with Indian partners and working closely in tandem with government bodies. These efforts aim to contribute directly towards India’s socio-economic growth by offering outcome-based solutions and fostering Australia-India collaboration.
Impact through education and skilling: Empowering India’s workforce
India’s priority of upskilling its vast workforce aligns perfectly with Deakin’s mission to equip individuals with 21st-century skills essential for global employability. Through its partnership with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), Deakin is making a significant impact on India’s workforce readiness through the co-developed Global Job Readiness Programlaunched in February 2024. It has already impacted 25,000 learners and in the next few years the target is to scale this to 15 million learners. This initiative addresses India’s critical skills gap, particularly in digital literacy and leadership, as highlighted by a survey from Economist Impact, which reports that over 60% of Indian employers face a significant skills gap.
Deakin has also announced the next step for enhancing the education ecosystem, through programs for empowering educators with modern teaching methodologies and tools to ensure that India’s youth are not only job-ready but leadership-ready. In collaboration with the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) and the Government of Gujarat, Deakin is enhancing teacher training, aligned with the objectives of India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, focusing on intellectual capacity-building and real-world competencies for future educators.
Humanitarian Leadership: Building Disaster Resilience Across Nations
In response to the growing frequency of natural disasters and crises, Deakin University is taking a leadership role in disaster resilience management through expertise sharing, capacity building, education and training. This initiative is creating a mutual resource for both India and Australia, strengthening national capacities to respond to crises.
Deakin’s capacity-building projects in disaster resilience management are being undertaken in collaboration with the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) and Humanitarian Aid International (HAI). These efforts willalso provide local communities with the skills necessary to manage future challenges and leverage Deakin’s expertise for safety and resilience of India’s most vulnerable regions.
Sports Development: Driving global competitiveness in India’s sports sector
The sports management sector in India is growing at 15% annually, which is significantly higher than the global average of 5% but the sector’s contribution to India’s GDP is just 0.1%, indicating immense untapped potential. Deakin University has long been an influential partner in India’s sports ecosystem, and Deakin’s globally ranked #1 sports programs have been a critical resource for India’s sports development.
Through the next phase of Sports Impact Projects in India, Deakin will be extending its expertise in areas like sports science, management, and data analytics to improve athletic performance. For this, Deakin will be working closely withDravid Padukone Centre for Sports Excellence, the Go Sport Foundation, and IPL teams like the Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans.
Research indicates that data analytics can enhance athlete performance by up to 20%, demonstrating the transformative potential of technology in sports. Through a focus on data-driven decision-making and athlete training, Deakin will be extending its participation in this domain to shape the next generation of India’s sports leaders.
Advancement of Society
In an endeavour to fosterinnovations that benefit marginalised communities and wider societal inclusion, Deakin in collaboration with the Anjani Mashelkar Foundationis launching the Anjani Mashelkar Foundation Award, valued at INR 1 lakh. This award aims to encourage innovative solutions representing “affordable excellence.”
This award is notably named in honour of Dr. Mashelkar’s late mother, a pillar of strength, resilience and support.
A Vision for the Future: Strengthening the India-Australia relationship
As Deakin embarks on its next chapter of engagement with India, it is focused on further strengthening the trust and reliability that has been built over the past three decades. The university aims to leverage its shared successes to explore new opportunities for collaboration whilecontinuing to prepare students for global opportunities, fostering equity in education, and creating future leaders who will contribute not only to India but also to industries worldwide.
By aligning its strategic initiatives with India’s national priorities, Deakin University will continue to drive measurable global impact for decades to come. In India, Deakin’s collaborations are focused on delivering tangible, outcome-based solutions that address the needs of the future.
Summing it all up, Ms Ravneet Pawha, Vice President (Global Engagement) and CEO (South Asia), Deakin University,who has led Deakin’s India initiative since 1994 said, “As we write the next chapter of our journey in India, Deakin remains steadfast in its commitment to creating opportunities that foster innovation, nurture talent, and build resilient communities. Together, we will continue to unlock India’s vast potential, empowering the next generation of global leaders.”
“Our long-standing partnerships with India have been transformative, and we are excited to take these collaborations to new heights, pushing boundaries and bridging knowledge with innovation to create sustainable solutions for a brighter, more resilient future.”
