Many are familiar with the story of the Anzacs but less is known about the Australian-Indian military friendship forged amidst the trials of Gallipoli in 1915. The Institute marked Anzac Day this year, by hosting a special event focusing on the friendship formed under fire and on the forgotten contributions of the Indian force to our national story. Thanks to Australian military historian Professor Peter Stanley, Assistant Foreign Minister Tim Watts MP and Indian Consul General Dr Sushil Kumar, as well as the Indian veterans to being part of our event to share the untold stories of the Anzac-India friendship.
From past battles, to navigating current day security challenges; I was delighted to participate in the ‘Securing Our Future’ conference hosted by ANU’s National Security College in Canberra. It was a vibrant two day discussion on national security, exploring how democracies negotiate complex security challenges and unpacking the need to create a ‘social licence’ through public engagement.
The Federal government unveiled its much-anticipated National Defence Strategy. Australia’s defence cooperation with India and other countries will continue to grow over the next decade. India is a top tier security partner for Australia within the Indian Ocean region which makes the Institute’s defence program an important element to this Strategy. This extends to our upcoming event ‘Australia-India Space Collaboration: Unlocking International Opportunities’. The Institute will host the Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic MP at UTS Tech Lab in Sydney to unveil government’s commitment to Australia-India space collaboration.
Finally, all eyes are on India this month as its election gets underway. This is the world’s largest electoral process and it will be fascinating to watch it unfold!
Best,
Lisa