I’m pleased to be presenting you this newsletter from Yerevan, Armenia where I have been participating in the Yerevan Dialogue 2025, co-hosted by Indian think tank, Observer Research Foundation and the Government of Armenia. Next week I will be in New Delhi to meet with our fellows and deliver a lecture on the effects of the Australian Election outcome on the bilateral relationship with India.
The Institute has launched the Australia-India Cables Dialogue to be hosted in Perth in July. The Cables Dialogue will bring together key Australian and Indian submarine cable industry, government and research experts to determine how the two nations can better promote Indo-Pacific submarine cable connectivity, resilience, and supply chains.
It has been wonderful to meet with Dr Sonia Singh, one of our Women in STEM fellows and senior female Indian politician, the Hon Vanathi Srinivasan in Sydney this month where we discussed our shared interests in promoting women’s development in research and political empowerment. I was pleased to see Indian author, lawyer and activist Banu Mushtaq win the Booker Prize for her short stories, Heart Lamp. I would also like to congratulate our Distinguished Fellow Prof Chennupati Jagadish AC, who has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society, London.
The Institute has been closely following the India-Pakistan conflict. Our Research Fellow Kim Heriot-Darragh has provided commentary as the conflict continued to unfold. Whilst this conflict represents an unforgettable chapter in India-Pakistan relations, our hope is that peace prevails.
Best,
Lisa