MEDIA RELEASE
DARSHANA M. BARUAH ANNOUNCED AS DIRECTOR OF SECURITY AND GEOPOLITICS
Darshana M. Baruah has been appointed as Director Security and Geopolitics at the Australia India Institute (AII), Australia’s leading think tank dedicated to promoting support for the Australia India relationship and building understanding of the Indo-Pacific region. Ms Baruah joins the Institute from Washington D.C. where she previously directed the Indian Ocean Initiative at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Ms Baruah has made significant contributions to the field of maritime security, the Indian Ocean and the strategic importance of island nations across the Indo-Pacific. At the Carnegie Endowment, she convened the annual Indo-Pacific Islands 1.5-track dialogue, a pivotal forum to facilitate discussions on maritime security, environmental sustainability, and economic development, to better understand perspectives of island nations in global affairs.
One of Ms Baruah’s notable contributions is the conceptualisation of the Indian Ocean interactive map. This innovative digital tool highlights the strategic importance of geographic features, trading routes, and maritime security within the region. The map serves as an educational resource and strategic analysis tool for policymakers, researchers, and the public.
Besides her primary research examining the security and geopolitical dynamics in the Indo-Pacific, including naval strategies and maritime partnerships, her work also explores foreign policy and island agency.
Before her role in Washington D.C., Ms Baruah amassed extensive experience in leading think tanks across the globe, including in Delhi and Tokyo. Ms Baruah has also spent time in Hawaii and Canberra in her past roles advancing her research and interests in maritime security and the Indo-Pacific.
“Ms Baruah’s leadership will undoubtedly strengthen our initiatives and foster deeper collaboration between Australia and India on defence and security issues. As a scholar who has achieved remarkable success in a traditionally male-dominated field, her journey is already inspiring and exemplary,” said Australia India Institute CEO Lisa Singh.
“As we expand our research capability and policy work addressing ongoing security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, Ms Baruah’s extensive expertise and strategic analysis will make her an invaluable addition to our team.”
Building on her experience and expertise across the Indo-Pacific, under Ms Baruah’s leadership, AII’s Security and Geopolitics program will create new streams of research and convene on issues of geopolitics, security, island agency and the maritime domain.
Ms Baruah is the author of “The Contest for the Indian Ocean: And the Making of a New World Order” published by Yale University Press (August 2024).
She will commence as Director Security and Geopolitics on July 1.
Media Enquiries:
Shuba Krishnan, Head of Communications
E: shuba.krishnan@unimelb.edu.au