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Case studies and good practices for research collaboration

This report presents case studies of 21 scholars who are conducting research and engagement activities relevant to India and the Australia-India relationship.
Report cover

Overview

Research collaborations across national boundaries can help promote strong bilateral ties and enable scholars to advance their research agendas and produce knowledge.

The report, Strengthening Australia-India Research Collaboration and Engagement: Case Studies and Good Practices presents case studies of 21 scholars who are conducting research and engagement activities relevant to India and the Australia-India relationship.

It has two aims. First, it aims to identify good research practice among Australian based scholars who work on and in India and those who are involved in productive collaborations between the two countries. Second, it generates insights into how to better support scholars working on India and how to stimulate and sustain productive research collaborations.

By sharing their insights into working with the Indian research system, and the good practices that underpin successful bilateral research activities, the case studies aim to stimulate new collaboration and research engagement between Australia and India.

Outcomes

The report identified seven good practices essential to successful collaboration:

1. Physical mobility, particularly in the early stages

Recommendation: Australian universities promote awareness of existing mobility grants and virtual mobility tools and provide seed funding for mobility to connect researchers in Australia and India.

2. A spectrum of research, collaboration and teaching elements

Recommendation: Australia based researchers consider ways of ensuring that their collaborations with Indian colleagues incorporate multiple elements to enhance research impact and generate knowledge and understanding between Australian and Indian researchers

3. A relationship built over time, for the long term

Recommendation: Australian universities provide institutional support for events, both online and in person, to help Australian and Indian researchers establish relationships, build connections and create networks.

4. A relationship built on mutual interests and complementary capabilities

Recommendation: Researchers participate and engage with the digital platform being developed by the Australia India Institute for the Department of Education, Skills and Employment, to link researchers with complementary capabilities to help them pursue their research agendas and build people to people ties between Australia and India.

5. Understanding the diversity of India

Recommendation: Australian universities consider and implement ways to leverage the India expertise within their institutions to help foster understanding of the diversity of India and to help Australian based researchers stimulate new research collaborations with Indian colleagues.

6. New communication technologies

Recommendation: Australia based researchers should harness new communication technologies to continue and to instigate research focused on India and with India based colleagues.

7. Visibility and consolidation of Australia’s research strengths and focus on India.

Recommendation: Australian universities should integrate a focus on India in curricula across multiple disciplines to generate interest in studying India or conducting research with Indian colleagues.

Recommendation: Australian universities and researchers should make use of the digital platform being developed by the Australia India Institute for the Department of Education, Skills and Employment, to showcase research expertise and highlight research successes.

Funding partners

This report was commissioned by the Australian Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE).