The University of Melbourne has pinpointed the research and geographical areas that will underpin its work with India, as it moves to cement relations with the subcontinent.

Australia¡¯s top-ranked university has also appointed an assistant deputy vice-chancellor to manage its relationship with the rapidly growing country which is projected to become the world¡¯s most populous within the next few years.

The plans, outlined in a five-year strategy, signify the latest pivot towards India amid concerns over the relationship that Australia¡¯s universities ¨C and its research-intensive institutions in particular ¨C have with China.

Universities have attracted criticism for being too financially reliant on Chinese students¡¯ tuition fees, while the increase in collaborative research involving the two countries has prompted warnings that some of it may not be in Australia¡¯s national security interests.

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Launching the strategy in New Delhi, Melbourne vice-chancellor Duncan Maskell said that he wanted to strengthen and accelerate his university¡¯s existing ties with India to address ¡°shared social and scientific global challenges¡± such as climate change, water management, health and food security.

¡°The new strategy will enable academics across varied fields of study to continue to work in partnership with our colleagues in India, curating significant research relationships, developing grants, co-authoring publications and executing significant research projects,¡± Professor Maskell said.

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The document identifies five ¡°themes¡± as foci for internal funding, ¡°high-level¡± engagement and whole-university relationships. They are health, sustainability, technological innovation, inclusivity and governance, and mutual understanding.

Geographical priority areas for collaboration will be Delhi and the surrounding National Capital Region; the industrial powerhouse state of Maharashtra; neighbouring Karnataka and Telangana; the southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu; and Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal in the north and north-east.

The document also flags the appointment of chemistry professor Muthupandian Ashokkumar as assistant deputy vice-chancellor international (India).

Professor Ashokkumar has assumed responsibility for the university¡¯s strategy and relationships with the subcontinent, including representation there. He will also convene a working group from the university¡¯s academic divisions and its two ¡°India-engaged¡± institutes, Asialink and the Australia India Institute.

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The document outlines ¡°key initiatives¡± including the establishment of an Indian equality law programme and expansion of the Melbourne-India Postgraduate Academy, a five-year-old scheme?that enables joint supervision of postgraduate researchers from Melbourne and top Indian research universities.

Australia¡¯s high commissioner to India, Harinder Sidhu, said that Melbourne¡¯s push would complement the??released last year by her predecessor Peter Varghese, the current chancellor of the University of Queensland.

Mr Varghese told last week¡¯s?Times Higher Education?Australia Universities Forum that Queensland was putting a ¡°particular priority¡± on India and Indonesia as ¡°two large underdeveloped markets, particularly for Group of Eight universities¡±. Melbourne is scheduled to release a separate Indonesia strategy in Jakarta later this week.

john.ross@timeshighereducation.com