ARCHIVED MEDIA RELEASE
PA/1/2002 9 January 2002
Indian Association for the Study of Australia conference inaugurated in Chennai
The first international conference of the Indian Association for the Study of Australia began in Chennai today. The conference, which is sponsored by the Australia-India Council, is being held from 9 to 11 January at the University of Madras.
The conference brings together Australian and Indian academics under the theme "Understanding Australia: Culture, Society and Identity."
Inaugurating the conference, Australian High Commissioner to India Penny Wensley AO said, "The conference should afford ample scope for academics and experts from India and Australia to share their views, their experiences and their creativity."
"The Indian Association for the Study of Australia (IASA) is a small but growing organisation that has the potential to play an important role in the development of Australia-India relations overall and particularly in the important field of education."
"The conference takes place at a time when relations between our two countries are growing and hold considerable prospects for expansion. The outlook is genuinely promising and I am optimistic for the future."
"While Australia and India have long been friends, in both our societies there is insufficient appreciation of the liveliness of our respective cultures, of the dynamism of our economies and the creativity and enterprise of our peoples. We see each other too much through the prisms of outdated perceptions and stereotypes. We need to change this," Ms Wensley said.
"Education is a vital key to changing perceptions and attitudes. The increased study of Australia in India has a vital role to play in this process and in bringing our societies and countries closer together."
Keynote speakers at the conference include Mr Michael Abbott QC, Chairman, Australia-India Council (AIC), Professor Bruce Bennett AO, a specialist on Australian literature, and Dr Sandy Gordon, a Visiting Fellow at the Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra.
For further information, please contact Ms Clare Duffield, Third Secretary, or Mr C. Shekhar Nambiar, Public Affairs Manager, on telephone 6888223, ext. 219 & 460 respectively.