New Pan-Asian centre result of alliance

ANU has formed a new partnership with Indiana University (IU) in the United States to create a Pan-Asian Studies Institute.

The agreement will draw on the complementary strengths of the two universities to create a research and teaching enterprise that covers the breadth of the Asian continent, linking scholars and students in Australia with those in the US.

“ANU is an acknowledged centre of strong research and teaching on matters connected to the Asia-Pacific region, while IU is a recognised centre of particular expertise on Central Eurasia,” said Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Chubb, recently returned from signing a memorandum of cooperation at IU.

“This cooperation ushers in a new age of agreement, building on our comparative strengths to establish something deeper than either institution could create on its own. It’s also another way in which ANU, as Australia’s national university, is creating links that will benefit Australian students and Australia’s knowledge of its wider region.”

The two universities have agreed to an implementation plan over the next three years that will see multiple levels of cooperating in research and education.

IU will offer distance language courses in Uzbek and Pashto to ANU students via interactive video links, while ANU will initially offer Indonesian language studies to IU students via the same technology. ANU will also offer IU students Sanskrit through web-based learning.

The Pan-Asian Studies Institute will foster exchanges between the two institutions for senior researchers, early career researchers, postgraduate and undergraduate students.

The alliance will also explore implementing jointly offered degrees so that students at ANU and IU can take full advantage of the partnership.

“IU students and faculty will greatly benefit from having access to the academic talent and resources at ANU, which is world-renowned for its expertise in Southeast Asian studies,” said Indiana University President Michael McRobbie. “And we hope ANU students and faculty will find equal benefit in having access to our highly regarded programs in Central Asian studies and languages.”

The new centre will be headed by co-directors, one at each university, who will jointly oversee its programs and academic offerings.  At ANU, leadership will come from Professor Kent Anderson, Dean of the Faculty of Asian Studies. At IU, the co-director will be Professor Heidi Ross, Director of the East Asian Studies Center.