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Join us for a two-day conference to engage with rich discussions on pressing regional issues. 

South Asia continues to play a pivotal role on the global stage, shaping trade, politics, and the broader geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific region. Yet, despite its importance, there remains a significant asymmetry in the scale and depth of engagement by Australia in understanding the region on its own terms. The 2025 South Asia Update Conference seeks to bridge this gap by bringing together scholars, students, practitioners, and policymakers to critically explore South Asia’s history, culture, politics, and economy.

The conference features a keynote address by Professor Robin Jeffrey, distinguished author and former Dean of the College of Asia and the Pacific, alongside plenary sessions with award-winning authors and leading scholars. Over two days, participants will engage in rich discussions on pressing regional issues, including environmental challenges, urbanization, gender relations, voices of resistance, and the policy opportunities and challenges that shape South Asia’s future. The conference will conclude with a curated session in collaboration with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, highlighting career pathways for HDR students and opportunities for academic collaboration. 

Tuesday 4 November

Speakers

Panel 1: Embodied Gendered Practices

• Shameem Black, Associate Professor, ANU
• Megha Sharma, Visiting Fellow, ANU
• Viyanga Gunasekera, PhD candidate, ANU
• Maksuda Khanam, PhD candidate, ANU
• Chair: Kalpana Ram, Honorary Professor, ANU

Panel 2: Entangled Ecologies

• Assa Doron, Professor, ANU
• Muhammad Kavesh, Associate Professor, ANU
• V.Chitra, Lecturer, ANU
• Hassan Virk, PhD candidate, ANU
• Chair: Sango Mahanty, Professor, ANU

Panel 3: Infrastructures of Revival

• Mohammad Ibrahim Khalad, PhD candidate, ANU
• Preeti Mudliar, Australia India Institute Fellow, University of Melbourne
• Nupur Joshi, Assistant Professor, Kalamazoo College
• Nadine Vanniasinkam, PhD candidate, ANU
• Chair: Nalin Mehta, Managing Editor, Moneycontrol

Wednesday 5 November

Speakers

Plenary: Power, Borders, and Populism in India

• Nalin Mehta, Managing Editor, Moneycontrol
• Malini Sur, Associate Professor, Western Sydney University
• Priya Chacko, Associate Professor, University of Adelaide
• Chair: Annabel Dulhunty, Senior Lecturer, ANU

Panel 1: Voices of Resistance

• Hafeez A. Jamali, Director General, Balochistan Civil Services Academy, Pakistan
• Sahiba Maqbool, Lecturer, Monash University
• Fazal Wahab, PhD candidate, ANU
• Asaf Lone, PhD candidate, ANU
• Chair: Sana Jaffrey, Research Fellow and Lecturer, ANU

Panel 2: Making South Asia's Urban Future 

• Tanya Jakimow, Professor, ANU
• Remeen Firoz, PhD candidate, ANU
• Adam Sargent, Lecturer, ANU
• Ranu Kunwar, PhD candidate, ANU
• Chair: Nadine Vanniasinkam, PhD candidate, ANU

The program booklet can be found .