Launched in 1994, Deakin South Asia has become a core part of the University and its lasting impact.
Launched in 1994, Deakin South Asia has become a core part of the University and its lasting impact. From a single office, Deakin South Asia has developed into the first-ever branch campus in India and a global university of international standing, delivering education and research in, with and for the country.
Explore notable milestones along the Deakin South Asia journey from its origins to its transformation today into a world-class campus.
‘We are proud to share a lasting and unique relationship with India, filled with many significant milestones.’’
In 1994, Deakin South Asia officially set up operations. Since then, through innovative collaborations across research, education and training, we forged a bond based on commitment, excellence, trust and transparency.
Prior to Deakin South Asia, there was no international university presence in India.
Deakin Vice President (Global Engagement) and CEO (South Asia) Ravneet Pawha reflects on the journey from the 1990s as a ‘long-term game of patience, passion – and humble beginnings’.
‘Our evolution has been gradual. In the beginning we committed to the long haul. And today, we are proud to share a lasting and unique relationship with India, filled with many significant milestones.’
Former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Peter Hodgson took his first trip to India in 2003.
The idea for launching a Master of Engineering program in India and connecting aspiring PhD candidates was born from that visit.
‘This initiative would evolve into one of Deakin’s most impactful international research collaborations – an innovative model which supported in-county PhD students working on applied research with Indian companies and institutions to spend a year in Australia’.
‘With this we earnt the respect of key Indian players Biocon, Bharat Forge, Indian Oil, GE India, and SAIL and formed the foundations for Deakin being recognised as a trusted partner in India’s growth story for education and research.’
Building on Peter’s work, Research Services is established in India, leading to Deakin’s in-country research program the Deakin India Research Institute (DIRI) launching in 2008.
Kicking off the new decade, the Energy and Rescources Institute (TERI) Deakin Nanotechnology Centre opened in 2010. This forged a partnership with India’s leading institution to support the understanding of the ecological impact of climate change and sustainable development.
Highlights from student experience at this time included the Vice-Chancellor’s Meritorious Scholarships, started in 2014, which equipped Indian students to go beyond academic excellence.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Iain Martin continues to be proud of Deakin’s dedication to supporting Indian students in gaining a world-class qualification.
‘Deakin’s vision and hope for recipients of this scholarship is about what they can do once they’ve finished studying in Australia to make a real difference to their communities back home, and the global community that we’re all a part of.’
Marketing and Recruitment established an office in that same year for the South Asian region in New Delhi launches. Their mission was to support students from across the region aspiring to study with Deakin – including Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and Mauritius.
In 2017, the Deakin/TERI partnership blossomed as the TERI Deakin Nanobiotechnology Centre was launched. This merged Deakin’s expertise in nanomaterials with TERI’s expert knowledge in the biotech applications of food, agriculture, environment and bioenergy. Helping to address critical challenges such as food security, remediation of polluted environments and improving the quality of life for poor communities.
The notable start to the new decade saw Deakin South Asia rise to the occasion.
Transnational education and ed-tech programs programs launched in 2021.
In the following year, Deakin Hubs was born. This supported students to commence the first part of their studies in their home country at a Deakin partner institution in India and then transfer to a Deakin campus in Australia for the second part of their educational journey.
A new partnership between Deakin and one of India’s most prestigious universities – Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT M) – was signed in 2023. It led to the creation of a four-year PhD training program which opened global doors for early career researchers. The ground-breaking collaboration is enabling PhD students gain cross-sectoral skills and experiences to launch their careers in research to address global challenges in areas from climate change, smart manufacturing, energy and future infrastructure to critical technology and health care.
In 2024, Deakin South East Asia opened their first international branch campus, in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City)’s emerging technology hub.
Staff in Australia and India collaborated to achieve what seemed impossible; taking an idea to a fully operational international branch campus within two years, with our first cohort of students now settled and studying either a Master of Cyber Security or Master of Business Analytics courses.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the decision announcing it as a ‘great honour’ for Deakin and Australia, on the first day of a two-day tour of Gujarat.
‘The campus will be built at the new GIFT district not far from here and will offer students the opportunity to study cyber security and business analytics with Deakin.’
When marking 30 years in India last year, Chancellor John Stanhope announced a series of initiatives to support India’s aspirations. Highlights included building a highly skilled and educated workforce, and research excellence through a one-million-dollar commitment from Deakin to supporting projects focused on higher education, sports, and disaster management in India.
Deakin hopes to expand its footprint and build upon the 250,000 Indian students we’ve already supported.
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