A roundtable held at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), organized by the Australia India Institute in partnership with Universities Australia, delved into the evolving research collaboration between Australia and India through the lens of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Both nations are deeply committed to achieving the SDGs. Australia has made strides through its National Sustainable Development Goals Summits in 2016 and 2018, focusing on key targets across states, cities, and regional communities. Similarly, India has integrated the SDGs into its national development agenda, with 62 priority indicators to ensure the country meets its targets by 2030.
In 2024, Australia earned a prominent spot in the Times Higher Education (THE) Global Impact Rankings, boasting the highest number of universities in the top ten for their social and economic contributions through SDG-focused research. India, too, made an impressive showing with 96 higher education and research institutions in the global rankings.
However, the roundtable highlighted a gap in the alignment of research priorities between the two countries. Australian researchers who engage with the SDGs often do so out of personal motivation, as opposed to formal incentives or structured frameworks within research grants. This absence of standardized incentives has posed challenges to aligning research more systematically with SDG priorities.
The event offered an important opportunity to reflect on these barriers and explore ways to strengthen Australia-India collaboration in advancing the global SDG agenda.
