A “Smart” way to nurture future Australian and Indian leaders

Collaboration between India and Australia is growing by leaps and bounds in all major areas including academics, research, policy advocacy, cyber security, sports management, virtual internships, games & sports, culture, trade, energy, capacity development, strategic issues, media, international affairs, and culture among others. Several new agreements are being signed and the earlier agreements are being further strengthened. It is indeed very heartening. Thanks to efforts of organizations such as the Australia-based Institute for Australia India Engagement (IAIE).

Recently, the O P Jindal Global University ( JGU) has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with IAIE and Cyber EQ to create opportunities for students to undertake internships in Australia. With IAIE, students will participate in the Student Mentoring and Research Training (SMART) program over a period of 1-2 months. For those students interning with Cyber EQ, students will conduct important research on regulatory and technological issues around cyber security.

The internships will prepare students for future challenges and possibilities and will also be mentored for future research, academic and professional roles and impart training to build research skills in academic writing including data collection and management, preparing hypothesis, abstracts and conclusion and presentation skills etc. The internship programme will also impart key leadership skills to the students. These skills and exposure to our students along with an opportunity to working with other international students (though virtually), will make them better professionals and open newer global possibilities for them and making them better human beings.

During this period of pandemic where travel and physical internships are not possible, this engagement for virtual internships is opening newer possibilities for effective India Australia collaborations and making a difference towards fostering innovation, creativity and new ways of doing business and managing organizations globally among others. These internships are likely to enrich our students and at the same time, our students are also very excited to start this journey and making a significant contribution.

We look forward to build JGU’s partnership with numerous organizations and multiple platforms in Australia such as this one which is an outcome of our institution’s global perspective. JGU’s association with Australia has evolved over a period of time. Our Founding Vice Chancellor Professor Raj and Professor Shaun Star have played a key role in this regard. Even during the pandemic, the virtual internships by Cyber EQ and the Institute of Australia India Engagement have been a catalyst. I am certain of an enriched and prolific growth of this partnership in times to come.

Dr. Ashutosh Misra, CEO and Executive Director of IAIE committed to nurturing bilateral ties and future leaders shared his vision in a media release,“IAIE is committed to strengthening Australia-India ties by nurturing future thinking leaders, professionals and academic experts in collaboration with JGU. The Student Mentoring and Research Training (SMART) program is an important part of this vision, encouraging meaningful contributions from the next generation of leaders in the bilateral relationship”. IAIE is a not-for-profit policy institution which aims to strengthen Australia-India Strategic Partnership through evidencebased research, exchange of new knowledge, targeted policy dialogues and innovative business solutions for the government, corporate and community stakeholders.

Another organisation, CyberEQ Australia provides a business intelligence solution for workforce and supply chain risk mitigation. CyberEQ has developed a self-learning AI autoimmune system that detects workforce threats, vulnerabilities, risks and anomalies faster, and before they occur. This allows for the deployment of early interventions to kill cancerous cells by stopping them from growing and multiplying.

Such opportunities were not possible in the pre-corona world as the concept of online internships was not very popular. But now, these are becoming like a new normal. But the virtual internships also need to be managed in a different manner. New ways of engagement, enrichment, performance evaluation and monitoring are needed like the way the systems have been redesigned for preparing our employees for ‘work from home’ (WFM) environment.

With a view to make these internships more effective, what is required is a joint online/ digital onboarding. Training and Handholding is very much required. During online process, sometimes a young mind loses focus and interest. Efforts should be made for creative engagement and continuous enrichment of heart capital, then only it can be a symbiotic and win-win association. Effective mentorship will also play a very important part to make this initiative successful. These days, we have tools such as digital cloudbased collaboration and sharing platform, digital interactive tools, virtual meeting and sharing apps, team virtual groups on Team/ WhatsApp etc. – all this will foster efficiency and speed. If a small core team of faculty and industry advisors from both the countries can be created towards goal setting, mentoring and performance monitoring, it will enhance the performance multifold.

In similar ways, students and professionals from Australia are very much welcome in India. Any relationship, which is healthy and vibrant, is always on the foundation on mutual respect, contribution and is on equal footing. India also has so many things to offer- new and innovative ways of doing business, newer possibilities, the ‘jugad’ (getting things done somehow inspite of lack of resources -a type of ‘desi’ solution), yoga, meditation, mindfulness, wellness, inner journey, ‘money to meaning’, ‘true meaning of success’, inner peace and bliss’, ‘restfulness with highly productive frame of mind’ etc.

This new beginning is very exciting…miles to go towards great, successful, symbiotic and nurturing relationship between Australia and India…

The author is a Fulbright Fellow, Professor and Dean OCS and Executive Director, Centre for Ethics, Spirituality and Mindfulness at the O P Jindal Global University. He can be contacted at pgupta@jgu.edu.in