Guwahati, 15 June, 2026: Gauhati University today organised a talk titled "Quad in the Indo-Pacific: Opportunities and Challenges for Australia and India" at the Office of the Vice Chancellor. The event brought together academia and diplomacy on a single platform, with the inaugural address delivered by Prof. Nani Gopal Mahanta, Vice Chancellor, Gauhati University, and the keynote by Mr. Bernard Lynch, Consul General of Australia in Kolkata.
The talk focused on the growing partnership between India and Australia within the broader context of the Indo-Pacific region. Discussions ranged from trade and defence to education, maritime security, and the role of the Quad, the diplomatic grouping comprising India, Australia, the United States, and Japan.
The India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, elevated in 2020, was highlighted as one of the most dynamic bilateral relationships in the Indo-Pacific today. Mr. Lynch noted that while India's global trade expanded by 40% over the last four years, its trade with Australia expanded by a remarkable 200%, a testament to the strength of the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) signed in 2022. As he put it, "This was the first trade agreement India ever concluded with an OECD country." Both nations are currently in negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, which is expected to deepen the relationship further. High-level engagements between the two countries have also been frequent and ongoing, with Prime Minister Modi's visit to Australia expected next month.
Describing the broader geostrategic picture, Mr. Lynch noted that "we live in a world that has become sharper and a lot more contested," with the rules-based order facing unforeseen pressure. It is against this backdrop that the Quad, comprising India, Australia, the United States, and Japan, has emerged as a critical diplomatic forum. Mr. Lynch was clear that the Quad is not a military alliance, but a platform committed to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. Key areas of Quad cooperation include maritime domain awareness, critical minerals, energy security, and diversified supply chains, with all four nations strongly opposing any unilateral actions that seek to change the regional status quo by force or coercion.
Prof. Mahanta, in his address, emphasised that "institutions such as Gauhati University hold untapped potential," calling for a diversification of Australia-India educational ties beyond metropolitan India towards the Northeast. This sentiment was echoed strongly by Mr. Lynch, who pointed out that partnerships between Australian and Indian universities have grown fivefold between 2007 and 2021, and that several Australian universities have already established or received permission to open branch campuses in India. He expressed keen interest in building prospective linkages with Gauhati University, describing the institution as a natural partner for Australian institutions in the region.
A significant portion of the discussion was devoted to Northeast India. Mr. Lynch, whose consular responsibilities cover the entire Northeast, noted that the region holds immense untapped potential as a connectivity hub between India and Southeast Asia. Reflecting on Australia's commitment to the region, he said, "we are bound not just by shared geography, but by the shared destiny of our interests." He highlighted Australia's ongoing initiatives in the region, including the Direct Aid Program supporting projects across Assam, Nagaland, Tripura, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh, covering areas such as water management, education, community resilience, and the empowerment of women and girls.
Established in 1948, Gauhati University is the oldest university in Northeast India. It is a multidisciplinary institution with over 300,000 students across 300 affiliating colleges and 8,000 students on campus. The university continues to expand its national and international academic partnerships across science, technology, and the social sciences.
The event was attended by Registrar Prof. Utpal Sarma, Academic Registrar Prof. Rajib Handique, Secretary of University Classes Dr. Ranjan Kumar Kakati, and Secretary to the Vice Chancellor and Public Relations Officer Dr. Mrinal Jyoti Deka, along with Deans of various faculties, professors, and research scholars of the University.
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