Centre for Australian Studies at Swami Vivekananda University

The Centre for Australian Studies, under the Department of English at Swami Vivekananda University, continues to make significant strides in advancing interdisciplinary and global literary research. The Centre recently launched a three-month Certificate Program in Australian Studies, which has attracted a diverse group of participants — including academicians, faculty members, researchers, and students from institutions across India.

The program was inaugurated with a distinguished opening lecture by Prof. Bill Ashcroft, the renowned author and scholar from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia, whose contributions to postcolonial studies have shaped the global discourse on literature and culture. Following this, the Centre had the honour of hosting eminent scholars and authors such as Prof. Michael Griffiths and Ms. Michel Cahill, among several other distinguished speakers who have enriched the sessions with their insights into contemporary Australian literature, culture, and identity.

Over the past year, the Centre for Australian Studies has successfully organized academic conferences and seminars that have brought together voices from diverse research domains, encouraging dialogue on topics spanning postcolonialism, migration, ecology, and Indigenous studies. Building on this success, the Centre is now preparing for another major academic conference that promises to further strengthen its vision of promoting global literary understanding and collaborative scholarship.

The Centre is led by Prof. (Dr.) Deb Narayan Bandyopadhyay, Chief Executive Director (Academics) at Swami Vivekananda University and former Founder Vice-Chancellor of Bankura University, whose academic leadership and vision have guided the Centre’s academic initiatives. The Deputy Director, Dr. Rituparna Chakraborty, Assistant Professor and Head of the Department of English, plays a vital role in shaping the Centre’s academic programs and outreach. The Coordinators, Dr. Soumyarup Bhattacharjee and Mr. Agnideepto Datta, both Assistant Professors at the Department of English, contribute actively to the Centre’s research and training activities.

Through its innovative certificate programs, lectures, and collaborative research ventures, the Centre for Australian Studies at Swami Vivekananda University aims to bridge academic cultures and create an environment for deeper understanding of Australian literature and society within the global context.