ASARC-ICSSR  AGREEMENT  ON  RESEARCH  COLLABORATION 

ASARC has entered into an agreement with Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi to promote collaboration toward a better understanding of social sciences in India and in Australia through collaborative research, networks of social scientists, and free and open exchange of relevant information. This collaboration aims at enabling sustained and continuing partnership in the social sciences, including more exchanges of researchers, methodologies and results, promoting high standards of research and excellence in social sciences. 

Priorities 
Among the priorities of this Program are:
-	to address the pressing current problems in society; to strengthen research capabilities and encourage quality work in India and in Australia through interactions with scholars at institutes in both countries and establishing collaborative research relationships with them;
-	to promote multidisciplinary and structurally-oriented social science research in areas of medium- and long-term interest, particularly those related to processes of social change;
-	to encourage, and where possible arrange for other forms of interaction and exchange of knowledge and experiences with regard to social issues between the research communities and other groups in the two countries;
-	to preserve scholarly rigour and objectivity in research and teaching;
-	to encourage an active engagement of scholars from both countries in public debates on issues of national and global significance (one of these main issues being development);
-	to encourage and facilitate wider dissemination of research findings;
-	to encourage the development of joint initiatives of Indian and Australian scholars for developing transversal programmes with scholars of other countries.

Activities
The major activities under the Program are
-	Collaborative research projects
-	Fellowships
-	Seminars, workshops, conferences
-	Exchange of scholars
-	Creation of networks, & networking
-	Publications
-	Exchange of literature, documents, and data, and
-	A Newsletter.
Commencement of the Program
The agreement became effective on 1 January 2003 and will have a duration of three years.