ASARC
Source: https://crawford.anu.edu.au/asarc Parent: https://www.anu.edu.au/directories/website-directory
Australia South Asia Research Centre
Dedicated to research on the economies and societies of the South Asia region.
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The Australia South Asia Research Centre (ASARC) is dedicated to research on the economies and societies of the South Asia region. The countries of South Asia are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
The Director of ASARC is Professor Shyamal Chowdhury, who holds the role of the Rajiv Gandhi Chair of South Asian Economics.
ASARC was inaugurated in 1994 by past-President of India, His Excellency Dr K R Narayanan. Past Executive Directors include Dr Richard Shand and Professor Raghbendra Jha. In 2021, a bequest was received from the late Tonia Shand AM to support the research activities of ASARC.
Professor Shyamal Chowdhury is the Rajiv Gandhi Chair of South Asian Economics at the Arndt-Corden Department of Economics, Crawford School of Public Policy, and the Director of the Australia South Asia Research Centre (ASARC).
Shyamal’s primary research area is economic development, focusing on the economics of seasonal migration, the development of non-cognitive skills in children, microfinance, and technology adoption. He has published in leading journals, includingEconometrica, the Journal of Political Economy, the Journal of Public Economics, the Journal of Development Economics,andthe American Journal of Agricultural Economics. His research has examined countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia, Uganda, and Kenya.
[## Prof Shyamal Chowdhury
Professor
Economic Development
Migration
Microfinance](https://researchportalplus.anu.edu.au/en/persons/shyamal-chowdhury)
[## A/Prof Sonia Akter
Associate Professor
Environment and Resource Economics
Agricultural Economics
Bangladesh](https://researchportalplus.anu.edu.au/en/persons/93370eb8-d588-4372-9bbe-c9f98e1d21fa)
[## Emeritus Prof Prema-chandra Athukorala
Emeritus Professor
International Economics and International Finance
APPLIED ECONOMICS
Economic Development and Growth](https://researchportalplus.anu.edu.au/en/persons/bca9f03d-0ed2-4369-aac1-8932664011c8)
[## Dr Aditya Balasubramanian
Senior Lecturer](https://researchportalplus.anu.edu.au/en/persons/aditya-balasubramanian)
A/Prof Bina D'Costa
Professor
[## Emeritus Prof Hal Hill
H.W. Arndt Professor Emeritus of Southeast Asian Economies
Economic Development and Growth
Urban and Regional Economics
Industry Economics and Industrial Organisation](https://researchportalplus.anu.edu.au/en/persons/0b535311-6450-4ea3-af64-9f722e7ceecf)
[## Kaliappa Kalirajan
Emeritus Professor of Economics
International Economics and International Finance
Economic Development and Growth
Agricultural Economics](https://researchportalplus.anu.edu.au/en/persons/87044391-6508-44b7-b4f7-42037a4a0e3c)
[## Emeritus Prof Kuntala Lahiri-Dutt
Emeritus Professor
Economic Development Policy
Anthropology of Development
Gender Specific Studies](https://researchportalplus.anu.edu.au/en/persons/kuntala-lahiri-dutt)
[## Dr Lhawang Ugyel
Senior Lecturer
Public Administration
Public Policy
Non-Western Public Administration](https://researchportalplus.anu.edu.au/en/persons/lhawang-ugyel)
[## Dr Sutanuka Roy
Senior Lecturer
Behavioural economics
Economic History](https://researchportalplus.anu.edu.au/en/persons/sutanuka-roy)
[## Professor Ulrike Grote
Director, Institute for Environmental Economics and World Trade, University Hannover](https://crawford.anu.edu.au/people/ulrike-grote)
[## Professor Nidhiya Menon
Professor of Economics, Brandeis University](https://crawford.anu.edu.au/people/nidhiya-menon)
The Australia South Asia Research Centre (ASARC) is dedicated to research on the economies and societies of the South Asia region.
On
Tue, 10 Feb 2026
[### Trade-offs between labour migration and agricultural productivity: Evidence from smallholder wheat systems in Nepal
This paper examines how rural labour migration affects both on-farm and off-farm outcomes for smallholder wheat farmers in Nepal.](https://crawford.anu.edu.au/event/trade-offs-between-labour-migration-and-agricultural-productivity-evidence-smallholder-wheat)
Tue, 28 Oct 2025
[### Microfinance Competition in the Presence of Moneylenders: Theory and Evidence
Please join us for 'Microfinance Competition in the Presence of Moneylenders: Theory and Evidence' presented by Joeri Smits](https://crawford.anu.edu.au/event/microfinance-competition-presence-moneylenders-theory-and-evidence)
Wed, 10 Sep 2025
[### Bangladesh at a Crossroads: Political, Economic, and Social Transformations Post-July Revolution
The event is designed to engage academics, researchers, and policymakers interested in Bangladesh, as well as members of the Bangladeshi diaspora in](https://crawford.anu.edu.au/event/bangladesh-crossroads-political-economic-and-social-transformations-post-july-revolution)
Tue, 9 Sep 2025
[### The Green Revolution, Structural Transformation, and Economic Development via Market Mechanisms
This paper examines how market mechanisms and price adjustments influenced structural transformation during the Green Revolution.](https://crawford.anu.edu.au/event/green-revolution-structural-transformation-and-economic-development-market-mechanisms)
Tue, 22 Apr 2025
[### Valuation of a statistical life: a study on compensating wage differentials in India
This seminar considers compensating differentials and the value of a statistical life in the context of manufacturing workplac](https://crawford.anu.edu.au/event/valuation-statistical-life-study-compensating-wage-differentials-india)
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Australia South Asia Research Centre\ Crawford School of Public Policy\ ANU College of Law, Governance and Policy\ J.G. Crawford Building\ 132 Lennox Crossing\ Acton ACT 2601 Australia
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