Economic liberalisation conference

Wed Oct 19 01:53:48 UTC 1994

This event announcement is being reposted to your mailing list as a
service of The South Asia Gopher. Please forgive us for any
cross-posting or duplication. Please contact the event organizers for
any further information. Thank you.      SAG   (magier at columbia.edu)

--------------------------------------------

AUSTRALIA SOUTH ASIA RESEARCH CENTRE
Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies,
Australian National University

Presents

An International Conference
on
Economic Liberalisation in South Asia

30 November - 2 December
1994

The Haydon-Allen Tank
The Australian National University

ECONOMIC LIBERALISATION IN SOUTH ASIA

As a lead activity in 1994, its first year of existence, the
Australian South Asia Research Centre (ASARC) within the Division of
Economics, RSPAS, The Australian National University, is hosting an
international conference on Economic Liberalisation in South Asia, the
most significant economic trend in recent years in that region.  The
principal focus will be India which commenced gradual deregulation of
industry and limited liberalisation of its trade regime in the 1980's.
It introduced a long term program of structural economic reform in
1991 to lay a new foundation for rapid agricultural and industrial
growth and to globalise the economy.  The thrust of the reform process
is to redress the balance between public and private sectors,
eliminate waste and inefficiency, to impart new dynamism to India's
growth processes and to remove barriers to international trade.  These
reforms, which will see the end of the last great closed economy, are
beginning to have a far reaching impact on Australian trade and
investment flows as the reforms take effect and as India's economy
begins to exert an influence within the Asian region.

All South Asian countries are now involved in the process of economic
liberalisation.  But, knowledge of the nature and extent of reforms
and liberalisation in the five major South Asian countries is
fragmentary and incomplete.  This Conference is a first step by ASARC
towards building a comprehensive knowledge of the on-going reform
process throughout the region.  It will also assist in guiding the
Centre's planned research program.

The Conference will establish and deepen ASARC and Australian linkages
with a number of key research institutions within South Asia, as a
basis for developing collaborative research projects in the fields of
economic reform and liberalisation in international trade and
investment, and internally, in infrastructural, agricultural,
industrial and service industry development.

Particular institutions initially include:  in India, the University
of Delhi, the National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER),
the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations
(ICRIER), the Centre for Policy Research (CPR) and the National
Institute for Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP) in New Delhi, and the
Centre for Economic and Social Studies in Hyderabad;  in Pakistan, the
Applied Economics Research Centre, University of Karachi, the
Sustainable Development Policy Institute and the Pakistan Institute of
Development Economics in Islamabad, and the Lahore University of
Management Sciences (LUMS);  in Bangladesh, the University of Dhaka,
the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies and the Centre for
Research and Action on Environment and Development;  in Sri Lanka, the
Universities of Colombo and Peradeniya, the Institute for Policy
Studies and the Marga Institute;  in Nepal, the Institute for
Integrated Development Studies and the Centre for Economic Development
and Administration, Tribhuvan University.

The Conference will also draw on the expertise of a number of
economists working on South Asia in other Australian Universities,
e.g. La Trobe University, the University of Queensland, Griffith
University and Charles Sturt University.  There will be a wide range
of participants from Commonwealth and State level Departments, the
business sector and  non-government organisations with interests in
South Asia.

The Conference will be followed by an "India Looks East" workshop on 5
and 6 December at ANU to probe the implications of India as a
prospective Asian power.   ASARC is one of the sponsors of this
workshop.

General Information

The "Economic Liberalisation in South Asia" Conference is being
organised by Dr Ric Shand as Convenor and Ms Carolyn Sweeney as Centre
Co-ordinator for ASARC.  It will be held in the Haydon-Allen Lecture
Theatre/Tank, Haydon-Allen Building, Kingsley Street, The Australian
National University, Canberra, from Wednesday 30 November to Friday 2
December 1994 inclusive, from 9.00am-5.00pm each day.

Morning and afternoon refreshments will be provided under the veranda
just outside the "Tank" and a light luncheon will be served in the
Karmel Rooms which are located on the first floor of the Union
Building.

There will be a cocktail party on 30 November at the National Gallery
of Australia.  Guests can tour the Australian Art galleries with
voluntary guides from 6.00 to 6.45pm and then proceed to the Staff
Lounge on the 9th floor of the Gallery for a further cultural activity
and refreshments from 6.45 to 8.00pm.

The Conference dinner is to be held in the Great Hall of University
House at 7.30pm on Thursday 1 December.

Papers will be distributed on arrival at the Conference and session
notes will be provided where possible, and may be collected from
8.30-9.00am on the day.  Proceedings from the Conference will
subsequently be published in volumes entitled Economic Liberalisation
in South Asia.

Accommodation

Conference participants from outside Canberra and within Australia are
asked to arrange their own accommodation.  Rooms are available at
Burgmann and Ursula Colleges.

Burgmann College:               Ph:     +61  (06) 267 5202
                                Fax:    +61 (06) 257 2655

Ursula College:         Ph:     +61 (06) 279 4303
Tea/coffee in rooms             Fax:    +61 (06) 279 4320
and daily servicing.

For any further information please contact:

Dr Ric T. Shand  <rickshaw at coombs.anu.edu.au>
Australia South Asia Research Centre
Research School of Pacific 
  and Asian Studies, ANU

or

Ms Carolyn Sweeney
Centre Co-ordinator
Australia South Asia Research Centre
Research School of Pacific 
  and Asian Studies,
The Australian National University
CANBERRA  ACT  0200

Phone:  +61 (06) 249 4482
Fax:  +61 (06) 249 3700

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