Partnership and Workshop Overview

On 2 November 2026, a press release announced that the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) and Deakin University, Australia, successfully concluded the Leadership for Crisis Managers executive training workshop. The three‑day programme ran from 27 to 29 October 2026 at IIT Roorkee’s Greater Noida campus and was delivered through IIT Roorkee’s Integrated Centre for Adaptation to Climate Change, Disaster Risk Reduction and Sustainability (ICARS) in partnership with Deakin’s Centre for Humanitarian Leadership (CHL).

Participants and Objectives

The inaugural workshop brought together a cross‑section of government officials, academic experts, industry representatives and disaster‑management practitioners. Its core aim was to strengthen crisis leadership, decision‑making and multi‑agency coordination amid increasingly complex risk environments, including climate‑driven disasters, public‑health emergencies and infrastructure disruptions. Participants engaged in crisis simulations, practical exercises and collaborative learning focused on adaptive leadership, inclusive response, governance and disaster risk reduction.

Key Speakers and Statements

  • Steven Biddle, Counsellor Minister and Regional Director – South Asia, Australian Department of Home Affairs, emphasized that effective disaster leadership begins long before a crisis, highlighting the importance of building trust, strengthening networks and fostering cross‑sector collaboration between Australia and India.
  • Prof. K. K. Pant, Director of IIT Roorkee, reaffirmed the joint endeavour as a shared journey of mutual learning that combines international perspectives with local experience to enhance leadership and resilience.
  • Prof. Mary Ana McGlasson, Director of Deakin’s Centre for Humanitarian Leadership, outlined the partnership’s vision to build trust, recognise community strengths and empower affected populations in decision‑making.
  • Ravneet Pawha, Vice President (Global Engagement) and CEO (South Asia) of Deakin University, highlighted the value of combining Indian and Australian expertise to strengthen crisis‑response capabilities.
  • Prof. Anil K. Gupta, Professor of Water Resources Development and Management and PI of ICARS, stressed the goal of addressing leadership capacity gaps at all levels to minimise future disaster‑related losses and deepen Indo‑Australian cooperation.

Institutional Background

IIT Roorkee, an institute of National Importance with a 178‑year legacy, hosts ICARS—a Department of Science & Technology (DST) Centre of Excellence focused on climate‑change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, resilience and sustainability. ICARS collaborates with government agencies, academia, industry and international partners to inform evidence‑based policymaking across India.

Deakin University, established in 1974, operates a South Asia office in New Delhi since 1994, making it one of the earliest overseas education providers in the region. Deakin’s CHL is recognised globally for humanitarian leadership development, research and training, equipping leaders and institutions to respond to crises and complex humanitarian challenges.

Expected Outcomes

The collaboration aims to fill leadership capacity gaps, promote adaptive decision‑making, enhance collaborative governance and leverage technology, data and AI for risk‑informed planning. By uniting global humanitarian expertise with local priorities, the partnership seeks to build more adaptive, resilient institutions and communities across India and the broader region.

Contact and Further Information

For additional details, readers are directed to the respective institutional websites: IIT Roorkee’s ICARS page (https://iitr.ac.in/Centres/ICARS) and Deakin University’s CHL page (https://www.centreforhumanitarianleadership.org/).