Indian Ocean Futures: the coming of a regional Golden Age

A new report by The University of Western Australian’s Public Policy Institute aims to provide insights into challenges faced by the region and its prospects for success.

The report, Indian Ocean Futures: Prospects for shared regional success, has contributions from 20 international leaders and academics, and examines the dynamics of the region, exploring the proposition there is real scope to develop the collective prosperity, sustainability and connectivity of the area to propel its people into a Golden Age.

UWA PPI Director Professor Shamit Saggar said the report’s genesis stemmed from Australia’s changing place in the world, as seen from its West Coast and Indian Ocean capital of Perth.

“Australia’s Indo-Pacific tilt has involved a fresh and emboldened approach to the Indian Ocean Region that reaches beyond the giants of India and Indonesia,” he said.

“This change has been churning and crystallising in segments over 20 years, informing Australia’s place within the region.

“The pragmatic focal point of this edition rests on the public policy challenges the key players share with one another, especially pressing issues related to climate change, development, education, food security and cultural connectivity, among others.”

The PPI has become a key player in the public policy space since its establishment in 2018 and is now expanding its impact beyond borders and across the region.

Indian Ocean Futures provides insights into the question of what it means to be Indian Ocean Region-centric, and how this regional consciousness, and shared policy ideas and common frameworks, may help provide a concerted response to the abundant challenges facing countries in the region.

It supplies an important and timely perspective that helps shift attention away from the Pacific and Atlantic oceans as epicentres of global prosperity and towards the lesser appreciated, but infinitely abundant, Indian Ocean Rim.

From a reimagining of the ocean as a trade destination rather than simply a route through which trade passes, to using quinoa to alleviate food insecurity in South Asia and unlocking the potential of the African diaspora in Australia, Indian Ocean Futures is a prospectus for a concentration of minds, stimulating fresh debate about the extent, limits and nature of greater regional cohesion.

The report will be officially launched at the ASEAN-Australia Young Leaders Forum at the Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 23 June 2023.