The National Centre for South Asian Studies was established in 1992 with the support of the Commonwealth Government of Australia's Department of Education. For the first four years, Commonwealth Government funding was matched by funding from eight Australian universities that had a commitment to South Asian Studies. As a result of the restructuring of education and universities in Australia during the late 1990s, the National Centre for South Asian Studies was formally absorbed into the Monash Asia Institute in 2001. Today, it is an integral part of the Asian Studies program at Monash University. However, the Centre continues to engage in a wide range of activities which bring together South Asian scholars from across Australia. As such, it remains one of the most important networking institutions in Australia providing a conduit to and between Australian expertise on South Asia.
South Asia represents about a quarter of the world's population and one of the world's largest markets. The region includes India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, the states of the Himalaya and the various islands in the region surrounding the Indian subcontinent.
