The University of Queensland has welcomed emerging leaders from Australia and India to Brisbane for the opening stage of the Australia India Youth Dialogue 2026, a flagship initiative fostering the next generation of bilateral leaders and innovators.
As Dialogue Partner, UQ hosted delegates at its St Lucia campus and welcomed participants to a reception at Customs House, providing a platform for discussions on leadership, innovation and the future of Australia-India collaboration.
UQ Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Global Partnerships) Brett Lovegrove said the University was proud to support an initiative that helped shape future leaders across both countries.
“The Australia India Youth Dialogue continues to play a vital role in building relationships, encouraging new perspectives and fostering the leadership needed to address shared challenges and opportunities,” Brett Lovegrove said.
“India is one of UQ’s most significant international partners, and it was a privilege to host these talented emerging leaders as they explored one of the defining issues facing governments, industries and communities around the world.”
Held under the theme ‘Complex Systems: Reshaping Leadership in an Age of Transformation’, the Dialogue brought together young professionals from both nations to examine how artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are reshaping economies, industries, institutions and societies.
Delegates took part in discussions on ‘Bilateral business in the age of AI’ and ‘Commercialising innovation across complex markets’, exploring how leadership must evolve as economic and innovation systems are reshaped by rapid technological change.
Key themes from the discussions included the need to focus on solving real-world problems rather than simply adopting new technology, the opportunity for Australia and India to build sovereign AI capabilities through cross-border collaboration, and the importance of trust, ethical governance and responsible AI at every stage of adoption.
AIYD 2026 Australian delegate Clayton Utz lawyer David Ninan said the experience highlighted the value of working across sectors and cultures.
“Artificial intelligence is reshaping Australia and India faster than our institutions and people can process,” David Ninan said.
“The real privilege of AIYD 2026 was working through those challenges with emerging leaders from multiple sectors and a rich tapestry of cultures. We are grateful to the AIYD Steering Committee, our sponsors and the wider AIYD community for making this experience possible for the 14th year in a row.”
AIYD 2026 Indian delegate Ruchira Chaturvedi, National Secretary, Communications, Indian National Congress, said the Dialogue had reaffirmed her belief in the power of young people to work together across borders.
“The Australia India Youth Dialogue has been a meeting of hearts and minds,” Ruchira Chaturvedi said.
“It has reaffirmed my belief that when young people come together with openness, curiosity and a shared purpose, we can build solutions that transcend borders. I leave inspired by the incredible people I have met and hopeful about the future we can create together.”
Australia India Youth Dialogue India Co-Chair Dr Anthony Vipin Das said the Dialogue reflected the kind of leadership needed in an age of rapid change.
“The challenges of artificial intelligence, the future of work, energy and governance do not arrive in neat, separate boxes,” Dr Anthony Vipin Das said.
“They are interconnected systems, each one shaping the others. Leadership in such an age cannot be about any one person holding all the answers. It has to be about people who can work across disciplines, across institutions and across borders.
“That is exactly what this cohort has done. Watching 30 young Australians and Indians build real trust and take on these questions together gives me great confidence in the future our two nations can build.”
Held at a pivotal time in the Australia-India relationship, AIYD 2026 reflects the growing importance of collaboration between the two countries in addressing complex global challenges and harnessing the opportunities created by technological innovation.
