On behalf of the South Asia Initiative, Jakob Hernborg Axelson has prepared a report on Swedish education and research on Asia over the last 10 years. The South Asia Initiative builds on a collaboration with the Swedish South Asian Studies Network (SASNET) at Lund University and the Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI). It focuses on research and analysis of South Asian countries and relations between the region and the rest of the world.

The report underlines the need for a stronger focus on Asia in Swedish knowledge production. It not only has economic value, but also provides an understanding of political events that affect Sweden directly or indirectly. Although the importance of strengthening expertise was already addressed in 1998 by the authors of the Swedish Asia Strategy, still just over 2 percent of Swedish research funding in the humanities and social sciences goes to Asia-oriented projects.

The topic is further discussed in an opinion editorial co-authored by SASNET Director Andreas Johansson and affiliated researcher Henrik Chetan Aspengren, which was published today in Dagens Nyheter.