Victoria, 8 March 2015: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairperson of Asia’s premier bio-pharmaceutical enterprise Biocon Ltd., has been honoured by Federation University Australia (FedUni) by dedicating a road at the University’s Mt Helen Campus to her as ‘Mazumdar Drive’. She has also been appointed as an Ambassador of the University for a three-year term.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is the first Indian to be named Ambassador by the University. Previous Ambassadors include Hong Kong businessman Dr Wai-man Woo, Australian Olympian Steve Moneghetti and Australian actor Jaz Flowers.
The University appoints eminent people from different walks of life, including business leaders, as Ambassador to contribute to the institution’s development.
“The University is so honoured to welcome Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw back to the university she studied at all those years ago,” Professor David Battersby, Vice-Chancellor, Federation University Australia, said.
“Kiran was able to use the skills she learned here studying brewing to develop Biocon into one of the world’s leading biopharmaceutical companies. We are also delighted Kiran has agreed to become an Ambassador for FedUni. This role will entail the promotion of the university on specific occasions,” Professor Battersby said.
“The success of Kiran throughout her professional life is testimony to the vast opportunities that are available to FedUni students,” Dr Paul Hemming, Chancellor, said.
Speaking on the occasion, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, CMD, Biocon, said, “I am very grateful to Federation University Australia for its generosity in naming ‘Mazumdar Drive’ in my honour. I have many happy memories of my time here and acknowledge the significant role the University played in my education and development.”
Mazumdar-Shaw graduated from the Ballarat College of Advanced Education (one of FedUni’s predecessor institutions) in 1975 as a Master Brewer in Malting and Brewing. She also received an honorary Doctorate of Science from the University in 2004 in recognition of her pre-eminent contribution to the field of biotechnology.
At a time when India and Australia are keen to reinvigorate strong bilateral ties between the two countries, Mazumdar-Shaw has been on a week-long visit to Australia during which she has had a series of meetings with the members of the Australia-India Business Council. She also delivered the 17th Dr KR Narayanan Oration on ‘Australia and India: Combining Technology and Entrepreneurship to Innovate the Future’ , at the Australian National University, in Canberra.
The Dr KR Narayanan Oration Lecture Series is hosted by the Australian National University in honour of the former Indian President, Dr KR Narayanan. The annual oration is delivered by a leading Indian thinker, and the list of distinguished speakers has included Dr Kaushik Basu, Dr D. Subbarao, Dr C. Rangarajan, Lord Meghnad Desai, Professor Jagdish Bhagwati, Professor U. R. Rao and P. Chidambaram.
