Indian Ocean Rim Academic Group (IORAG)

The Indian Ocean Rim Academic Group (IORAG) was established in recognition of the important role of the academia in regional organisations.

The role set out for the Academic Group is both advisory and catalytic, with the following principal objectives :

• to service the needs of Government and Business
  
  
• to promote intellectual dialogue amongst the participating Member States
  
  
• to serve as a vehicle for the development and dissemination of the Indian Ocean Rim Concept
  
  
• to serve the region through coordinated and rigorous research

The IORAG may meet during the COM and the CSO, or as often as mutually decided. It collaborates with the CSO and the Secretariat in the consideration, formulation, and implementation of the Policy and Work Programmes of the Association. The IORAG may draw upon other non-governmental regional academic networks as necessary.

In recent years, there has been an effort to reinvigorate the Academic Group by fostering a more dynamic link between policy and projects in the work programmes of the WGTI, IORAG and IORBF. In order to sharpen the focus of IORAG, it has been suggested that the following measures be considered :

• Develop a stronger Indian Ocean Research environment
  
  
• Foster a culture of "Indian Oceanness"
  
  
• Focus on matters of common concern
  
  
• Conduct research aimed at enabling better regional policy outcomes
  
  
• Develop a stronger regional policy foundation
  
  
• Enhance collective regional awareness

The IORAG is an integral part of the unique structure that was created to build bridges and increase networking between Governments, the Private Sector and the Academia in the Indian Ocean Rim region.