Celebrating Global Impact: Amitabh Bachchan at La Trobe

The visit was made possible through the University’s enduring partnership with the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), reflecting La Trobe’s commitment to cultural engagement and international collaboration.

During the ceremony, held at La Trobe’s Bundoora Campus in Melbourne, Mr Bachchan was honoured with the inaugural La Trobe University Global Citizenship Award, recognising his exceptional leadership throughout his film career and international impact as a cultural ambassador. The award also acknowledged Mr Bachchan’s humanitarian work, including his role as a UNICEF Ambassador for the eradication of polio and his appointment as the United Nations Ambassador for the Girl Child, further underscoring his commitment to global causes.

The Amitabh Bachchan PhD Scholarship (2014)

He also presented the inaugural Amitabh Bachchan PhD Scholarship, a four-year award valued at AUD $200,000, to Roshan Kumar, a La Trobe graduate from Ranchi in Jharkhand, India. The scholarship was designed to support Indian citizens pursuing doctoral research in media, digital technology, and communication.

Mr Bachchan expressed his gratitude during the prestigious ceremony:

“Thank you so much for having me here today and giving me the opportunity to visit this wonderful University and to have a scholarship named after me for this very deserving Roshan Kumar who wishes to do his thesis on social media.”

Roshan Kumar, a 2010 graduate of La Trobe’s Master’s in International Business, expressed his awe and gratitude:

“I have grown up watching Amitabh Bachchan in movies. To imagine that I would meet him in person still seems like a dream,” he said of his encounter with the legendary ‘Angry Young Man’.

“I am honoured to receive this scholarship, which will help fund my research into improving the health of thousands of people living in India.”

Roshan’s doctoral work aimed to explore the potential of using social media to better communicate health messages to India’s estimated 80 million social media users—an ambitious and socially impactful project.

A Milestone for La Trobe

Former Vice-Chancellor Professor John Dewar hailed the occasion as a milestone for La Trobe:

“La Trobe University is very proud that Mr. Bachchan has agreed to work with us and help support the education of the next generation of Indian leaders who will help make a difference to the complex problems facing our world today. This is the beginning of a very exciting educational partnership between La Trobe University and a legend of India.”

Students and the whole University community had the rare opportunity to meet and speak with Mr Bachchan during his visit in Melbourne. Fans gathered to catch a glimpse of the superstar during his campus tour, adding to the celebratory atmosphere of the occasion.

The scholarship symbolised a powerful fusion of cultural legacy and academic aspiration – life changing moment for an Indian scholar, a proud moment in La Trobe’s history and a demonstration of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne’s influence to build cultural ties between Australia and India.