Supporting Inclusive Education in India: Vidya Balan at La Trobe
In 2016, La Trobe University welcomed multi-award-winning Indian actress Vidya Balan to its Melbourne campus to launch a transformative education initiative aimed at supporting children with disabilities in India.
Educate the Educators program
The initiative, titled Educate the Educators, was designed to foster collaboration between Australian and Indian educators to address the diverse learning needs of children with disabilities. The program included a study tour to India led by La Trobe’s leading academics in disability education, where University students worked alongside Indian educators to explore best-practice teaching methods for inclusive classrooms.
During the launch event, Vidya Balan presented certificates to fifteen La Trobe students selected for the inaugural tour to Mumbai and New Delhi in November 2016. These students formed the first cohort supported by the Australian Government’s New Colombo Plan Mobility Program, which aimed to deepen their understanding of Asia and the Pacific through immersive international experiences.
Associate Professor Mary Keeffe, from La Trobe’s Bendigo Campus, explained that the program’s goal was to enhance educational opportunities by building teacher capacity to support children with special needs in mainstream classrooms. Follow-up visits to Indian schools included La Trobe students and researchers from education, speech pathology, and social work, who adopted a team-based approach to problem-solving and capacity-building—benefiting educators in both Australia and India. Students also gained valuable insights into Indian society, culture, architecture, language, religion, and art.
Professor Jane Long described the project as an exciting opportunity that broadened the horizons of La Trobe students while contributing to a key educational goal in India. She highlighted La Trobe’s longstanding ties with India, dating back to 1968 when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi visited the Melbourne Campus.
Partnerships for sustainable education
The Educate the Educators program also collaborated with Blue Bells International School in New Delhi to identify opportunities for sustainable educational development. This ambitious partnership aimed to unite Australian and Indian educators in promoting inclusive learning environments for children with special needs.
Importantly, the launch of this initiative was supported by La Trobe University’s ongoing partnership with the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM). La Trobe has been a proud sponsor of IFFM since the festival’s inception, which celebrates Indian cinema and cultural exchange. The festival’s support of the Educate the Educators program underscored the University’s commitment to strengthening Australia–India ties through education, arts, and community engagement. Vidya Balan attended the launch as a guest of the Festival, further highlighting the cultural significance of the collaboration.
Through initiatives like Educate the Educators and its partnership with IFFM, La Trobe University continues to champion inclusive education and global engagement, enriching the lives of students and communities across borders.
Discover more about the collaboration between La Trobe, IFFM, and India by watching the launch event in action.
Multi-award-winning actress and education advocate, Vidya Balan presented certificates to fifteen La Trobe University students chosen for the inaugural New Colombo Plan tour to Mumbai and New Delhi.
