Associate Professor Gour Dasvarma

Academic Level D

College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

+61 8 8201 2429

gour.dasvarma@flinders.edu.au

Social Science South

GPO Box 2100, ADELAIDE, SA, 5001

I directed the Applied Population Studies program, 1992-2013. I initiated and completed a major restructuring of the population studies program in 1996, 2003 and 2009, and coordinated external reviews of the program in 1999, 2004 and 2009. During 2006 - 2010, I negotiated and completed a major contract between Flinders University and the Indonesian National Population and Family Planning Board for postgraduate training in population studies with funding from the Asian Development Bank. I coordinated the Master of Environmental Management program during 2003-2005.

My current teaching includes teaching in postgraduate subjects (Population Dynamics, Sustainable Development and Social Statistics). As of August 2024, I have supervised 21 completed PhD theses (10 as Principal Supervisor), 68 completed Masters and seven completed Diploma theses. I am currently supervising three PhD theses and one Master by Research thesis (as Associate Supervisor).

I have provided consultancies to the Government of South Australia, the United Nations Population Fund (in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia and Myanmar) and the then Australian Agency for International Development (in Indonesia).

Qualifications

PhD (Demography), Australian National University, 1980
Postgraduate Diploma in Population Studies, International Institute for Population Sciences, Bombay, India, 1971
Postgraduate Certificate in Demography, International Institute for Population Sciences,Bombay, India, 1970
Master of Science (Statistics), Patna University, India, 1964
BSc, Patna University, India, 1961

Honours, awards and grants

Vice Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching 2011

Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT) Citation for Excellence inTeaching 2012

Member, Flinders College of Distinguished Educators 2012

Commendation for Research Excellence (by an Academic Status Holder), College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Flinders University. November 2022.

Acknowledgement from Flinders University Higher Degree by Research Committee: “Outstanding support” of Higher Degree Research students over a period of over 30 years. April 2023

Key responsibilities

Academic Ststus Holder as Associate Professor in Population Studies

Teaching interests

At Flinders, I am involved in post graduate teaching in the areas of population studies, human resource development, women's health and child survival, ageing of populations and population data analysis and two undergraduate subjects in demography.

Topic lecturer

GEOG9014 Basics of Social Statistics

GEOG9050 Population Dynamics

GEOG8030 Sustainable Development in a Globalising World

Professional engagement

Member:

International Union for the Scientific Study of Population;

Asian Population Association;

Indian Association for the Study of Population (life member).

Australian Population Association (National Council 1996-1998; 2004-2006. Vice President 2006-2008. Editor, newsletter Demoz 2006-2008).

Reviewer, Australian Research Council in 2011-2014, 2018

Advisory Functions

Australia
South Australian Department of Planning and Local Government (May 2003 to May 2006; August-December 2009). Analysis
of mortality trends in South Australia and future prospects for population projections of the state.
i.d. consulting, Community Profiles, Melbourne (Apr 1999-Jan 2000). Production of Community Profiles for Victoria of
selected birthplace groups based on the 1996 census.
SAGRIC/AusAID (1993-1998). Population and Family Planning Project, Papua New Guinea.

Bangladesh
United Nations Population Fund/Dhaka University (Department of Population Sciences). Strategic Visioning. February-March 2013.

Cambodia
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)/Royal Government of Cambodia (2009 and 2013): Preparation of Analytical Reports on Fertility and Mortality from 2008 Population Census and 2013 Intercensal Population Survey..
(Also see under Previous Employment: July 2001-January 2003).

Indonesia:
UNFPA Jakarta - CST Bangkok (1-11 December 2004). Review of District Database and documentation of best practice/
lessons learned.
Flinders Technology, Adelaide (June 1999). Two-week training in HIV/AIDS Information, Education and Communication
organised by IASTP1/AusAID in Nusa Tenggara Barat and Nusa Tenggara Timur provinces.

Myanmar

UNFPA, Myanmar: Review of Thematic reports on Mottality and Maternal Mortality from 2014 Population Census

Papua New Guinea:
United Nations Development Program, Papua New Guinea (December 2005-April 2007)- Human Development
Report for the Bougainville Autonomous Region.

National Resource Inst.(2018)

Vietnam
United Nations Development Program. 2010. Review of mortality component of Vietnam Human Development Report. 2010.

General
International Union for the Scientific Study of Population/UNFPA (Nov 2008-March 2009): Survey of technical demographic training in Asia. Report presented at an IUSSP/UNFPA meeting held The Hague, The Netherlands, 26-28 March 2009.

Expert for media contact

Ageing

Demography

Development

Environment

Fertility

India

Indonesia

Migration

Mortality

Population

South Australia