Two Australian universities will soon set up campuses at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Wednesday, adding that the development will add a “glorious chapter” in the bilateral relationship of the two countries.
The two varsities – Wollongong University and Deakin University – will sign an agreement in this regard during Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s maiden visit to India next week, he added.
Pradhan was addressing an event at Sri Venkateswara College in the national capital when he made the announcement. He was accompanied by Australian education minister Jason Clare who is on a five-day educational visit to India.
“Two Australian universities will be establishing campuses in the GIFT City in Gujarat. We want to partner with Australia with accessibility, affordability and quality of education for youngsters,” Pradhan said.
The formalities will be completed on the sidelines of the Australian Prime Minister’s visit to India next week, he added.
GIFT City is an emerging global financial and IT services hub, a first-of-its-kind in India, designed to be on or above par with globally benchmarked business districts.
At least 25 prestigious Indian universities have some kind of engagement with their counterparts in Australia, Pradhan said, adding, “next week, another glorious chapter will be added to our journey as two prestigious Australian universities are coming to India.”
“Australia will be an important partner of India during its journey of becoming a developed country by 2047,” the minister said.
Clare, who also addressed the gathering, said former cricketer Adam Gilchrist, the global brand ambassador of Wollongong University, will help in setting up the varsity campus in India.
He said that Australia and India on Thursday will sign an agreement to come up with a mechanism for mutual recognition of qualifications that will allow students to access education in both countries.
“It means that an Indian student can be sure that the degree that they obtain from an Australian university will be recognised if they want to continue further education here in India…,” Clare said.
“This is just the start. It is part of a two-step process. First, there is a mechanism to recognise qualification degrees. The second is to work together with professions on mutual recognition agreements so that Australian and Indian graduates will be able to practice professionally in either country…” he added.
The Australian minister also said that 10 new Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) will be signed for educational tie-ups next week.
Later in the day, the two ministers visited and interacted with students at Kendriya Vidyalaya No-2 in Delhi Cantonment.