Dharmendra Pradhan, union minister, education and skill development and entrepreneurship and his Australian counterpart Jason Clare, MP, government of Australia, paid a visit to the upcoming campuses of Wollongong and Deakin Universities in Gandhinagar. They received a detailed briefing on the progress and forthcoming initiatives of these campuses. The ministers participated in an event called ‘Arambh’ (The Beginning), which marked the formal announcement of the launch of the campuses within GIFT City, according to an official release.
The establishment of foreign universities on Indian soil aligns with the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) for the internationalisation of education. This inaugural Arambh event represented a significant milestone in the global education landscape, uniting distinguished dignitaries, ministers, and academic leaders to commemorate the commencement of Australian university campuses in India, the release mentioned.
During the event, the vice-chancellors of Deakin University and the University of Wollongong emphasised the importance of nation-to-nation partnerships, underscoring the substantial growth in bilateral relations between India and Australia, even amid challenging circumstances like the Covid-19 pandemic. They also shared their plans for the future, including details about the courses that will be offered when these campuses open in India, as per the release.
“Foreign University campuses at home will facilitate Study In India and also create a vibrant, diverse and inclusive educational environment as envisioned in the NEP 2020,” Pradhan said. “Opening up the campus of these two universities in GIFT City is a ‘Gift’ to the student community,” he added.
He expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his vision and efforts to revolutionise India’s education system through the NEP. He also emphasised that with such initiatives, students and faculties from all corners of the world will have the opportunity to collaborate, learn and grow together. This policy places significant importance on ‘Internationalisation at Home,’ with the goal of creating a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive educational environment within our own nation, the release stated.
Both Ministers addressed a conclave titled ‘Research Dialogue: New Horizons in Research Collaboration.’ The objective of this conclave was to explore innovative opportunities for strengthening bilateral collaboration in a thriving research ecosystem. The event was attended by an Australian delegation, senior representatives from key Indian higher education and research institutions, and other esteemed dignitaries. Furthermore, both Ministers engaged with academicians and industry leaders during discussions on Industry-Education Partnerships. These conversations focused on enhancing the connections between education and industry, fostering mutual benefits through university partnerships, encouraging research and development collaborations and more, it added.