Dharmendra Pradhan, union minister for education and skill development, engaged in a bilateral meeting with his Australian counterpart, HE Jason Clare, MP, education minister, today. Minister Clare’s second visit to India this year underscores the growing strength and dynamism of the India-Australia knowledge partnership. Both Ministers conducted a comprehensive review of bilateral cooperation in education and skilling, reaffirming their commitment to enhancing knowledge and skilling partnerships for increased mobility, employability, and prosperity in both countries, according to an official release.
Shri Pradhan expressed gratitude for the steady progress in various areas, such as mutual recognition of qualifications, the establishment of joint working groups, collaborative skill initiatives, joint degree programmes between higher education institutions, student exchange programmes, internationalising India’s education sector, addressing visa-related issues for Indian students and research scholars, among others, the release mentioned.
Pradhan co-chaired the 1st Australia India Education and Skill Council (AIESC) meeting with Australian Ministers HE Jason Clare, MP, Education Minister and HE Brendan O’Connor, Skills and Training Minister in Gandhinagar. The AIESC, formerly known as the Australian India Education Council (AIEC), is a bi-national body established in 2011 to guide the strategic direction of education, training, and research partnerships between the two nations. It now focuses on promoting internationalisation, two-way mobility, and collaboration in education and the skill ecosystem, marking the first time that education and skilling have been consolidated under the same institutional forum, as per the release.
During the meeting, Pradhan emphasised that 2023 is a landmark year for Australia and India, particularly in the fields of education and skill development. The inaugural Australia-India Education and Skills Council meeting will serve as a catalyst for creating new roadmaps, strengthening knowledge bridges, advancing mutual priorities, enhancing people-to-people connections, and establishing the knowledge vertical as a cornerstone of India-Australia relations, it added.
He reiterated that education and skills are a primary focus of bilateral engagements, reflecting the commitment of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister HE Anthony Albanese to strengthening knowledge bridges. The successful meeting has set the stage for increased cooperation, collaboration, and mobility in priority areas, according to the release.
Pradhan announced the exchange of five Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between Australian and Indian higher education institutions, facilitating research collaborations in fields such as agriculture, water management, critical minerals, healthcare, AI, renewable energy and climate change. These agreements will create more opportunities for educational, research and innovation initiatives, as well as student and faculty exchanges and twinning programmes/dual degrees, the release mentioned.
He stressed that AIESC, with its outcome-oriented roadmap for the decade, will play a pivotal role in envisioning a brighter future for both Australia and India. HE Jason Clare, MP, highlighted the importance of meaningful partnerships in education and skilling, shaping the future of both countries. He mentioned the 450 existing research partnerships between the two nations and emphasised that collaboration at governmental, institutional, and industry levels will further strengthen their ties and benefit both countries, as per the release.
The Ministers welcomed the forthcoming opening of University of Wollongong and Deakin University campuses at the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) and ongoing institutional research collaborations between top Indian institutes like the IITs and leading Australian universities. Both Ministers reaffirmed their joint commitment to implementing qualification recognition arrangements under the Mechanism for the Mutual Recognition of Qualifications and acknowledged the work done by the Australia-India Qualifications Recognition Steering Committee.
Regarding research collaborations, Pradhan mentioned that India is working on the Phase III of the Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC) Programme, with a focus on joint projects in critical minerals, rare earths, and other mutually agreed priority areas. India has earmarked $2.5 million for Joint Research Projects with Australia, it added.