With Deakin University, ranked among top universities worldwide, commencing the admission application for two courses, the university is all set to become the world’s first-ever international university to have a campus in India. The two courses on offer for students are – Masters of Business Analytics and Masters of Cyber Security (Professional). The University also announced the fee structure for the courses being offered in India and also unveiled the new campus identity at the GIFT IFSC (International Financial Services Center).
Prof Iain Martin, Vice Chancellor, Deakin University, said, “The Indian campus of Deakin University will initially be offering two courses. We are expecting 100 to 150 students in the first year of our operations. The fee for the courses will be approximately Rs 10 lakh per year, nearly half of the cost for the same course in Australia. We are expecting to grow in the coming years but we do not want to compromise with the quality of education.”
Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Education and Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India, said, “This is the first step towards fulfilling the dream of National Education Policy, 2020 (NEP 2020) of internationalisation of education at home. This will expose our students to new ideas and perspectives and will empower them in the global perspective of today’s interconnected world. I am sure that exchange of knowledge, ideas and skills between the Indian and International students will create a vibrant learning ecosystem. ‘
The campus building of Deakin University is in the final stages of its construction. The University officials said that the inauguration is expected to happen in January 2024 around the timing of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit. In the year 2024, Deakin will also complete 30 years of its presence in India. The application form for the admission will close on March 31.
During the occasion, the University of Wollongong, ranked among top 200 universities worldwide, also unveiled its campus identity. It has rented two floors of a 20 story building which can be extended further. Patricia M Davidson, Vice Chancellor, University of Wollongong, said, “We are expecting to have around 150 students for the initial year and hoping to grow further to 1100 students in coming years. We are in the final stages of our faculty recruitment. The admission application will start from January 2024 and we are very excited to welcome our first batch in July 2024.”
Jason Clare MP, Minister of Education, Government of Australia, said, “India and Australia are two different countries with different challenges but we both have a shared vision. With this physical example of the partnership, we can say that our shared vision is made real today.”
Tapan Ray,MD & Group CEO, GIFT CITY, said, “The setting up of campuses of Australian Universities at GIFT City within the IFSC ambit heralds a promising era for India’s International education landscape. This event also underscores our vision of creating a world-class education centre that focuses on a continuous supply of talent to further strengthen our finance and tech hub at GIFT City, resulting in win-win outcomes for all stakeholders.”
“This is Australian education delivered here in India with Indian cultural characteristics. In a country with more than 250 million youths, no one university can be more than a drop in the ocean and we hope that Deakin University can be a part of the catalyst of change that will establish a strong education system in India.”, concluded the VC of Deakin University.