At the sixth meeting of Australia India Education Council (AIEC), Union Minister for Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has welcomed Australian universities and skilling institutions to set up their campuses in India and explore areas of collaboration with Indian institutions. He further invited His Excellency (HE) Jason Clare to visit India by the end of this year.
The Union Education Minister has held the bilateral meeting and co-chaired the sixth AIEC with Australian Counterpart His Excellency Jason Clare at Western Sydney University (WSU). During the bilateral meeting, the ministers had fruitful discussions on further strengthening cooperation in education, skill development, research, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Ministers further agreed to expand the cooperation in learning, skilling and research with a view to make education a key pillar under the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
In the sixth meeting of the Australia-India Education Council, Pradhan stated that AIEC is a highly effective forum to further advance ties and boost engagements in education, skill development and research priorities. He invited Australian team to hold the seventh meeting of the AIEC in India next year.
The Union Education Minister, Pradhan stressed on the research collaboration between the two countries in the areas of Ayurveda, Yoga, Agriculture, among others and called for collaboration in skill certification and areas like mining, logistics management among others. He further stated that India has set up Digital University and Gati Shakti University for which the two countries can work together to develop curriculum and other aspects.
Shri Pradhan further raised the issue of pending visas of Indian students going to Australia. The Australian Minister has assured cooperation in expediting the pending visas. Later, the Ministers held a Joint Press Conference in which they announced establishment of a working group on transnational education to build shared understanding of the regulatory settings in both countries and promote opportunities for two-way mobility of institutions. Shri Pradhan reiterated that India remains committed to build knowledge bridges and deepen bilateral engagements with Australia in education, skilling and research for mutual growth and prosperity.
Furthermore, Along with HE Sarah Mitchell MLC, NSW Minister for Education, the Union Education Minister Pradhan has visited various schools, higher education and skilling institutions during his four-day visit to Australia to strengthen bilateral relations in education, research, and skilling. Pradhan visited a Homebush West Public School in the New South Wales state to get insights on school excellence frameworks and best practices in universalising early childhood education. He interacted with the young learners and teachers at the school. He further said that the best practices and positive experiences in early education and digital learning at NSW can be replicated in India to make early childhood care and education equitable and accessible, and for strengthening childhood care frameworks, especially also after school hours.
Pradhan along with Clare further visited Institute of Applied Technology at TAFE NSF. He stated that this facility is a signature training hub to equip youth with new-age skills relevant for global opportunities and for driving infrastructure projects and economic growth of the region. He further mentioned that India is also setting up a multi-disciplinary and multi-dimensional Gati Shakti University with an aim to create a next-generation of skilled professionals to support the growing logistics, infrastructure development and transport sector. Gati Shakti University and Institute of Applied Technology for Construction can work together in developing industry-centric programmes, closing skills gap, up-skilling, re-skilling, creating innovative digital resources among others, he added.
Pradhan further interacted with the vice-chancellors and senior representatives of the Australian Government, Department of Education at an event organised by Universities Australia on Transforming our Future through institutional collaboration at UNSW, Sydney.
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