Jason Clare, the Australian minister of education, arrived in Delhi on Tuesday for a four-day official visit to develop institutional partnerships and advance bilateral collaborations.
According to a release from the Union ministry of education, during his tour, Jason will attend with his Indian counterpart Dharmendra Pradhan in a student engagement programme and a number of meetings to advance bilateral ties between India and Australia in the field of education. Jason was invited by Pradhan while he was in Australia in August of last year.
Jason and Pradhan will sign the mechanism for the mutual recognition of qualifications, which “locks in the rules for mutual recognition to access education in both our countries,” according to a statement from Jason’s office.
According to the statement, “This will be the broadest and most favourable recognition agreement India has signed with another country and will enhance student mobility between both countries.”
The initiative between Gujarat International Financial Tec-City (GIFT City) and the University of Wollongong in Australia is described as “a good example of a partnership which builds skills and capacity to tackle future challenges,” the statement mentioned. It’s expected that the university will establish a campus in GIFT city.
The establishment of foreign university campuses in Gandhinagar’s GIFT City, free from local regulations, was announced by the government last year in an effort to increase the supply of skilled manpower for the financial services industry. Pradhan invited Australian universities and skilling institutions to explore the possibilities of opening campuses in India and potential areas of collaboration with their Indian counterparts while he was visiting Australia.
“The visit provides an important opportunity for Australian universities to showcase new partnerships and plans which they can deliver in India, including opportunities for joint degrees and campuses,” the statement added