Australian and Indian ministers of education held a bilateral meeting in Sydney to collaborate on education and skills development initiatives between the two nations.
India’s Minister of Education and Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan met with his Australian counterpart Jason Clare MP as part of the Australian India Education Council (AIEC) at Western Sydney University’s Parramatta City Campus.
The education ministers have launched two landmark initiatives – Australian Researcher Cooperation Hub-India (ARCH-India) and the Australia India Research Students Fellowship (AIRS Fellowship) program – that will boost bilateral research collaboration, and showcase the research excellence of India and Australia.
In a tweet, Minister Pradhan said: “We had fruitful discussions on further strengthening our cooperation in education, skill development, research collaborations, innovation and entrepreneurship.”
Minister Pradhan also raised the issue of pending visas of Indian students coming to Australia for further studies.
He tweeted:
“I raised the issue of pending visas of Indian students going to Australia as well as areas our countries can work together, especially in advancing research collaborations in Ayurveda, Yoga & Agriculture, skill development, curriculum development and Digital University.”
India and Australia are partners with a strong history of bilateral cooperation in education and research. Minister Pradhan has also welcomed Australian universities and TAFEs to set their campuses in India and explore areas of collaboration.
In a statement Minister Clare said
“Today’s meeting will reaffirm this partnership including through the Australian Researcher Cooperation Hub and the Australia-India Research Students Fellowship. These programs are run by the Australia India Institute and funded by the Australian Government to drive collaboration and innovation between our two countries.”
There are currently 59,000 Indian students in Australia. Both countries agreed to expand the cooperation in learning, skilling, and research.
Minister Clare said that he hopes Indian students enjoy and love Australia. He added:
“Indian students benefit from a world-class education at one of Australia’s quality higher education institutions. They take home new skills and knowledge to help create new businesses, drive research and innovation, to continue to grow India’s economy and contribute to Indian society.”
The Australia India Institute’s CEO The Hon Lisa Singh also attended the launch of the Australian Researcher Cooperation Hub-India (ARCH-India) and the Australia India Research Students Fellowship (AIRS Fellowship) program.
In a statement, Ms Singh said:
“Australia and India have a long history of partnership and cooperation. Yet there remains untapped potential to deepen our research links. Both countries have advanced research and development capabilities. Here is an opportunity to reveal and connect the unique expertise of both nations and work together to address the complex challenges facing the Indo-Pacific and the world.”
ARCH-India is a digital platform designed to advance research linkages between Australia and India. It is a rich resource for researchers, providing information on 15 key areas of bilateral importance, funding opportunities, case studies of successful research collaboration, and more.
The new AIRS Fellowship program will support research students and early career researchers from India and Australia to undertake short-term research exchanges. Up to seventy fellowships will be offered with up to 35 grants to be offered to cohorts from each country.
These two initiatives will be delivered by the Australia India Institute and supported by funding from the Australian Government Department of Education as part of the India Economic Strategy to 2035 Action Plan.
While in Australia, Minister Pradhan will meet with Australian university leaders and representatives of various vocational education training and skills sectors to address challenges in Australia-India bilateral relationship and explore areas for cooperation.