India-Australia relations are at an all-time high. Our cooperation has grown rapidly in speed and scale since our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was agreed in 2020. The recent summit between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 21 called for a new level of ambition. Advance our cooperation, especially when it comes to our economic cooperation. And education is a field that has a lot of potential.
At the summit, the prime ministers announced a task force on Education Qualification Recognition. This workforce will address the accreditation of various delivery modes, including online and blended learning, joint degrees and education at offshore campuses. The task force will provide a mechanism for the extension of education qualification recognition between Australia and India by the end of the year, with implementation in 2023.
education relations
Since the early 2000s, Australia has become the preferred destination for Indian students pursuing higher education internationally. In 2019, there were 115,000 Indian students studying in Australia and Indians form one of the largest proportion of expatriates who call Australia home. Many Indians are working in important positions in Australian industry, academia and government. And thousands of Indians studying in Australia have gone on to develop successful global careers.
Australian education is at the top of the demand globally due to its high quality, strict accreditation standards, sophisticated support for international students, relevant curriculum and one of the highest graduate employment rates, all providing a superior return on investment for the student . Australia has one of the most supportive international education systems in the world. The Australian Strategy for International Education 2021-2030 focuses on the student experience, student protection and student rights.
Australia also offers lucrative post-study rights to international students. Recently, Australian Trade and Investment Commission has launched SAIEP (Study Australia Industry Immersion Programme) for current Indian students to enhance their employability skills in Australian universities.
Under the international education system, Australian and Indian universities are developing models for Indian students to start their studies in India and then move to an Australian campus with the option of graduating with a degree from any institution after a few years. go.
research collaboration
Australia has prestigious research and innovation institutions. The country is responsible for 2.7% of the world’s scientific output, while accounting for only 0.34% of the world’s population, accounting for two thirds of this research globally or above. It has provided major global innovation breakthroughs: Wi-Fi and including penicillin – both were invented by Australian researchers.
Australia has world-class capabilities to conduct research in energy, food, agriculture, digital health. During the pandemic, the Australian pharma and biomedical sector has helped solve complex problems supported by the strong interdisciplinary focus of their universities.
The education and research relationship between Australia and India is based on shared values and alliance capabilities. While both countries are knowledge-based economies, further commonalities in the conduct of education and research, similar challenges and a focus on resolving issues with social relevance have strengthened engagement for the needs of the future.
There are many partnerships between Indian and Australian institutions that are adding real value to the output of the industry. The research relationship between the two countries focuses on STEM, healthcare and management. The most important part of the research work is progress in knowledge transfer, high technology applications and development of an international education ecosystem.
Australian universities have strong linkages with Indian universities to jointly develop world-class capabilities. For example, IIT Bombay and Monash University established a joint research academy in 2008, which specializes in advanced computational engineering, infrastructure engineering, clean energy, water, nanotechnology, biotechnology and stem cell research, humanities, social sciences and design. Focuses on research. In 2018, IIT Delhi and the University of Queensland launched a joint research academy called UQIDAR, enrolling around 100 PhD students pursuing research to address issues facing industry with a special focus on health, agriculture, environment. has increased rapidly. Technology and Social Sciences. Through this academy, IIT Delhi and the University of Queensland are focusing on areas of strategic importance to India and coaching the students to develop entrepreneurial skills in deep tech. The University of Melbourne – another prestigious Australian university – has developed significant academic and commercial partnerships in India in ICT (Data Analytics) and Biomedical Research.
The partnership between the two countries is bound to grow due to shared priorities. Indian IT giant HCL – which has operations in Australia – has lauded Australian universities on their research capabilities to put the technology to work in various sectors of the economy. Senior academia and industry leaders in both countries have seen rapid growth in collaborative translation research. The opportunity for cooperation is very real, with both countries working together to enhance education and research outcomes with clear benefits for people, businesses and society.
(The author is Director of Trade and Investment, Australian Trade and Investment Commission)