NEW DELHI: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday announced that two Australian universities will be starting their operations at Gujarat’s GIFT city from next academic year. The two Australian universities that are coming up in Gujarat’s GIFT city (Gujarat International Finance Tec City) are Deakin University and University of Wollongong.
A third Australian university, Western Sydney University, is also planning to set up its campus soon. On the occasion, Pradhan said, “Foreign university campuses at home will facilitate study in India in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.”
He said that students and faculties from different parts of the world will collaborate, learn, and grow together. “This transformative policy emphasizes ‘Internationalisation at Home’, aiming to create a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive educational environment within our own country,” he said.
“Australia and India are committed to promote research for mutual prosperity and global well-being,” he said. Announcing about the two Australian universities, Pradhan in X, formerly Twitter, posted, “Bringing world-class learning opportunities at Bharat’s door step.”
He added that the formal announcement of the opening of the campus of two credible Australian universities is a giant leap towards internationalisation of India’s education. “A vibrant campus of these two universities in Gujarat is a GIFT to student community.”
Australian Education Minister, Jason Clare, who is visiting India for the second time this year, and has come with a delegation of six vice-chancellors, in X, posted that Deakin and UOW are the first international universities to be approved to set up a standalone campus in India.
“International education is not just a one way street. It’s not just about students coming to Australia, it’s about Australian universities going to them.” Clare, who alongwith Pradhan, visited the construction work, also posted that the two universities will start teaching next year.
“This highlights the regard with which our universities are held and the strength of the relationship between our two great countries.” The Vice-Chancellor’s of the two universities at the event stressed the importance of country-to-country partnerships, highlighting the significant growth in bilateral relations between India and Australia, even during challenging times such as the COVID-19 pandemic.