Australian and Indian graduates will be able to get more out of their degrees, with a new arrangement between the two nations increasing where the qualifications will be recognised.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the new Australia-India education qualifications recognition mechanism while leading a business delegation through the Asian nation.
“This new mechanism means that if you’re an Indian student who’s studying – or about to study – in Australia, your hard-earned degree will be recognised when you return home,” he said.
“Or if you’re a member of Australia’s large Indian diaspora, you’ll be able to feel more confident that your Indian qualifications will be recognised in Australia.
“It paves the way for commercial opportunities for Australian education providers to offer innovative and more accessible education to Indian students.”
The chancellor and vice-chancellor of Deakin University are travelling alongside the prime minister, having announced an initial $4 million for 100 students to study cyber security and business analytics at a new campus in India each year.
Mr Albanese said Australian universities having a presence in India provides a foundation for tertiary institutions in both nations to build stronger partnerships.
“Of course, we always welcome students to come and study in Australia, and that will continue to be an important focus for us,” he said.
“But not everyone has the means or the ability to pack up their lives and study in another country.”
On the second day of Mr Albanese’s visit to India he meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the fourth cricket Test between the two nations in Ahmedabad.
The Test is expected to play host to the largest crowd for a cricket match, with the stadium’s capacity more than 130,000 people.
Mr Albanese will then travel to Mumbai later on Thursday to take part in a CEO forum with Australian and Indian business leaders.
Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham welcomed Mr Albanese’s comments that the relationship between Australia and India was at a high point.
“It’s an opportunity for (the prime minister) to drive that further in terms of our bilateral co-operation and, critically, also building upon the areas of regional and global co-operation that have been strengthened so greatly in recent years,” he told ABC Radio.
Senator Birmingham said India hosting the G20 summit this year would also be critical in advocating for the end of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“I would expect those matters to form part of discussions to make sure that we are attempting to send as strong a message as possible about not just the human toll that the war is inflicting, but also the economic toll … as a consequence of that,” he said.
Universities Australia chief executive Catriona Jackson said it was important that education is front and centre, with more than 1.5 million Indian students graduating with an Australian university degree since 2005.
“The answers to the toughest challenges lie in research and education, and Australia and India do this very well,” she said.
“Australia’s universities are also providing a world-class education for increasing numbers of Indian students. We can build on this, for the benefit of both nations.”
The University of Melbourne is also working towards a dual science degree with three Indian universities.
-AAP
