A consortium of Australian varsities to open joint campus in India
- In Reports
- 08:45 PM, Oct 26, 2024
- Myind Staff
Innovative Research Universities (IRU), a consortium of seven Australian universities, has shown interest in establishing a joint campus in India. This initiative was discussed during meetings between officials from the Indian Education Ministry and the IRU on Thursday and Friday.
Deakin University recently welcomed its inaugural batch of students at its GIFT City campus in Gujarat in July 2024, marking it as the first foreign university to initiate operations in India. Following closely, the University of Wollongong (UOW India) has also begun offering programs from its GIFT City campus.
According to the IRU's website, it is "a coalition of public universities across Australia committed to inclusive education and innovative research that advances our communities," established in July 2003. The consortium includes Flinders University, Griffith University, James Cook University, La Trobe University, Murdoch University, University of Canberra, and Western Sydney University. Government sources indicate that the interest in an India campus was expressed during Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's visit to Australia”.
In addition to attending the 2nd Australia-India Education and Skills Council (AIESC) meeting in Sydney on Thursday, Minister Dharmendra Pradhan engaged with senior administrators from the Innovative Research Universities (IRU). During these discussions, he was informed about collaborative strategies for education delivery and initiatives aimed at fostering impactful research for society.
The deliberation which started on Thursday during interaction with Pradhan, extended to Friday with officials discussing details of possible research and other academic collaboration. Post further meetings, an announcement is likely to be made later this year,” said the source.
India and Australia have a strong bilateral connection, especially in the education sector and with the minister’s (Pradhan) second visit, more engagements are likely to happen, which include more Australian universities looking at the option of setting up campuses and offering joint/dual/twinning degrees,” said a source.
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