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‘ Exciting beginning ’
Universities eye off major higher ed deal with India .
By Emilie Lauer
Victoria ’ s Deakin University has announced it will be the first foreign university to establish a teaching campus in India , with the University of Wollongong eyeing similar plans to open a campus in Gujarat .
In early March , Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made a landmark visit to India as part of efforts to strengthen education , trade and security ties between the two nations .
He announced that along with Deakin , the University of Wollongong has plans to build a campus at GIFT City , a developing central business district in western India by mid-2024 .
“ It is quite an achievement ,” Albanese said during an event in Ahmedabad .
“ This is an exciting beginning for stronger educational , commercial and cultural relationships .”
Deakin Vice-Chancellor Professor Iain Martin said its India campus would give students access to postgraduate courses aligned with local employment needs .
He said degrees offered at Deakin ’ s GIFT City campus will initially focus on cyber security , business analytics and digital economy before expanding to science , engineering and business and law .
The University of Wollongong will soon follow Deakin ’ s path after it signed a letter of intent last July to build a teaching , research and industry centre in GIFT City .
The University of Melbourne has also announced plans to expand its course offerings to India with a partnership with the University of Madras , Savitribai Phule Pune University , and Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management ( Hyderabad ).
Indian students will now have the opportunity to enrol in a dual Bachelor of Science Degree , which will see students spending two years in India and two years in Australia .
The University of Melbourne Vice- Chancellor Duncan Maskell said the new dual degree would complete the existing Bachelor of Science ( blended ) co-designed by UniMelb and available in seven Indian tertiary institutions .
“ The University of Melbourne is delighted to continue expanding our programs to give more Indian students direct pathways to complete their studies ,” Professor Maskell said .
“ With demand for our existing programs continuing to grow , we ’ re pleased to be working together with prestigious local universities to be part of the internationalisation of education in India and at home in Australia .”
Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson said India was “ a key strategic and economic partner ” for Australia ’ s tertiary education .
“ We ’ re very pleased to see mutual qualification recognition locked in and look forward to working with both governments to flesh out the details .
“ We look forward to playing our part in its success .” ■
Economic win
Overseas students contribute to $ 29bn in education exports
By Emilie Lauer
International students in Australia generated $ 29bn in education exports last year , according to new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics .
Data from the ABS , released on Tuesday , showed international students in Australia contributed to $ 25.5 billion to the economy , with a further $ 3.5 billion generated through overseas students ’ online study fees .
Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson said the jump was an “ economic win for Australia ”.
“ Education is our largest services export and the biggest product we don ’ t source from the ground ,” Ms Jackson said .
“ The export income our universities help generate pays for essential services and underpins a higher standard of living for all Australians , regardless of where they live .”
The Covid-19 pandemic caused the higher education industry to lose half of its education export value , dropping from $ 40.1bn in 2019 to $ 22.2bn in 2021 .
International student numbers are expected to continue to grow , with tens of thousands of Chinese students returning to university campuses after the Chinese government announced an online study ban last month .
An additional 40,000 international students from 144 countries are due to return to face-to-face classes .
“ In the last month alone , nearly 80,000 students have come to Australia ,” said Ms Jackson .
“ We have work to do , but the progress to date is good for universities , Australia and the economy more broadly .”
In February , Education Minister Jason Clare extended international students ’ post-graduate visas by two years to drive overseas graduated into Australian businesses .
From July 1st , international students completing a degree in industries facing severe skills shortages will be able to extend their graduate visa , work in the country , and build experience . ■
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