HRD Minister meets Australian Senator for Education Cooperation

[PIB]: The Minister of Human Resource Development, Dr M M Pallam Raju met Australian Minister for Higher Education, Senator Kim Carr at the annual Australia-India Ministerial Dialogue on Education Cooperation.

They also attended the second Australia India Education Council (AIEC) meeting held in Sydney today.

In a Joint Communique Senator Carr announced that in the current year, Australia will support 29 higher educational institutions to send 300 students to India for a study experience under the new Asia Bound programme.

HRM Dr Pallam Raju announced the opportunity for Australian students to visit India for short term visits through the ‘Connect to India' programme.

At these bi-lateral meetings in Sydney, decision to grant additional funds to the tune of $10 million from the Australia-India Strategic Research Fund (AISRF) for collaborative research projects was also taken.

The $64 million AISRF has already supported more than 100 projects and workshops, involving more than 80 leading Australian and Indian universities and research institutions since it began.

The Government of India supports Indian teams' participation in these joint projects.

While discussing the flourishing Australia-India knowledge partnership, the Ministers acknowledged education as a central pillar to the broader Strategic Partnership between India and Australia and committed to further strengthening and expanding collaboration in education, skills and research.

Both the Ministers expressed their commitment to enhance student mobility between Australia and India.

They welcomed the new Australia India Knowledge Partnership Grants under the AIEC to fund projects in prioritised higher education thematic areas, including support to universities to develop credit transfer arrangements between Australian and Indian institutions.

The Ministers welcomed the 2nd Australia India Skills Conference: Training and Industry - Bridging the Skills Divide to be held in New Delhi on 7-8 November 2013. They also welcomed the work by the AIEC on a feasibility study to establish a Vocational Teacher Training Centre of Excellence in India.