Australian students to study and work in Indian varsities

Australian students will be seen studying and working in India from next year under the "New Colombo Plan", a diplomat said.

With the new Australian government keen to see student exchange become more two-way, the programme 'New Colombo Plan' had been put in place, giving Australian University students the opportunity to study in Asian Universities, Australia's Deputy Consul General to South India Stuart Campbell said.

Expressing hope to see Australian students studying and working in India from next year, he said the plan would include internships with companies in the host country.

He said the plan was just in the process and it would be implemented in Japan, Korea and Indonesia on a trial basis by identifying partners.

Campbell said though the Indian universities were yet to be identified, there was enormous scope and field for the exchange programme like dance, music and also agriculture.

Earlier, in his special address to the TieCon Coimbatore 2014, organised by The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), he said more can be done to encourage people-to people linkages, and education offered an excellent pathway to achieving this.

There was around 10 billion USD of Indian investment in Australia as of date and much more was expected in the next five years, he said.

A full programme of high-level visits between Australia and India was expected in the year ahead, particularly once the (Lok Sabha) election process was completed in India.

Australia was expecting the Indian prime ministerial visit to Brisbane in November for the G20 Leaders Summit, which will mark the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Australia since Rajiv Gandhi's visit way back in 1986, he said.

The nation's key message is "Australia is under new management and is open for business". It means the government was committed to open trade and investment policies and to supporting economic reform, trade liberalisation and the interests of business, Campbell said.

PTI

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