New Delhi: Australia’s Deakin University has become the first foreign university to open a campus in India.
Australia’s High Commissioner to India Philip Green inaugurated the campus at GIFT City in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar district Wednesday.
“I am so proud that the first university to establish a campus in India from anywhere in the world is Australia’s Deakin University at GIFT City. This opens a new chapter in Australia-India education ties, and this is only the beginning,” Green said in a statement.
Two months ago, the University Grants Commission (UGC) notified regulations for foreign universities to set up and operate campuses in India. This was in line with recommendations made by the National Education Policy (NEP) in 2020.
Founded in 1974, Deakin University is a public university in Victoria, Australia. At its new branch campus in Gujarat, Indian students will be able to study Master of Business Analytics and Master of Cybersecurity (Professional) courses starting July this year.
The Australian government, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, plans to establish the second foreign campus in India later this year. This will be a branch of the University of Wollongong, another public university set up in Wollongong, New South Wales, in 1961.
“The opening [of Deakin University’s campus in Gujarat] is a testament to the Australian education system, India’s progressive education policy and the warm and close relations between our nations. Later in 2024, we look forward to celebrating the opening of India’s second foreign branch campus in GIFT City by the University of Wollongong, also from Australia,” the Australian High Commission stated.
Last year, over 1.22 lakh Indian students enrolled in Australian universities. Data from the Australian government for 2022-23 shows that the number of international students staying in Australia on a second or subsequent student visa rose by 30 percent to over 1.5 lakh compared to the previous academic year.
“Deakin University has had a remarkable 30-year presence in India, with investments in all aspects of higher education — from research collaborations with India Institutes of Technology, establishing a joint centre focussed on nanotechnology and sustainability with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), to their Global Job Readiness program for skilling young India with the National Skill Development Corporation. The campus is the next step in Deakin University’s long-term strategy of investment in India’s future,” Green said.
Last December, Australia rolled out a new migration strategy, but Indian students there will not be affected. This is because under the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) signed in 2022, post-study graduate visas were negotiated for Indian students and will be protected despite the new migration rules.
That said, these new migration rules entail tougher restrictions on international students seeking higher education in Australia, including a stricter English proficiency test. However, migrants earning annual salaries of $135,000 or higher will have their visa applications fast-tracked.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)