- India and Australia reaffirm deepening education and skills cooperation during the 3rd AIESC meeting in New Delhi, led by Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Jayant Chaudhary, and Jason Clare.
- Seven Australian universities planning India campuses remain a key agenda point as both sides review regulatory progress, mutual recognition of qualifications, and mobility pathways.
- High-level Australian delegation with top VCs and regulators explores student mobility, joint research, vocational training, and digital learning, aiming to expand the bilateral education ecosystem.
India and Australia reiterated their commitment to deeper cooperation in education and skill development during the 3rd Australia-India Education and Skills Council Meeting, held in New Delhi, as Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan met his Australian counterpart Jason Clare. The high-level dialogue hosted by India reflected the deepening strategic partnership between India and Australia in the fields of higher education, research, skill development, and academic mobility.
Pradhan was joined by Minister of Skill Development Jayant Chaudhary in leading the Indian delegation, while Jason Clare arrived in Delhi with a strong Australian contingent that included Immigration and Citizenship Minister Andrew Giles and Assistant Minister for Education Julian Hill.
The meeting forms a strategic platform for advancing the bilateral education agenda and growing institutional partnerships. The fast-expanding presence of Australian universities in India is very much on the agenda. So far, seven Australian institutions have announced their intentions to establish campuses around the country under India's new regulatory framework for foreign universities. Both countries are likely to review progress, examine regulatory pathways, and look at ways to speed up the implementation process.
Strengthening academic alignment between the two countries remains a key focus, particularly in the areas of teacher education and early childhood education qualifications. Both India and Australia have been working toward harmonization of standards to facilitate mobility of educators and mutual recognition of qualifications.
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The ministers are also set to discuss emerging opportunities in innovative education delivery systems, including blended learning models, skill-based training frameworks, and digital credentialing-those areas that have become central to the education reforms underway in both countries.
Australia hailed India as one of its most important education partners. In its statement, its Ministry of Education said AIESC remains a key driver in framing the bilateral cooperation and strengthening the education, research and skills ecosystem in both countries. Jason Clare's accompanying delegation reflects Australia's strong interest in deepening academic and institutional linkages.
It includes vice-chancellors from UNSW, the University of Western Australia, Flinders University, Western Sydney University and James Cook University, along with senior officials from TEQSA, Jobs and Skills Australia, ASQA and ACARA. During the visit, Australian ministers, university heads and regulators will hold discussions with their Indian counterparts on new initiatives in student mobility, joint research, vocational training, industry-integrated programs, and regulatory cooperation.
The talks are positioned to lay the groundwork for a significantly expanded education partnership that will support India's ambitions in skilling its youth and Australia's goals of strengthening its global education footprint.
