Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan discussed opportunities for increasing educational collaboration between India and Australia with Australian Education Minister Jason Clare. In bilateral talks, early childhood education and increasing teachers' skills were mutual priority areas, and the school twinning scheme is also under consideration.
Pradhan emphasized that education is central to the India-Australia partnership, saying the goal is to transform India’s education system into a competency-based framework focusing on skill development, as outlined in India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Australia’s Ministry of Education highlighted the significance of the discussions in a statement.
The two leaders agreed to further strengthen institutional ties between Indian and Australian higher education institutions, particularly in critical and emerging technologies. They also explored the possibility of establishing branch campuses of Australian universities in India, aiming to foster greater collaboration.
During his visit, Pradhan delivered the plenary session at the Australian International Education Conference, where he spoke about the transformative impact of NEP 2020 on India’s education landscape. He underscored the enduring India-Australia relationship and the strides made in education cooperation driven by the NEP framework.
Pradhan posted on his social media handle that, “The establishment of Australian university campuses in India is just the beginning there’s much more we can achieve together. We can advance knowledge, leverage technology to tackle global challenges, and create limitless opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship for students”.
He further stressed India’s commitment to fostering human-centric development. “As a ‘Vishwa-Bandhu’, India is committed to building and nurturing global citizens and shaping a brighter future for the next generation”, Pradhan’s post read.
Jason Clare also shared a gesture of camaraderie by gifting Pradhan a personalized jersey bearing the name ‘Pradhan’ and the number 20. Clare posted a video on social media handle with the caption, 'Mateship and Maitri!' celebrating the warm ties between the two nations.
Before visiting Australia, Pradhan discussed improving bilateral cooperation in school education, vocational training, and research with Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. They pointed to the desire to build a robust partnership on three pillars: Talent, Resource, and Market.
