India and Australia will establish a taskforce to develop qualifications recognition arrangements between both the countries, allow students from one country to easily go to study in the other, and explore possibility of offshore campuses.
The taskforce, announced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia, “will address the recognition of online and blended learning, joint degrees and offshore campuses”.
Acting Minister for Education and Youth Australia Stuart Robert said on March 21 that the taskforce would consult with stakeholders to “identify opportunities for the recognition of Australian and Indian higher education qualifications, and to make recommendations to improve arrangements based on best principles and practices in recognition”.
Minister Robert said Australia has a longstanding and strong relationship with India across education, skills and research and the task force will pave the way for new opportunities for graduates of both India and Australia to use their qualifications.
“This collaboration will serve both countries by expanding cooperation in education, and optimising mobility outcomes for Australian and Indian students and graduates, and our education institutions. Improved qualifications recognition arrangements will also underpin trade in professional services between Australia and India,” the Australian embassy said in a statement.
For Indian students, Australia is a key study abroad destination, and India is increasingly looking to internationalise its campuses and here it believes Australia can play a key role through student exchange, inward student mobility, twining arrangements, joint projects among many such initiatives.
The initiative will support implementation of the Australian Strategy for International Education 2021-2030, which strengthens bilateral education cooperation on the recognition of Australian qualifications to support sustainable growth of Australia’s high quality education services offshore.
The taskforce will deliver a mechanism for expanding education qualification recognition between Australia and India by the end of the year, with implementation to take place in 2023. “‘Education remains key to the bilateral relationship between Australia and India,” minister Robert said.
