Studying in Australia vs studying in universities of Australia: Growing options for Indian students
As reported by The Indian Express in February, Deakin University and Wollongong University from Australia are the first foreign universities that have announced their IBCs in India at GIFT City.
Dr Monica Kennedy in Ahmedabad on Thursday. Express
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With two Australian universities setting up their first international branch campuses (IBCs) at GIFT City in Gandhinagar, the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) sees it as an opportunity amid a growing number of Indian students eyeing institutions from the country.
As reported by The Indian Express in February, Deakin University and Wollongong University from Australia are the first foreign universities that have announced their IBCs in India at GIFT City. “Deakin University has been here for more than 30 years. You see the recognition of Deakin in India even though it did not have a campus. Once it has a campus, it will further raise the stature of the varsity. Australian universities have seen that with their transnational campuses elsewhere in the world, be it Singapore, Dubai, Malaysia, or Vietnam, the stature of the universities is lifted and they are able to get into institutional collaborations and student recruitments,” Dr Monica Kennedy, Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner, Austrade, told The Indian Express on Thursday.
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Speaking on the sidelines of an announcement for the ‘Study in Australia’ roadshow in Ahmedabad on September 7, Dr Kennedy, who is also Minister-Counsellor Commercial, said the campaign and the move by Australian varsity “are mutually exclusive (events), and not competitive…, they really work well together.” Adding that the number of students in India looking to get international qualifications is growing fast, she further said, “Having a campus here gives students just another set of opportunities and choices to have an international qualification. The two sets of students — those who want an international experience in another country for the full time, and others who want to have an international qualification but would like to be at home — may want an exposure trip and may go for around two weeks to a year in Australia. But they would be able to move seamlessly between the courses offered here in India and in Australia.”
“We also know that universities that have a presence in a place, they are able to engage better both with institutions and potential students,” she added.
Deakin University will be offering two postgraduate courses in GIFT City – Masters in Cybersecurity (professional) and Masters in Business Analytics — with an intake of 60 students in each course from the academic session of June 2024. The University of Wollongong (UoW) plans to offer a Graduate Certificate in Computing and a Master of Computing in the Finance domain in 2024.
On the treatment of student visas as a passage for migration to Australia by Indian students, she said, “It is pretty clear from the Department of Home Affairs that students who apply for a study visa on the basis of hope to secure migration will not be successful in getting a student visa… the two are quite separate. What we explicitly say is that we don’t allow a student visa to be applied for as a path to migration. A student visa is for a genuine temporary entrance.”
As per the Austrade figures, between January and May, Australia has recorded the arrival of 47,750 students from India while 70,000 arrived last year and more than 1 lakh students are enrolled in Australian universities at present.
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Of a total of 43 universities in Australia, 26 along with government representatives of Australian states and territories, departments of education, and home affairs will participate in the September 7 roadshow
Ritu Sharma is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express' Gujarat bureau, an editorial position that reflects her experience and Authority in regional journalism. With over a decade of concentrated reporting experience, she is a highly Trustworthy and specialized journalist, especially noted for her Expertise in the education sector across Gujarat and previously Chandigarh.
Expertise
Primary Authority (Education): With over ten years of dedicated reporting on education in both Gujarat and Chandigarh, Ritu Sharma is a foremost authority on educational policy, institutional governance, and ground realities from "KG to PG." Her coverage includes:
Higher Education: In-depth scrutiny of top institutions like IIM-Ahmedabad (controversies over demolition/restoration of heritage architecture), IIT-Bombay (caste discrimination issues), and new initiatives like international branch campuses in GIFT City.
Schooling & Policy: Detailed coverage of government schemes (Gyan Sadhana School Voucher Scheme), the implementation and impact of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, teacher recruitment issues, and the impact of national policies like the NEP.
Student Welfare: Reporting on critical issues such as suicide allegations due to caste discrimination, and the challenges faced by students (e.g., non-delivery of NAMO tablets). ... Read More
