Austria recently signed a new agreement with Indian higher education institutions to expand educational opportunities for engineering students. 

The agreement, signed by Austria's Ambassador to India, Katharina Wieser, and Joint Secretary of the Educational Ministry Armstrong Pame, connects Austria's finest technology universities with VFS Education Services.

The collaboration includes TU Wien (Vienna University of Technology), TU Graz (Graz University of Technology), and TU Leoben (The Technical University of Leoben).

Students from the ANABIN database-listed Indian colleges can study for a Master's degree in Austria through this scheme, India Today reports.

According to Ambassador Wieser, Austria connects research and industry, particularly in engineering, quantum physics, and artificial intelligence. She also mentioned that public universities are relatively inexpensive and well-supported by the government.

"Austria views higher education as significant for all. Low-cost does not translate into lower quality education," Wieser explained.

The programme provides two-year Master's degrees with job experience.

The curriculum includes metallurgy, biotechnology, circular engineering, computer science, artificial intelligence and robotics, sustainable technologies, industrial data science, and software engineering.

TU Leoben additionally provides specialised Bachelor's degrees in geo-energy engineering and circular engineering.

She also stated at the occasion that India's Gross Enrolment Ratio is under 30 per cent, while the country has more than 54 institutions ranked internationally.

Weiser also mentioned how Austria's courses might lure students who manage to get into Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and National Institutes of Technology (NITs).

There are more than 300 Master's seats between the three universities, and TU Leoben provides 15 Bachelor's seats.

The students pay tuition fees of 726.72 euros each semesterester and a further union fee of 25 euros. They are also required to pay other costs, including rent, visa, and travel by themselves.