India and Australia have taken a significant step forward in higher education cooperation, as the University of New South Wales (UNSW) has secured approval to establish a campus in India.
The agreement was reached during the third meeting of the Australia–India Education and Skills Council (AIESC) held in New Delhi from December 8 to December 9, Shiksha reports.
Under this agreement, the University Grants Commission (UGC), India’s higher education regulator, is expected to issue a formal Letter of Intent to UNSW, paving the way for its operations in India.
At the AIESC meeting, officials from both countries reviewed ongoing collaborations in education, skills and research, and explored new areas such as early childhood education, teacher training, curriculum development and student mobility.
In addition, about ten new research collaborations under India’s SPARC (Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration) programme are expected to be announced, covering fields like advanced manufacturing, sustainability and healthcare innovation. These partnerships aim to deepen academic ties between Indian and Australian institutions.
This move is part of both India and Australia’s efforts to boost academic and research collaboration. On Saturday, December 6, the Government of Telangana and Australia’s Deakin University inked an MoU to set up a one-of-its-kind Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Similarly, the University of Western Australia and Victoria University have also recently announced that their Indian campuses will start operations in 2026.
