Signing of MoU India and Australia on cooperation in the fields of education, training and research

No: --- Dated: Aug, 20 2015

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Australia on cooperation in the fields of education, training and research.

The costs of the cooperative activities under this MoU will be funded on mutually agreed terms and will be subject to availability of funds.

The MoU will help intensify existing partnerships between India and Australia in higher education & research, including technical and professional education, schools, vocational education and training and will open up new and innovative areas of cooperation.

The main objectives of this MoU, amongst other things, are:

i. Consideration of expansion of the Australia India Education Council membership from time to time to ensure appropriate representation from academia, policy makers and industry as required and agreed;

ii. Strengthening the policy dialogue and exchange in areas of mutual benefit, including qualification and quality frameworks and standards for education, research and training;

iii. Supporting mobility of students and faculty members through formal exchange programs, internships and other modalities;

iv. Improving credit transfer arrangements and work towards qualifications recognition between Australia and India;

v. Supporting and organizing professional development programmes for subject experts, educational administrators, faculty members and teachers;

vi. Encouraging twinning arrangements between institutions of higher learning and organisation of joint research programmes and publications;

vii. Encouraging research collaboration between institutions of higher learning to enlarge the scope for joint research, joint Ph. D. programmes and joint degrees;

viii. Sharing best practice education materials including research materials, publications, and educational literature;

ix. Supporting skills development through joint conferences, seminars, policy dialogue and technical cooperation in national standards development;

x. Strengthening communication for exchange of information on new policy initiatives and opportunities for development of education, training and research activities of both countries;

xi. Further develop bilateral programmes between institutions of educational excellence in technical, vocational, schools and higher education, subject to availability of funds; and

xii. Any other activity as mutually determined by both parties.