Hello, everyone!
I’m absolutely thrilled to have you all here at the 2023 Annual Oration of our institute.
Main aap sabhi ka hardik swagat karti hu.
It’s genuinely heartwarming to connect once again across the miles for this incredible event, set in such a gorgeous venue. And personally, I couldn’t be happier to be back in India.
Today, we have the pleasure of welcoming The Hon. Jason Clare MP, Australia’s Minister for Education, who is delivering this year’s oration tonight. He’ll shine a spotlight on Australia’s educational strengths and share his vision for how education can serve as a catalyst for nation-building and strengthening Australia-India relations.
Thank you, Minister, it’s great to have you here with us.
Our Institute’s Annual Oration began in 2016 in New Delhi with the aim of bringing our two countries closer.
Over time, the oration has featured notable speakers discussing ways to strengthen the bonds between our nations.
Their insights have reached a broad audience, including government officials, business leaders, educators, scholars, journalists, members of civil society, and not to mention students.
This year’s Oration, as Minister Clare will explain, focuses on “Education as a Catalyst for Nation-Building and Australia-India Relations”. It has been a remarkable year for our education partnership, characterized by increased momentum, deeper engagement, and a strong commitment to education, often considered the flagship sector.
It has been wonderful to see both Deakin University and the University of Wollongong establish campuses in India, becoming the first two foreign universities to have an International Branch Campus in India.
The establishment of these campuses serves as a leading example of innovative partnerships between Australia and India, and highlight the commitment of Australian providers to support implementation of India’s National Education Policy.
Similarly, VET initiatives such as the International Automobile Centre of Excellence (iACE), a partnership between Australia’s Kangan Institute, the Government of Gujarat and Maruti Suzuki – is indicative of the progress Australian education providers have made. Delivering automotive courses and industry-led automotive teacher training programs to 3000 Indian students at a time.
The Mechanism for the Mutual Recognition of Qualifications between Australia and India, signed just this March, is a big deal. It represents a marrying Australian and Indian qualification standard.
And then, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Australia in May, we saw some exciting news – the signing of the MATES pilot program under the Migration and Mobility Partnership Arrangement (MMPA). This program is all about offering 3000 recent Indian graduates and young professionals in fields like renewable energy, mining, engineering, and IT.
Our Australia India Institute has been doing its part to strengthen the educational bonds between our two nations. One of the exciting initiatives we’ve taken this year is launching the Australia Researcher Cooperation Hub – India or the ARCH India Platform.
Through ARCH India, we’ve been running the Australia India Research Students (AIRS) Fellowship We’ve already supported 63 Australian and Indian research students and post-doctoral scholars, and guess what? Five of those amazing fellows are right here with us tonight.
But that’s not all; the ARCH-India platform was also the vehicle for promoting the Australia-India Unnati Research Collaboration Grants. These grants, funded by the Australian Department of Education, offered up to $30,000 to Australian researchers for collaborating with their Indian peers.
More broadly, the Australia-India relationship has skyrocketed through our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and more recently with the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement, to see cooperation across a range of critical areas, including security and defence ties, greater trade and economic integration, stronger education partnerships, climate cooperation, energy and science collaboration, investment into critical minerals and emerging technologies, and the strengthening of our people-to-people ties.
At the Institute, our mission is simple – to increase the policy and public importance of India as a crucial partner in Australia’s future, and of Australia as a crucial partner in India’s future.
And I think it’s fair to say that few relationships have undergone such a dramatic transformation in the last decade, and few have greater bipartisan support back home in Canberra.
The work we do – which includes publishing policy briefs, articles, reports, journals and thought pieces, convening strategic dialogues such as the Australia India Leadership Dialogue, recording webinars and podcasts with experts in their fields, and hosting high-level ministerial visits – is all aimed at forging a stronger and more enduring partnership, as both countries adapt to contemporary realities and changing dynamics in the Indo-Pacific region.
I will take this opportunity to say we are very excited to be hosting the sixth annual Australia India Leadership Dialogue in Melbourne this year. Along with our principal corporate partner Atlassian, this year’s Dialogue will incubate conversations around four key sessions, which include:
- Skills for Success: Revolutionising the Job Market in the Digital Age
- The Clean Energy Transition: Decarbonising Towards Net Zero
- Bridges of Bharosa: Security Cooperation in a Contested World
- Tryst between Identities: The Convergence of Technology and Culture
On a personal level, coming back to India is always an exhilarating experience for me. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you. Your presence and dedication to our shared mission to strengthen Australia-India relations through education and cooperation is truly inspiring.
The milestones we’ve achieved, from the establishment of international branch campuses to groundbreaking partnerships, are testament to our commitment. Together, we’ve witnessed historic agreements and innovative initiatives that solidify the bonds between our nations.
As we carry on, let’s build on our commitment to education, foster innovation, and together, pave the path to a brighter future.