ARCHIVED MEDIA RELEASE
PA/22/2003 24 October 2003
Engaging India through education, science and training
The following is a statement issued today by the Australian Minister for Education, Science and Training, Dr Brendan Nelson MP, following his visit to India on 23 October 2003.
Australia's education, science and training relationships with India have been strengthened, with the signing of two agreements creating significant new opportunities for exchange and collaboration.
I am pleased to announce, that while in India, I co-signed an agreement with Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, Minister for Human Resource Development and Minister for Science and Technology, for an education exchange program on cooperation in education and training, and renewed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in science and technology between the Governments of India and Australia.
I am confident these two agreements will develop and guide Australia's important engagement with India in the fields of education, science and technology, and training which play a crucial role in Australia's overall bilateral relations with India.
I look forward to these arrangements in invigorating the important Australia-India relationship and facilitating institution to institution linkages, students/staff exchanges and research collaboration.
These types of activities will underpin the themes of my recently released Ministerial Statement on international education, Engaging The World Through Education.
There are currently 12,000 Indian higher education students studying in Australia, mainly in post-graduate studies. India is a significant partner country for Australia in terms of international education.
The expansion of education, science and training activities will strengthen Australia's overall bilateral relationship with one of our most important neighbours.
For further details, please contact Mr Quentin Stevenson-Perks, Counsellor (Education and Training), Australian High Commission, New Delhi, on telephone 26888223, ext. 256 .