Thursday, 23 March 2023

Ministers statements: Deakin University India campus

Gayle TIERNEY (Western Victoria – Minister for Training and Skills, Minister for Higher Education, Minister for Agriculture) (12:22): I am pleased to update the chamber on Victorian universities leading the world in expanding to new frontiers. This month our own Deakin University vice-chancellor Professor Iain Martin and the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese officially announced the establishment of the GIFT campus in India. This is the first university in the world to open an international teaching campus in India. Deakin has had a presence in India since 1994, and this has facilitated strong collaboration on research, education and training. Set to open in 2024, the same year Deakin celebrates its 50th anniversary and 30 years in India, the international campus will deliver job-ready graduates to meet India’s soaring skills and labour demands and bolster Deakin’s commitment to providing a world-class education and learning experience for students around the globe.

Professor Martin said Deakin’s approach was ‘in India, with India, for India’ and that as the university prepared to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2024, opening a new India campus marked an exciting chapter for the university. Deakin vice-president of global alliances and CEO South Asia Ms Pawha said that the momentous occasion for Australia and India could not be surpassed. The new campus aims to provide a world-class postgraduate education to meet industry’s skilled workforce demands within the country. The India campus will provide better opportunities for local students who cannot afford to travel and live in Australia to study. I congratulate Deakin University on this world-first achievement and look forward to hearing about the many achievements of Indian Deakin graduates.