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UNSW set to open India campus after Australia-India education council meeting
The meeting also announced 10 new India-Australia research projects under SPARC in areas including AI, quantum technologies
The University of New South Wales (UNSW) received a Letter of Intent (LOI) on Monday to set up a campus in India, marking a major step in the expanding higher-education partnership between India and Australia. The announcement came during the 3rd Australia-India Education and Skills Council (AIESC) meeting in New Delhi.
Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan and skill development minister Jayant Chaudhary co-chaired the meeting with Australian education minister Jason Clare, skills and training minister Andrew Giles, and assistant minister for international education Julian Hill.
The UNSW LoI adds to four similar letters issued earlier this year to La Trobe University, Victoria University, Western Sydney University and the University of Western Australia, taking the tally to seven Australian universities cleared to operate eight campuses in India.
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Pradhan said the meeting helped take forward cooperation from “pre-school to PhD”, with a focus on early childhood education, teacher training, sports integration in schools, technology adoption, and preparing students for emerging sectors including AI, semiconductors, advanced materials, MedTech, energy and sustainability. He also pushed for expanding hackathons at school and higher-education levels to address real-world problems.
Chaudhary noted that the Mutual Recognition of Qualifications framework and the skills-mapping mechanism were creating functional mobility pathways, particularly in areas like agriculture, and said similar models could be applied to new sectors. He added that both sides had identified sports as a priority for collaboration, with major global events scheduled in the coming years.
Clare said the partnership strengthened opportunities for students in both countries. Giles underlined the growing alignment in training needs, while Hill said Australian institutions setting up campuses in India reflected the depth of current engagement.
The meeting also announced 10 new India-Australia research projects under SPARC in areas including AI, quantum technologies, biodiversity, MedTech, sustainability and space, with funding of ₹9.84 crore.
Several MoUs and LoIs were exchanged, covering agritech innovation, marine sciences, disaster resilience, mining, teacher professional development, global job readiness and priority skill sectors. These include partnerships involving James Cook University and the Odisha government, Deakin University with CII and IIT Roorkee, Western Sydney University with Andhra Pradesh, and Monash University with Uttar Pradesh.
Australia invited Pradhan for the 4th AIESC meeting, with both sides agreeing on a tighter delivery-focused timeline for outcomes.
