Education Minister Simon Birmingham is leading a 120-strong education delegation to India with Malcolm Turnbull’s first official visit to India as Prime Minister.
The number of Indian students studying in Australia is booming and the delegation is looking to boost this number further with many Indian students now shying away from the US - the top choice of Indians for higher education.
Australia is the second most preferred international education destination for Indian students across the vocational, higher education and school sectors.
Fairfax Media reports that in January, the number of Indian students studying in Australia crossed 45,000- the fastest growing source for the Australian education sector after the enrollments halved following alleged race-related attacks on Indian students between 2008 and 2010.
But, India says racial attacks on Indian students weren't an issue anymore.
Jaideep Mazumdar, the bureaucrat responsible for Australian affairs in India’s foreign ministry, the Indian government no longer had concerns about the safety of Indian students in Australia.
"The Australian government has been extremely proactive with us when we have taken it up with them," Fairfax Media quoted Mr Mazumdar as saying.
Brexit and the recent reported incidents of violence against Indians in the US have dampened the interest of Indian students in studying in the UK and the US, which many believe may be Australia’s gain.
“We are really proud that Australia is the second most popular destination for the Indian students who choose to study abroad with more than 78,000 enrolments last year generating economic dividends of more than $2 billion,” said Senator Birmingham.
“Australia is willing and well-placed to help India with its education aspiration, including its goal of upskilling 400 million people by 2022.”
Education Minister Simon Birmingham said on this mission the delegation, among other things, will emphasise on the message that Australia is a safe destination for Indian students.
“We are committed to providing Indian students who choose to study in Australia with a high-quality and a safe place to study when they visit,” he added.
“This visit underscores the priority the Australian Government places on strengthening Education relationship with India,” Minister Birmingham said.
India is the second largest source of student enrolments in Australia, contributing $2.5 billion annually to the international education sector. Last year, nearly 11 per cent of over 700,000 international students in Australia were from India.
Text: Shamsher Kainth
