O P Jindal Global University
O P Jindal Global University signs agreements with seven New South Wales universities
India and Australia strengthen education connections
Sydney and New Delhi, Friday, 6 December 2019 — India and Australia will today cement stronger ties in education when India’s O. P. Jindal Global University (JGU) and seven New South Wales universities sign collaborative agreements at Government House in Sydney in the presence of the State Governor.
The seven separate memorandums of understanding (MOUs) come as the governments of Australia and India seek to build the foundations for deeper educational links, and follows the visit to India last month by Federal Education Minister Hon Dan Tehan MP.
The seven MOUs are with:
- University of Sydney
- Macquarie University
- Western Sydney University (WSU)
- University of New South Wales Law School (UNSW)
- University of New England Law School (UNE)
- University of Newcastle (UON)
- University of Technology Sydney (UTS)
The partnerships with WSU and UNE will enable students to undertake exchange opportunities at JGU and vice versa.
The partnerships with Sydney, Macquarie, UTS and UON encourage faculty members and researchers to undertake exchanges as well as carry out joint research and teaching while also aiming to catalyse collaboration in joint publications, as well as creating international opportunities for students.
The partnership with UNSW Law School will focus on building stronger pathways for PhDs in Australia for aspiring Indian academics.
JGU founding vice chancellor C. Raj Kumar said:
“Our commitment to strengthening Australia-India relationship goes beyond education. India and Australia share values of democracy, pluralism and the rule of law. As the youngest university to break into the QS World University Rankings, the signing of the memorandums of understanding reflect the JGU’s genuine commitment to fostering partnerships of mutually beneficial value with leading global universities.”
A delegation led by Professor C. Raj Kumar is visiting Australia this week as part of JGU’s larger vision to establish strong international collaborations with universities around the world.
The Australian visit coincides with JGU’s tenth anniversary and a commitment since its founding to developing strong Australia-India linkages. Professor Kumar said collaboration in higher education not only strengthened institutional ties, but also bridged the gap between Australia and India.
“These partnerships will create stronger people-to-people linkages and research collaborations between students and faculty in India and Australia. This can only be a good thing for both nations,” he said.
The university already has more than a dozen MOUs with Australian universities as well as bodies such as law firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth and the Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department.
JGU is also home to the Centre for India Australia Studies (CIAS), the first and only centre embedded in an Indian higher education institution that is focused on the India-Australia bilateral relationship. CIAS is led by Australian academic Associate Professor of Law Shaun Star, Associate Dean of Jindal Global Law School at JGU.
According to CIAS Director Prof. Shaun Star:
“As the first and only Centre for India-Australia Studies housed in an Indian university, CIAS aims to inspire the next generation of Australian and Indian students to learn about and embrace the opportunities in each country and to contribute to the enduring partnership between the two nations. CIAS is working towards developing an Australian imagination in India and an Indian intellectual presence in Australia.”
As part of the vision of the CIAS, JGU will be hosting more than 100 Australian students in India in 2020, for various India Immersion Programmes.
/Public Release.
