Australia and India sign mutual recognition agreement on tertiary qualifications

Australia’s Minister for Education Jason Clare and India’s Minister of Education and Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship the Hon. Shri Dharmendra Pradhan have signed a mutual recognition agreement, paving the way for tertiary qualifications to have equal recognition in both countries. 

 

Government data shows that India is the single largest overseas market for Australia’s independent tertiary education providers, making the agreement a significant one for this portion of the vocational education and training sector. 

 

The Mechanism for the Mutual Recognition of Qualifications is India’s most comprehensive education agreement of its type with another country, and means that an Indian student can be sure that a degree they obtain from an Australian university will be recognised if they want to continue higher education in India.

 

For both Indian and Australian institutions, the mechanism opens a range of possibilities to develop flexible and innovative partnerships between the two countries in sectors including early childhood education and care (ECEC). 

 

Ministers Pradhan and Clare also reaffirmed their commitment to establish an Australia India Working Group on Transnational Partnerships to further opportunities for greater institutional collaboration.

 

The working group is expected to report to Ministers at the next Australia India Education and Skills Council meeting later this year.

 

In addition to the Mechanism for the Mutual Recognition of Qualifications, a further 11 memoranda of understandings were signed today between Australian and Indian education counterparts. These institutions are driving the bilateral cooperation between India and Australia across a wide range of fields.

 

“This agreement locks in the rules for mutual recognition to access education in both our countries, including the qualifications we provide online and offshore,” Minister Clare said. 

 

“Australia’s universities are well placed to contribute to India achieving its domestic education goals and to supporting the skills and employment needs of key Indian Industries.”

 

The agreement has been welcomed by the Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA), the peak body representing independent providers in the skills training, higher education, and international education sectors.

 

“This is a significant agreement for Australian independent skills training and higher education providers looking to support students wishing to study in Australia. It’s also great news for those providers wishing to deliver programs in India,” said ITECA Chief Executive Troy Williams.

 

Mr Williams was part of a small delegation of higher education leaders who accompanied Minister Clare to Delhi for a series of bilateral meetings with their Indian counterparts, including one in which the Ministers signed the agreement.