VC showcases CQUniversity impact in India during leadership delegation

CQUniversity’s longstanding relationship with India has been showcased as part of Vice-Chancellor Nick Klomp’s tour of the country alongside Education Minister Jason Clare last week.

The visit, part of an official delegation of 12 Australian higher education leaders, is part of a growing effort to emphasise the important education and research linkages between the two nations.

“Australia’s relationship with India is an important one and education has been a fundamental pillar of that relationship for more than half a century,” Professor Klomp said.

“Today there are more than 450 formal partnerships between Australian and Indian universities and almost 1.6 million enrolments from Indian students in Australian universities since 2005 – approximately 17 per cent of current international students in Australia are from India.

“At CQUniversity, more than 1,500 current students are from India and we also have just over 17,000 Indian alumni.

“These students make significant contributions to our university and our regions and there are many examples of these students realising great success because of their studies with CQUniversity.”

During the visit, Minister Clare signed a historic Mechanism of the Recognition of Australian and Indian Qualifications that will lock in rules for mutual recognition of university qualifications across the two countries. It is expected that this development will help to boost Indian participation in higher education programs delivered by Australian institutions, including CQUniversity.

As part of the delegation Professor Klomp was also able to showcase student and research success stories with ties to India and said that the University was dedicated to establishing more partnerships with organisations, students and alumni in the country.

Professor Klomp said the signing of the Mechanism of Recognition would provide Australian universities, especially those with a proven track record of online delivery with new opportunities.

“The signing of the Mechanism of the Recognition is a positive step forward," he said.

“It will allow Australian universities to diversify their offerings and create new partnerships with organisations from India to provide education and training services to satisfy emerging industry and workforce needs.

“CQUniversity is looking forward to further exploring potential opportunities in the region and leveraging our experience and reputation when it comes to online learning and teaching and learner engagement.”

Another key part of the itinerary was a visit to the Salaam Baalak Trust (SBT), a not-for-profit, non-government organisation that provides support services for street and working children in Delhi and the National Capital Region.

CQUniversity has provided support for the SBT for the past decade, including providing financial support for programs and scholarships for students.

During the visit to SBT, Minister Clare met with current SBT students as well as former students who had been awarded scholarships by CQUniversity to study a university program in India. The Minister also gifted the SBT with a cricket bat signed by the Australian Cricket team.