Vice-Chancellor welcomes Prime Minister Modi to Australia

Professor Scott joined other Australian business leaders in welcoming Prime Minister Modi to Australia at the Business Roundtable hosted by the Australia Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) and the Indian High Commission earlier today.

Prime Minister Modi met with the small group of Australian business leaders to drive further Australia’s growing trade and investment relationship with India. The meeting follows Professor Scott’s recent trips to India, including as part of a delegation of Australian higher education leaders in February this year, and comes as the University deepens its ties to India.

“There is no sector in India with greater promise for Australia than education. The Modi Government’s National Education Policy has a target to get 50 percent of young Indian students into higher education and vocational education by 2035 and Australia can play a key role in that ambition,” said Professor Scott.

“Every time I visit India I am struck by the incredible synergies between our two countries and the opportunities to work together on our shared challenges.

“It is wonderful to have Prime Minister Modi here in Australia again to further strengthen the relationship between our two nations.

“As Australia’s first University we recognise the nation’s vital importance to Australia’s higher education sector and we are on track to make a record number of offers in our Semester 2 intake to students from India.”

Professor Scott spoke to Prime Minister Modi about the University’s rising intake of students from India and its new Sydney Scholars India Equity Scholarship, created for exceptional students residing in the slum communities of Delhi and awarded in collaboration with Asha India, a not-for-profit organisation. 

“The Sydney Scholars India Equity Scholarship reflects the importance of our educational ties with India and was recently awarded to Sumit, who we are delighted to have with us now studying a Master of Public Policy,” Professor Scott said. 

“Created for remarkable students, Sumit is the first in his family to go to university and plans to return to India and ‘pay it forward’. Sumit is one of many students from India who we welcome into our community – these are the students who will be our future leaders and help address the world’s most complex challenges,” said Professor Scott.

Professor Scott spoke to Prime Minister Modi and Roundtable about the University’s multidisciplinary research engagement with India, in particular in our strong areas of collaboration in Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Physical Sciences, Engineering and Health Sciences.

He also discussed the University’s recent agreement with the Public Health Foundation of India, a not-for-profit public-private initiative working towards a healthier India which aims to advance public health education, training, research and advocacy. 

“We know that the best way to solve some of our global problems is to get the brightest minds together and, through our multidisciplinary research partnerships with leading Indian institutions, we are helping to address India’s greatest challenges,” Professor Scott said.

“In a year where we are celebrating the centenary of welcoming the first international student to our campus and at a time when international collaboration is more important than ever, we are delighted to see our relationship with India continue to evolve and develop.”