One in four people in the world will graduate from Indian universities by 2035, Australian Education Minister Jason Clare said on Wednesday.
The Australian minister, who is in India till March 3, visited Delhi University's Venkateshwara College and a Kendriya Vidyalaya in Delhi Cantonment.
"Many Australians who have been educated at the University of Delhi are now making a mark in the world. Australia is a different country today than what we were 50 years ago and that is because of education, and India will be a different country.
"It could mean that by 2035 due to New Education Policy one in four people all around the world will graduate from a university in India," he said.
Sharing details about the delegation he is leading, Clare said, "This is a high-powered delegation comprising educational policymakers and university administrative stakeholders that shall pave way for such collaborative tie-ups." "What happens in universities can change the world as the power of education is to do good, and to transform nations and lives of individuals," he said.
Clare said that Delhi University has signed memorandums of understanding with Australian universities, including the University of Wollongong, Macquarie University and Melbourne University.
"Tomorrow, 10 new MOUs will be signed. Such educational MoUs is the first step between the two countries which shall pave the way for setting up a mechanism for mutual recognition of professionalism too," he said.
The University of Wollongong's global brand ambassador and former Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist, who is also part of the delegation, stressed deepening the ties between India and Australia in the field of education.
"India, through its NEP can be the ground for future educational strategies and policies of the world. Knowledge, education and expertise are of mutual benefit and the youth of today are living windows of that future as education is the common passion between the two nations," he said.
His visit builds on Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's trip to Australia last year.
"India and Australia are deepening ties through two-way mobility to fulfil 21st-century aspirations. Education is the key to transformation. Therefore, education portfolio is the natural 'mother portfolio' of our dynamic partnership.
"Strengthening educational linkages will provide opportunities for students from both countries to learn and gain new experiences in diverse cultural settings, thereby truly upholding the values of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' or 'One Earth, One Family and One Future', which is also the theme of India's G20 Presidency," Mr Pradhan said.
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