Edu-leaders

India and Australia have announced the launch of an education council to strengthen exchanges between the two nations.

"We decided to start the India-Australia education council last year in April. We are launching it today," Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said after meeting the Australian Tertiary Education Minister Chris Evans in New Delhi.

A meeting of vice chancellors from about 30 universities from the two countries was also held in New Delhi on Sunday.

"We are looking forward to expand the relations and increase the people-to-people, and institution-to-institution contact," Evans said.

The university-level collaboration would include degree recognition, credit transfer, and collaboration in postgraduate and research programmes.

Asked about the issue of safety of Indian students in Australia, Evans said special steps have been taken for that.

"We did have some issues, but now the students express high satisfaction," he said.

The minister said the problems occurred "partially due to the fact that the students were exposed to social conditions which left them exposed to crime".

Asked about the fake universities luring students, the Australian minister said legislations have been passed to prevent that.

Source: igovernment