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Education Plus
Australian varsities turn to Tamil Nadu
ANANTH KRISHNAN
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Students from Tamil Nadu await an exciting learning experience in Australia as many varsities Down Under are keen on forging research alliance with local universities.
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Australian universities are making a concerted attempt to woo the best and brightest students in Tamil Nadu’s universities. Last week, a delegation comprising four Australian universities — Flinders University, Carnegie Mellon, University of South Australia and Adelaide University — was in Chennai, holding discussions with local universities to explore tie-ups with regard to exchange programmes for students and research alliances.
Exchange programme
Adelaide-based Flinders University will shortly launch an exchange programme that will give students in Madras Christian College a unique opportunity to study in Australia — the university already has agreements in place with the University of Madras and MCC for research collaboration. “Next year, funding will be in place for four MCC students to study in Australia and two of our students to come to Chennai,” Dean Forbes, Vice-President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Flinders University, told The Hindu Education Plus. “MCC has already arranged for a public health student from Adelaide to study in Chennai. With the sister-state relationship between Tamil Nadu and South Australia, we are looking to enhance our links here.”
MoU signed
The University of South Australia signed a Memorandum of Understanding with PSG College, Coimbatore, on March 17 that will allow students from PSG to take up pilot training programmes in Australia. The MoU will allow PSG graduates to take a one-year course in aviation training and even obtain their pilot licences in Australia.
Universities from Down Under are particularly keen on developing research programmes with local universities. Flinders University works with MCC on public health initiatives and helps fund programmes in this area, including rehabilitation work in four tsunami-affected villages. The university now also has a research agreement with Christian Medical College, Vellore. Senior research professors from the university have set up a fund to support oral rehydration therapy studies at CMC, and academics from the university will be visiting Vellore later in the year.
Recruitment
Australian universities are also looking to recruit Tamil Nadu students, particularly in areas like Information Technology and Biotechnology. American university Carnegie Mellon, one of the world’s leading technology institutes and traditionally a popular destination for Indian IT students in the United States, opened its first ever foreign campus in Adelaide.
“We are here to let prospective students in Chennai learn more about our programmes, and we are also hoping to expand our relationships with local universities and IT companies,” Tim Zak, Executive Director, Carnegie Mellon’s Heinz School, said. The university offers three programmes at the postgraduate level in its Adelaide campus in IT, public policy management and entertainment technology.
“These programmes are our top-ranked programmes in the U.S.,” Mr. Zak said. Representatives from Carnegie Mellon held a number of meetings with local universities and IT companies like Satyam last week. The university is looking to forge alliances with the corporate sector in Chennai to develop programmes in applied research and executive education as well.
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