The Melbourne Global Centre in New Delhi launched last week by the University of Melbourne, a government-run institution in Australia, is aimed to underpin educational ties between India and Australia.

This Global Centre, according to the Varsity, is meant to be their “home” in India considering a “thriving Indian diaspora” on the land Down Under. According to the university, the centre is not designed as a traditional campus for Indian students seeking university degrees.

Non-degree programs at the core

Rather, it will provide specialised non-degree programs that will be aimed at providing professional development, skills enhancement, and career growth. In addition to these offerings, the university intends to establish robust international exchange programs that will be available for both students and faculty

Professor Sara Wills, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global, Culture and Engagement) told The Free Press Journal, “International exchange programs for staff and student mobility are one of the many exciting opportunities that will be discussed with partners at the Melbourne Global Centre. This will be done to promote cross-cultural interaction, academic collaboration, and global knowledge sharing across various disciplines.”

Building partnerships in India

The Centre will also be used to showcase education offerings available in Melbourne. Aspirants from India who wish to study in Australia can visit the centre and obtain information on the courses available at the University of Melbourne. However, rather than a student recruitment hub, the centre will be a place for the university to engage with partners across institutions, government, industry, alumni, and research in India.

“With Indian students being our third largest cohort of international students, and having a thriving and growing Indian diaspora in Melbourne, it makes sense for us to build a home in India,” Wills said.

The university informed that it has been formally partnering with Indian institutions for the past 16 years and the centre in Delhi aims to foster future long-term engagements within India. According to Wills, “The Melbourne Global Centre aims to enrich these partnerships, establishing a platform for our future of long-term, sustainable engagement with Indian industry and community.”

Providing new opportunities

The Melbourne Global Centre will provide opportunities to grow and scale the university’s current programs within India, many of which seek to support the lifelong learning journey of Indian students.

“As our central place for meeting and collaborating in India, the Melbourne Global Centre will support current program engagement, and enable new opportunities across our two countries. This may include student and staff exchange, workshops and panel discussions, joint PhD programs through the Melbourne India Postgraduate Academy (MIPA), right through to alumni mentoring and networking opportunities for our 1,400 alumni in India connecting into our 5,00,000 alumni globally,” said Wills.

Fostering intellectual exchange

The centre will serve as a platform for a diverse range of activities, including academic workshops, global forums, formal events, and research presentations. It will also facilitate collaboration meetings, hybrid student and alumni ceremonies, executive engagements, occasional lectures and media briefings. Additionally, the Centre will feature cultural performances, artistic exhibitions, and other prestigious events, fostering intellectual and creative exchange.