fbpx
Market intelligence for international student recruitment from ICEF
23rd Mar 2022

Australia and India moving toward mutual recognition of higher education qualifications

Short on time? Here are the highlights:
  • The governments of India and Australia have announced that they are setting up a taskforce to establish a framework for the mutual recognition of qualifications
  • The framework is expected to be in place by 2023
  • The goal is to increase bilateral student mobility and the announcement will increase Australia’s competitiveness in the key Indian market

The governments of Australia and India have agreed to begin work on a new framework for the mutual recognition of higher education qualifications, which will provide Australian educators with an even stronger offer in one of their top sending markets.

Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson welcomed the announcement and said that Australian universities will be ready to help the government where needed in the development of the framework. She said:

“India is one of Australia’s key partners in international education, with more than 90,000 Indian higher education students studying in Australia prior to the pandemic. [It] remains our second largest source of international students in 2022, accounting for more than 16% of our student visa holders. This is an important and positive step forward, and Universities Australia looks forward to progress in achieving mutual qualification recognition.”

Ms Jackson expressed her hope that microcredentials will be included in the new framework, noting that “the bite-sized credentials are critical to upskill and reskill, and would be central to India’s push for 29 million more skilled workers by 2030.”

Apart from microcredentials, the mutual recognition of other less traditional forms of education delivery will be part of the work of the Indian-Australian taskforce assigned setting up the framework, including “online and blended learning, joint degrees and offshore campuses.”

The taskforce will use the remainder of 2022 to complete the framework, and by 2023, the system for the bilateral recognition of degrees should be in place.

Two-way mobility

The mutual recognition of degrees by Australia and India is expected not only to boost Indian enrolments in Australian institutions but also encourage Australian students to go to India to complete their degrees. Times Higher Education reports that Pawan Luthra, chief executive of Sydney’s Indian Link newspaper, envisages “graduating engineers [who] might decide to undertake final-year studies at an Indian Institute of Technology, “one of the premier educational institutions in the world.”

Impact on the competitive landscape

The announcement will doubtlessly increase the competitiveness of Australian recruiters in India. Currently, India is most important student market for Canada and the second-most important market for the US and UK after China.

Australia has been rapidly introducing new policies to recapture its market share among leading study abroad destinations, including extending working hours for international students and offering visa application fee refunds during specified periods of time. Tens of thousands of international students have returned to the country since border restrictions were lifted in December 2021.

For additional background, please see:

Most Recent

  • What is happening with Indian enrolments abroad this year? Read More
  • ICEF Podcast: How are schools and agents adapting to rising visa rejection rates? Read More
  • Full-year data highlights decline in foreign enrolment in UK universities in 2023/24 Read More

Most Popular

  • Which countries will contribute the most to global student mobility in 2030? Read More
  • Research shows link between study abroad and poverty alleviation  Read More
  • Beyond the Big Four: How demand for study abroad is shifting to destinations in Asia and Europe Read More

Because you found this article interesting

What is happening with Indian enrolments abroad this year? Just a couple of years ago, Indian students were flocking to a number of attractive study abroad destinations,...
Read more
Full-year data highlights decline in foreign enrolment in UK universities in 2023/24 For the first time in ten years, the total number of students enrolled in UK universities fell in...
Read more
Analysis shows impact of immigration settings on international tuition fees at Australian universities Keri Ramirez, managing director of sector data specialist Studymove, hosted a fascinating webinar recently that looked at the...
Read more
US: Trump administration actions creating an uncertain outlook for international students So far this year, research indicates that international students still have a mainly positive view of study in...
Read more
Germany recovers an 8x return on investment in international students A new analysis from the German Economic Institute (IW), and commissioned by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD),...
Read more
New Zealand resource aims to connect prospective international students with qualified agents Faced with an ever-more complex international student recruiting environment, many educational institutions are becoming more strategic and selective...
Read more
Asian universities continue to rise in latest QS subject rankings The 15th annual edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject was released today. While it still...
Read more
International degree graduates of Canadian colleges no longer have to meet “field of study” requirements for post-study work permits Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has revised its requirements so that international students in degree programmes delivered...
Read more
What are you looking for?
Quick Links