In India, with India, for India: Deakin to open world-first campus
Deakin will become the first university in the world to open an international teaching campus in India.
The state-of-the-art campus in the heart of the smart business district GIFT City (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City) will give students access to future-ready Deakin postgraduate courses aligned with local employment needs.
The campus will open as early as possible, and by no later than mid-2024 – the same year Deakin celebrates its 50th anniversary and 30 years in India. The international campus will deliver job-ready graduates to meet India’s soaring labour demands and bolster Deakin’s commitment to providing a world-class education and learning experience for students around the globe.
Deakin Vice-Chancellor Professor Iain Martin said Deakin has a long and proud history in India.
Deakin was the first international university to establish its presence in India in 1994, and since then, through innovative collaborations across research, education and training, we have forged a bond based on commitment, excellence, trust and transparency.
Our India partnership is one of the jewels in the crown of our growth and success over the almost 50 years of Deakin’s existence from humble beginnings on a green field site at Waurn Ponds in 1974.
Professor Martin said Deakin’s approach was ‘in India, with India, for India’ and that as the University prepared to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2024, opening a new India campus marked an exciting new chapter.
This is a historic opportunity to deepen our engagement with one of the world’s fastest-growing economies and open up access to our world-class education and pathways, delivered in India by Deakin alongside our industry partners.
Last night, I joined our Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Deakin’s Chancellor Mr John Stanhope AM, and many distinguished guests in Ahmedabad to formally announce this exciting initiative.
The India campus will provide better opportunities for local students who cannot afford to travel and live in Australia to study.
Concentrating on the needs of the digital economy, Deakin’s world-class course offerings on campus will initially include the Master of Cyber Security and Master of Business Analytics, before expanding to degrees from the faculties of Science, Engineering & Built Environment, and Business & Law.
The campus will operate on the basis that standards and requirements are equivalent to our Australian campuses in Australia. Students will receive the same standard of higher education in GIFT City as in Australia, with academic standards based on Deakin’s standards frameworks and manuals aligned with Australia’s national accreditation body, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA).
The campus will also work closely with corporate leaders collocated at GIFT City for cadetship and employment opportunities for Indian students and to ensure courses align with the requirements of local employers.
Deakin has contributed over AUD$50 million in India through scholarships, research fellowships, community projects and collaborative research. The Australia-India Economic Strategy 2035, released in 2018, cited Deakin as an ‘ideal collaborator’ with India. Over almost three decades, Deakin has developed strategic partnerships with India’s premier research organisations, businesses and academic institutions.