She is on a fence-mending visit to Delhi

Australia's deputy prime minister Julia Gillard has described the initiative to open Australian universities in India as a "very healthy sign".

After a meeting with Human Resources Development Minister Kapil Sibal in New Delhi yesterday, Gillard said: "Australia views India as a special friend and I want to move this relationship to the next stage through a strategic partnership, which would range across a wide variety of issues and include broader and deeper collaboration on education."

The Australian media has today front-paged Gillard's five-day fence-mending trip to India following the series of attacks on Indian students in Melbourne and Sydney, which have caused public outrage in India.

No adverse effect

The deputy prime minister dismissed suggestions that the attacks had already affected next year's Indian student enrolment, which is estimated at Aus $15.5 billion.

"My sense from the figures supplied to me is we're seeing continuing demand from Indian students to come to our country," she said.

Messenger of peace: Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard at a press conference in Delhi yesterday. She is here to improve relations between the two countries.

Education links between the two countries are expected to improve as a result of the proposed annual dialogue, agreed to at yesterday's meeting with Sibal, which would involve representatives from Indian and Australian universities and industry on ways to build collaboration.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has set a target of doubling the college-going rate in the next five years.

Sibal gung-ho

Sibal is quoted as saying he aims to push through new laws by next July in order to open up India's education sector to foreign interests.

An Australian official present at yesterday's meeting between Gillard and Sibal is quoted as revealing that the latter indicated he was keen to fast-track the introduction of foreign campuses to help fill India's education gap.

The official quotes Sibal as saying: "India has a massive task ahead of it and can't do it alone, and will need the assistance of friends like Australia."

Going global

Some of the world's leading foreign universities, including Yale, Princeton and Cambridge are reportedly keen to operate in India.

Later, at New Delhi's Lady Sri Ram College, Gillard reportedly also reiterated her government's zero tolerance for racism and outlined legislative changes in her country requiring all private colleges to reregister to identify and "drive low-quality education providers out of business".

The prestigious ladies college has an ongoing student exchange programme with Melbourne's La Trobe University.

(Source: The Australian)