Victoria’s Labor Premier Jacinta Allan has announced a $5 million fund to help Indian students avoid Australia’s new caps on international students.
Ms Allan addressed the Australia India Institute in Delhi on Monday, the second day of her visit to the country, where she bragged that Victoria was home to more Indians than any other state.
She also unveiled the offshore education fund, which will pay universities and TAFEs to set up campuses overseas in order to get around the Albanese government’s caps, even though they are designed to ease pressure on the housing and rental markets.
“We say yes to international students because they boost our economy and our global reputation, they support our small businesses, and they keep our multicultural state connected with the world,” Ms Allan said.
“We say no to the federal government’s caps. Our new fund is going to help our unis and TAFEs find innovative ways to challenge them, and make our offering to international students even stronger.”
The fund will be for the provision to Australian courses to students abroad, either in overseas campuses or in courses that are provided in partnership with foreign universities, The Age reported.
RMIT University and India’s BITS Pilani already have a dual degree program, and will now expand their agreement, meaning Victoria may be able to increase its international student intake despite the caps.
Ms Allan will unveil an “India strategy report” later in her four-day trip, attend a cricket event, and, according to rumours in business circles, attempt to lure Bollywood productions to Melbourne.
On Sunday she raised the issue of killer India driver Puneet Puneet, who fled Australia 16 years ago on another man’s passport after mowing down a 19-year-old Queensland nursing student, with Australia’s High Commissioner.
She would not be raising the issue with Indian officials, 7 News reported.
As of June last year there were 272,250 Indian immigrants living in Victoria, 4.2% of the state’s population and 5.1% of Melbourne’s. Another 120,000 people in Victoria have Indian ancestry.
Pictured above: Jacinta Allan at an Indian community event at Parliament House before her trip.
