Dharmendra Pradhan sets off on 7-day tour to strengthen education ties with Singapore, Australia

NEW DELHI: Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan will visit Singapore and Australia from October 20 to 26, 2024, aiming to strengthen bilateral ties in the education sector. The visit seeks to promote collaboration, engagement, and synergy in key areas of shared interest within education.

During his two-day visit to Singapore, Dharmendra Pradhan will engage with the Indian diaspora on October 20, 2024. The following day, he will meet key leaders, including prime minister Lawrence Wong, deputy prime minister Gan Kim Yong, education minister Chan Chun Sing, and foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan.

Pradhan will visit the National University of Singapore, and a local secondary school to explore AI-focused curriculum integration. Additionally, he will meet with academics and alumni of IITs and IIMs to discuss educational collaboration between the two nations.

During his three-day visit to Australia, Pradhan will meet withJason Clare MP, the minister for education, in Melbourne on October 23, 2024. He is scheduled to deliver the plenary address at the Australian International education conference. Additionally, the minister plans to visit South Melbourne Primary School, recognized for its innovative and integrated approaches to learning.

Collaborative strategies for commercialization of medical technologies

Pradhan will visit the 'Discovery to Device' center at RMIT University, facility for MedTech prototyping and manufacturing. This visit aims to examine collaborative strategies for the commercialization of medical technologies and to highlight the significance of industry-academia partnerships in fostering innovation.

Visit Monash University's innovation lab

Additionally, Pradhan will meet with Jacinta Allan MP, the premier of Victoria, alongside Australian education minister Jason Clare MP. He plans to tour Monash University's Innovation Lab and Centre for Nano-fabrication. While in Melbourne, he will also engage with senior academics of Indian origin.

Explore partnership in early childhood education

On October 24, Pradhan will visit the Auburn Long Day Child Care Centre in Sydney to explore partnership opportunities in early childhood education. He will interact with representatives from the Innovative Research Universities (IRU) and attend the 2nd Australia-India education and skills council meeting.

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On October 25, 2024, he will tour the Granville South Creative and Performing Arts High School and the Macquarie Park Innovation District (MPID), which houses over 180 multinational companies and promotes the application of research in telecommunications, digital industries, medical technology, and pharmaceuticals for economic gain.

Interact with Indian researchers abroad

Later, he will engage with Indian research students affiliated with Australia’s group of eight universities. Pradhan will also visit the UNSW Energy Institute and the Trailblazer for Recycling and Clean Energy (TraCE) at the Tyree Energy Technologies building in Kensington to see practical research applications with commercial significance. Additionally, he will explore collaborations in sports education and research at the UTS Moore Park Sports and Exercise Precinct, a cutting-edge facility for teaching, research, and sports.