Maharashtra-Australia skills hub to boost education-industry collaboration: Minister Chandrakant Patil

MUMBAI: The government will set up a Maharashtra-Australia Innovation and Skills Hub (MAISH) to link the state's industrial and educational ecosystem with Australian expertise, Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil said here on Tuesday.

He said the hub would promote research, innovation, and skill development in sectors such as energy, environment, and healthcare. "The Maharashtra-Australia Innovation and Skills Hub is not just an academic initiative but a visionary step aimed at transforming the state into a sustainable knowledge economy," he said.

The minister chaired a meeting at Mantralaya on the proposed hub, which was attended by senior officials, academicians, and directors from higher and technical education departments. The hub will operate through the Australia-India Centre of Excellence and stems from deliberations between Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and his Australian counterpart Jason Clare, Patil said.

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IIT Bombay, University of Mumbai part of intiative

The project reflects a joint commitment towards youth empowerment, fostering innovation and strengthening bilateral ties, he added. Patil noted that while Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur remain centres of education and industry, global challenges such as climate change, rising energy demand, and sustainable development require advanced research and commercialisation.

The collaboration will mark a new chapter for Maharashtra and Australia, he said. Institutions such as IIT Bombay, the University of Mumbai, Savitribai Phule Pune University, and DY Patil University will be part of the initiative, along with Australia's Newcastle, Monash, RMIT, and Sydney universities.

The hub will provide international-level courses, specialised skill training, and global opportunities for students. The project aims to train undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD students, develop patent-worthy technologies in energy and health, and enable an exchange of international scientists.