Australian Consul General meets TGCHE chief

Hyderabad: Andrew Collister, Consul at the Australian Consulate-General in Bengaluru, met with Prof V Balakista Reddy, Chairman of the Telangana Council of Higher Education (TGCHE), to discuss potential collaborations regarding the proposed Sports University and Earth Sciences University in Telangana.

Collister said the primary focus was on sports and digital public infrastructure within the consulate. During the meeting, he cited examples of the University of Queensland and Deakin University in Australia, both of which have specialised sports science departments. He also mentioned previous collaborations with We-Hub and other organisations through a CSR project in Telangana. He requested that TGCHE provide information on areas of interest in sports and related fields to help identify suitable partnerships with Australian institutions.

In response, Prof Balakista Reddy assured Collister that TGCHE would relay the relevant information through the appropriate department in the Government of Telangana and facilitate a connection with the Council during his next visit to Hyderabad. The discussion also covered important topics such as sports curriculum, the participation of women in sports, sports law, and sports for differently-abled individuals. Collister suggested exploring sports competitions between Australian universities and public universities in Telangana. Furthermore, TGCHE may consider identifying small joint projects between local universities and Australian entities in sports and elite sciences.