New chapter scripted in Indo - Australian academic relations

Hyderabad: Providing a major impetus in fostering new and futuristic paradigms in management education, two triple-crowned business schools, the Indian School of Business (ISB) and the University of Sydney Business School (USBS) have entered a five-year partnership, which is one of the most comprehensive of its kind.

Prof Rajendra Srivastava, dean of the ISB said, "These two business schools have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote research collaborations, academic exchange, and student mobility.

Cooperation between the two schools will be explored in academic research, doctoral research, coursework education, corporate engagement, and contributing to policy development in and for a post-Covid world. The partnership is ISB's first comprehensive partnership with an Australian School in the business and management field, which was launched formally on Wednesday at a webinar."

He added, "The need of the hour is to forge new academic partnerships that will enhance ISB's global insights and presence through exchange of ideas and people. I am confident that ISB's comprehensive partnership with the University of Sydney Business School will usher in new insights based on multidisciplinary research that will contribute to management thought leadership and in designing new trajectories in management education globally."

Meanwhile Dean of the University of Sydney Business School, Prof Greg Whitwell said, "In the face of what seems an increasingly divided world since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, we must seize opportunities to deepen our partnerships with international institutions. Despite the challenges of distance, we are delighted to celebrate this new partnership with such a prestigious institution and look forward to many more collaborations with the Indian School of Business."

The MoU allows joint initiatives being planned include a dual master's degree, which would be delivered both at the University of Sydney and the ISB, executive education programmes, as well doctoral student mobility and co-supervision. Both schools see international immersion as a core requirement for developing future-ready graduates. In 2019, the University of Sydney was ranked the largest student mobility program in Australia for the second year in a row.

Speaking at the event, Brett Galt-Smith, Counsellor (Education and Research), Australian High Commission, New Delhi said, "Today's partnership fits very well with India - Australia bilateral ties and augurs well for both the countries". He called on the need to capitalise on the soft power of education and further build on its untapped potential. He underlined that India's new National Education Policy will go a long way in the internationalisation of education and it will bring more value to the educational set-up.

Ruchika Jain, First Secretary, Press Information & Culture, High Commission of India, Canberra, Australia, said "The partnership between Indian School of Business and University of Sydney Business School will facilitate new opportunities and interactions between both the countries."