Deakin University Launches India Campus, Receives 500 Student Applications

Deakin University opened its first overseas branch campus in India. During the inaugural event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with the Deakin University team on increasing engagement between the government and educational institutions on cyber security.

Deakin University's GIFT City campus will provide local students with future-ready, world-class postgraduate (PG) courses in business analytics and cyber security. Officials stated that the courses will be offered at half the cost of Australian fees.

The campus will have digital classrooms, libraries and cyber security labs. It will also provide students an opportunity for digital integration with Deakin’s Australian campuses. The course fee for the two-year course will be Rs 21 lakh.

Classes will be delivered by local, international staff and guest lecturers. The last date to submit the application is March 31 and the classes will commence in July 2024.

Speaking at the inaugural event, Deakin University's Vice-Chancellor, Iain Martin, and Ravneet Pawha, Deakin Vice-President Global Alliances, outline key plans of the campus in terms of programs, teaching methodologies, and staff recruitment exclusively with The Free Press Journal.

Can you elaborate on the Gift City model and how it operates under distinct regulations, allowing for program approval through Deakin's Australian operations?

The Gift City model is discussed, emphasizing its unique regulatory framework that enables program approval through Deakin's Australian operations, providing insights into the operational structure of the campus. The campus building is located on the Gift City campus, but as you walk around, it feels more like the Deakin University campus in Melbourne. The programs are identical.

The way of teaching is identical. The staff, the students will be linked back to the same schools and departments that they would be if they were teaching in Australia and the students will come out with a graduation certificate that is the same as their Australian-based peers will get as well. 

What are the initial courses offered at the Gift City Campus, and are there plans to introduce additional courses?

This campus will initially offer two courses: Masters of Cybersecurity Professional and Masters of Business Analytics. There are plans to offer more classes later. There are already 200 enterprises operating here. As a result, these companies will conduct guest lectures in our classes and provide internships and job opportunities.

And these children will not only work here, but they will also be able to travel overseas and work throughout the country. Our professors will also come from Deakin Australia, from here we will also hire professors who are currently in process.

What plans do you have for recruiting and developing faculty, ensuring a balance between Australian and local educators?

About 20% of our teaching will be done with our staff coming from Australia and 80% will be Deakin locally employed faculty.  The local staff will be trained and employed at our home school. The staff members will have an affiliation at our School of Information Technology in Australia and spend every couple of years there.  

How is the campus positioned as an additional option for quality Australian education at a lower cost?

A few weeks into our recruitment, 500 student applications from across the country have been received. Fees are half of what young students would pay in Australia or here. So, a nearby Indian student can save 50 lakh rupees by studying here. Because we only have 100 students enrolled per semester, we are now focusing on quality education.

The application will close on March 31st. The entrance standards will include an interview, a CAT exam, and a high undergraduate score. So it will not be easy because we are looking at the top class of academically qualified Indian students who can study, complete their degrees, and find good jobs.

If  Deakin University has to set up any other branch, which state would it choose to do it?

It also depends on what we will offer. If we ever do it, it will depend on what we will be offering. Suppose it's a technical course, South India would be a more relevant space. If we are offering creative arts and media, then Mumbai would be the best. Our focus just for this year is very much getting Deakin all set up.

Since University of Wollongong Australia is also set to open its Indian campus in 2024, Do you see them as a competition? 

You know, India is a big place. There are a lot of places for everyone. We do have healthy competition. But we also work together. So, I don't see that as a problem