New Delhi:(Page3 News Network)-Shri Kapil Sibal, Union Minister of Human Resource Development and Hon. Steven Joyce, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment, New Zealand co-chaired the first meeting of the India-New Zealand Education Council held today. The Council has been constituted to draw up a framework and devise mechanisms of co-operation and set the agenda for improving educational relations between the two countries.This first meeting of the Council was attended by senior academicians, industry leaders and government officials from both sides. Both the Ministers expressed satisfaction at the vibrant engagement between the two sides in the field of education and hoped that the Council, being a novel joint mechanism, will further strengthen the collaborative efforts.
Both leaders renewed their commitment to collaboration and partnership in higher education. India and New Zealand expressed their commitment to earmark US $ 1 million annually to enhance the cooperative activities through specific programmes designed by the India-New Zealand Education Council. The programmes will include joint research, student mobility, faculty development, qualifications framework as well as vocational education and training, among others.
Six MoUs of cooperation between different institutions were also signed on during the meeting.
1. MoU between the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of the Government of the Republic of India and Sport New Zealand of the Government of New Zealand on Cooperation in the field of Sports. The objectives of this MoU are to encourage and promote an exchange ofprogrammes, experiences, skills, techniques, information and knowledge.
2. Educational Partnership Agreement between University of Delhi, India and Massy University New Zealand . The MoU covers the following activities:-
· Joint teaching ( Including online, blended and distance education)
· Joint Quality Enhancement( Including benchmarking and academic development)
· Exchange of publications , academic material and other information
· Exchange of students
· Student study abroad
3. Memorandum of collaboration between Indira Gandhi National Open University(IGNOU), India and the Open Polytechnic of New Zealand. Objectives of the partnership are:
· To establish a network of partnership for vocational education through distance education
· Sharing of experiences through communication of faculty
· Develop strategies for design development and implementation of Under Graduate and Post graduate programmes with entry and exit point.
· Develop joint R&D project collaborations
· Create avenues for ICT enabled education
· Establish interface learner space
4. MoU between Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand and Jawahar Lal Nehru University of India. Objectives of the partnership are:
· Exchange of faculty members
· Exchange of students
· Joint Research activities
· Participation in seminars and academic meetings
· Exchange of academic material and other information
· Special short term academic programmes
· Exchange of Administrative managers/coordinators
· Joint Cultural Programmes
5. MoU between Waiariki Institute of Technology of New Zealand and Punjab Technical University, India. The principal objectives of this agreement include:
· Developing opportunities for fee paying students to pathway onto Waiariki qualifications and/or obtain credit for courses towards a qualification at the Punjab Technical University
· Establishing a long-term harmonious relationship that will enhance such outcomes.
· Acting collaboratively in their interactions.
· Joint development of Sports management major in Management/Business Degree
· Explore the option of upgrading one of Punjab Technical University’s Institute of technology as per New Zealand Industrial Trade Partner standard and joint delivery of vocational programmes in conjunction with other ITPs of New Zealand
6. Educational Partnership Agreement/MOU between University of Delhi, India and Lincoln University/Asia-Pacific Football Academy has already been signed.
The members of the Council recognized skill development, especially catering to the needs of the industry and keeping pace with the exponential growth in global mobility of workforce, as one of the major challenges facing the two countries and pledged further collaboration. The mobility of students and workforce also necessitates parity in qualifications between various countries and therefore, the Council suggested early recognition of each other’s educational qualifications by India and New Zealand. The Council also noted the need to set up more institutions of excellence, for which enhancement of the quality of faculty is a key challenge. It was also agreed to collaborate in the Tribal Studies and preservation of languages, culture and traditional crafts.
The meeting was attended by officials from Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills, New Zealand High Commission in India and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Vice-Chancellor of various New Zealand Universities, executive of Vocational EducationalInstitutes and representatives from business organizations.From the Indian side officials of Ministry of HRD, UGC, Vice-Chancellors, eminent academicians senior professors from Indian Universities and officials, representatives of Industries including FICCI and CII participated in the meeting.
