Oz education minister moots better ties

Updated on: Monday, September 07, 2009

Julia Gillard, Australia’s deputy Prime Minister, announced the launch of the International Centre for Muslim and non-Muslim Understanding, located at the University of South Australia.

The Centre is dedicated to research that seeks to define, understand and transcend the divide between Muslim and non-Muslim cultures and has already attracted $10 million (Rs 40 crore) in funding support from the Australian government and the South Australian state government.

This was among a host of initiatives announced by the Australian leader during her recent visit to India. Gillard is also the minister for education, minister for employment and workplace relations and minister for social inclusion.

Gillard announced a funding of $8.106 million (Rs 32 crore) to support the Australia-India Institute. The University of Melbourne and its university partners in Australia, the University of New South Wales and La Trobe University, will invest another Rs 8 crore in the institute, bringing the total investment in the project to more than Rs 40 crore over the next three years.

The institute will work closely with the Australia-India Business Council to support mutual trade and investment. It will also provide consultancies on issues of national priority, and host international conferences, community engagement and cultural dialogues.

She also launched a diploma on primary education at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (Ignou). Developed by Ignou and Australia’s Queensland University of Technology, the diploma programme will provide an understanding of the primary school curriculum and skills required to implement it effectively. “This will potentially benefit hundreds of thousands of primary school teachers in India,” she said.

On the alleged racist attacks on Indian students in Australia, she said, “Our government has very clearly said that it has got zero tolerance for any form of violence against Indian students or against anyone else in Australia and we pride ourselves as a multi-cultural nation.” She said that the state governments in her country have “geared up with police crackdowns. There are now more police visible on the streets patrolling those areas where there have been problems.”

Timesofindia

Oz education minister moots better ties

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