"We look together for collaboration, partnerships with both Keralam and Melbourne...": Australian MP David Hodgett
Kochi, June 28
Australian MP and Former Melbourne Mayor and Victorian Liberal Party Leader David Hodgett on Sunday expressed interest in strengthening collaboration and partnerships between educational institutions in Australia and Kerala.
Speaking to the reporters, he said, "It was interesting to learn about the pursuits being done in higher education, and as we look together for collaboration and partnerships both with Keralam and Melbourne, Australia and how our educational institutions can work together for better educational outcomes for many people across all society."
Earlier, while addressing a discussion on strengthening Keralam's education sector, he hailed Kerala's ambitious policy to transform the state into a global education hub.
"I will follow with interest the government policy of making Kerala a global education hub. I think there's plenty of opportunities for countries to collaborate, to partner, and look at where we can improve education opportunities," he said.
Hodgett emphasised the need for providing education, especially to the "less advantaged" section of society, saying that they will give back to society in time and reinvest in making it a better place to live, work, and raise a family.
"I very truly hold true to the values of giving people education opportunities, particularly those less advantaged in society. It's such a powerful thing to be able to provide education opportunities to people of all ages from young right through the schooling system, all the way up to university degrees where we can increase our pool of skills and talent that will give back to our society and reinvest in making our places, countries, states, and districts better places to live, work, and raise a family in," he said.
David Hodgett's visit to Kochi marks a significant effort to strengthen international ties in the higher education sector, marking a potential for future cross-border academic partnerships.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Sounds promising, but I hope this isn't just another photo-op. We need concrete action plans—scholarships for underprivileged students, faculty exchange programs, and actual curriculum alignment. Otherwise it's just hot air. 🤔
As a Malayali working in Melbourne, this is exciting! Our education systems complement each other well—Kerala's strong fundamentals and Australia's research focus. Let's hope this leads to real student exchanges and joint research on climate change and healthcare. 🌏
I'm an Australian expat living in Trivandrum. Kerala's education system is impressive, but moving from "global education hub" rhetoric to reality requires massive investment in infrastructure and teacher training. Still, kudos to both sides for exploring this.
Love that he specifically mentioned "less advantaged" sections. Kerala's model of accessible education is truly unique in India. If Australia can learn from our community-based approach while we adopt their vocational training systems, everyone wins! 🙌
Honestly, while this sounds nice, I'm skeptical. We've seen many such MOUs that gather dust. The real test will be how many Kerala students actually get to study in Australia on exchange programs and how much of Australia's EdTech expertise reaches our government schools. 😕
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