‘Attacks on Indians deplorable,more security on Australian campuses now’

“The safety elements around the campuses have also been strengthened and we are doing everything to see that something like this does not happen again.”

Kearins was in the city to attend the education fair organised by the Australian government to create awareness about the prospects of education in Australia. He is on an eight-city tour in the country and will be visiting New Delhi,Mumbai,Kolkata,Chennai,Kochi,Bangalore and Hyderabad.

There are also plans to increase collaborations with Indian universities,Speaking about the kind of initiatives being taken up by the Australian government,Kearins said,“We have come up with scholarships for students interested in pursuing their education in Australia. When it comes to vocational education,Australia scores very high. We are planning for curriculum tie-ups with various universities across the country to make students aware of the kind of options available there.”

When asked about the attacks on Indian students,he said,“The attacks that happened in Australia last year are deplorable and inexcusable. However,I would also like to say that persons of around 245 nationalities stay in Australia and we consider it a nation of migrants.

The Australian government is also encouraging exchange programmes between the two countries. “Australia has great internships opportunities. In the next decade,India is going to b e a powerhouse and we are encouraging our students to go to Indian companies like Wipro and Infosys which has a presence in both the countries. The number of such internships are on the rise as well. And we are looking forward to more exchange programmes as that is the best way of making students aware about the cultures and opportunities in the two places,” added Kearins.