The Hindu Business Line : Adelaide lures Indian students, professionals

NOT just cricket aficionados, but students, teachers, nurses, doctors and skilled professionals perhaps have ample reasons to go to the Australian cricketing legend Don Bradman's home city — Adelaide in South Australia.

Indian students, who study in South Australia and wish to build a career there, will get five extra visa points than other cities in that country. They will stand better chances of being considered for a `Skilled Independent Regional Visa'.

Giving these details, the South Australian Minister for Further Education, Employment and Training, Ms Stephanie Key told Business Line that emphasis has been laid on giving students credit points and encourage those interested in migration. At present, there are 600 Indian students, whose number would grow to 1,000 by year-end.

Ms Steph Key is leading a delegation of pro-vice chancellors and academics from South Australian Universities, on a first of its kind visit to a foreign country pitching for collaborations in research and attracting students and skilled professionals. The team has visited New Delhi, Mumbai and will be going to Bangalore.

This visit is soon to be followed up by a South Australian Trade mission led by Premier, Mr Mike Rann in October to explore business opportunities in the areas of food and wine, information technology and film industry.

Ms Steph Key said two agreements are to be signed with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. The first would be student and staff exchange programmes in identified areas of research. Links between the University of South Australia and IISc would be formalised in the areas of material science, chemistry, chemical and mechanical engineering.

The second agreement would be between Flinders University and IISc in the areas of micro-fabricated sensors and glycodendrimers. Flinders already has a tie-up with the Manipal Academy of Higher Education, signed recently, said Prof Dean Forbes, pro-vice-chancellor of the University.

Ms Steph Key said: "We want to build and equal relationship with India, knowing fully well the high levels of education, research and skill base in India as well as the commonalities between the two countries". She said there is a shortage of people with skill set in the areas of medicine and also for trained nurses in Australia.

The South Australian delegation held discussions with the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi; the SNDT Women's University in Mumbai; the Osmania University and the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting (CDFD), in Hyderabad. In addition, it had extensive dialogues with the officials of the Union Human Resources Ministry and the All-India Council for Technical Education.