From Our Correspondent
Gold Coast (Australia): Andhra Pradesh Minister for Education, IT and Electronics, Nara Lokesh, met Griffith University Vice President (Global) Ms. Marnie Watson at the university’s Gold Coast campus. During his visit, the minister inspected the university’s state-of-the-art sports facilities and discussed potential areas of collaboration between Griffith University and Andhra Pradesh’s higher education institutions.
Ms. Watson briefed the minister on Griffith University’s profile, noting that it was established in 1975 and is ranked among the world’s leading public universities. With five campuses across Queensland and over 50,000 students, the university is known for its strengths in social justice, sustainability, and innovation. She added that Griffith will open a new campus in Brisbane’s CBD in 2027, and already has active collaborations in India with IIT Roorkee on research and student exchange programmes in health, water resources, and technology.
Minister Lokesh proposed setting up a Griffith University India Centre or Hub in Andhra Pradesh to coordinate research, student exchange, and knowledge-sharing initiatives. He invited the university to collaborate with Andhra Pradesh universities and the State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) on curriculum design, skills certification, and academic benchmarking to global standards.
Lokesh also urged Griffith to explore joint research in renewable energy, climate resilience, public health, and water management, and to establish dual-degree or twinning programmes with leading AP institutions such as SRM–AP, Andhra University, and VIT–AP. He emphasized promoting scholarships and faculty–student exchange programmes for mutual development.
Inviting Ms. Watson and the Griffith delegation to attend the Partnership Summit 2025 and the Andhra Pradesh Global Education Forum to be held on November 14–15, Lokesh expressed interest in linking Griffith’s innovation ecosystem with the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub in Andhra Pradesh to promote startups and applied research collaboration.