G20 Education Working Group (EdWG) and Education Ministers’ Meeting (EMM)
The Education Working Group (EdWG) under India’s G20 Presidency worked towards concrete, collaborative and action-oriented strategies and roadmaps for the future of education. From prioritising foundational learning, harnessing tech-enabled learning, emphasising the need for lifelong learning for the future of work to opening discussions on enhancing research collaboration among educational institutions in G20 countries – the Education Working Group spanned the entire spectrum of education and training, bringing focus and building consensus on critical issues.
The working group built upon discussions from previous presidencies, focusing on tackling educational challenges and exploring opportunities in the changing education landscape across different contexts and regions. The meetings saw rigorous discussions and engagement among G20 member countries, invited countries, and International Organizations (UNESCO, UNICEF and OECD) to address the critical issues pertaining to the education ecosystem.
Four seminars on various topics followed by meetings of the Education Working Group (EdWG) were held during the Indian Presidency of G20. A seminar on “Role of Digital Technologies in Education” was held on 31st January 2023 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, which was followed by the G20 1st Education Working Group (EdWG) Meeting on 1-2nd February 2023. A seminar on “Strengthening research and promoting innovation through richer collaboration” was held on 15th March 2023 in Amritsar, Punjab which was followed by the G20 2nd Education Working Group (EdWG) from 16-17th March 2023. A seminar on ‘Building Capacities, Promoting Life-Long Learning in the Context of the Future of Work’ was held on 26th April 2023 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha which was followed by the G20 3rd EdWG meeting from 27-28th April 2023. A Seminar on “Ensuring Foundational Literacy and Numeracy in the context of Blended Learning” was held on 19 June 2023 in Pune, which was followed by the G20 4th and last EdWG meeting on 20-21 June 2023 in Pune.
The G20 Education Ministers’ Meeting was held on 22nd June 2023 in Pune, Maharashtra. The G20 EdWG and Education Ministers’ Meetings culminated in the G20 Outcome document and Chair’s Summary. The Chair’s Summary outlined the key priorities for G20 countries under each theme. The outcome documents included the Education Working Group Report: One Earth, One Family, One Future through Education and the Compendium on Education Policies and Programmes in G20 countries. These outcome documents highlighted each country’s policies and priorities, and showcased select flagship programmes in each priority area, thereby reinforcing knowledge sharing among countries and setting a common education agenda for discussion and action. Bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the G20 Education Working Group and Education Ministers’ Meeting were conducted with UAE, Oman, Mauritius, UNICEF, OECD, UK, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and Spain.
Taking forward Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s clarion call to take G20 to the people of India, various ‘Jan Bhagidari’ programs were also held across the country. Around 5.25 Crore citizens from all walks of life, including students, youth, women, the private sector, academia, and civil society engaged with these Jan Bhagidari events, transforming G20 into a true ‘people’s movement’.
India-US Working Group on Education and Skill Development
As announced by the leaders during the India-US 2+2 Dialogue 2022, the India-US Working Group on Education and Skill Development was formally launched virtually on 22nd May 2023. The Working Group decided to form four sub-committees namely, (i) Skilling and vocational education; (ii) Certification and recognition; (iii) Matchmaking between U.S. and Indian higher educational institutions; and (iv) Engaging with the Private Sector, to deliberate ways to enhance educational collaboration between India and USA.
Engagements with the Government of the United Arab Emirates in the field of Education
A Committee under the Chairmanship of Shri Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, NETF, visited UAE on 18-19th September 2023 and discussed the issues of equivalence of degrees issued by Indian Universities and Institutions.
Subsequently, a delegation led by Union Minister for Education, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, visited UAE from 01-03 November 2023. During the visit, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in the field of Education between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the United Arab Emirates.
Engagements with Australia in the field of Education
Minister for Education, Australia Mr Jason Clare visited India from 27 February – 2 March, 2023 outcomes of which are as follows:
- A Mechanism for Mutual Recognition of Qualifications was signed by the two Ministers.
- A bilateral meeting between the Union Minister for Education and the Australian Minister for Education was held wherein issues of institutional collaboration, pending student visas, research collaboration, and the constitution of a joint integrated and skilling framework were discussed.
- International Education Innovation Fund (IEIF) Critical Skills Project was announced by the Australian side wherein the Australian Government will provide AUS$1.82 million until mid-2024 to deliver a project on Developing Critical Skills Courses in India.
- 11 institutional MoUs were signed at the event and exchanged in front of the two Ministers.
- The Minister visited Sri Venkateswara College (DU) and Kendriya Vidyalaya for student engagement programmes with a focus on deepening ties through two-way mobility.
- A delegation of Australian VCs accompanying the Minister participated in a round table to discuss “The changing face of higher education in India: Future directions and opportunities”. They also participated in a round table in UGC to discuss initiatives for the internationalization of education under NEP 2020.
Minister for Education, Australia, Mr. Jason Clare visited India again from 5-8 November, 2023 outcomes of which are as follows:
- The 1st Australia-India Education and Skills Council (AIESC) Meeting was held at IIT Gandhinagar. The meeting was jointly chaired by the Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship; Minister for Education, Government of Australia; and the Minister for Skills and Training, Government of Australia, and saw discussions on three key areas, i.e., shaping of future workforces, strengthening institutional partnerships in education and driving research impact through internationalization. The meeting saw the participation of around 70 experts from Industry and Academia from India and Australia, A Joint Communique between the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India and the Department of Education and the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations of the Government of Australia was released.
- A bilateral meeting between the Union Minister for Education and the Australian Minister for Education was held wherein issues relating to Mutual Recognition of Qualifications, outcomes of the 6th Australia-India Education Council meeting (AIEC), Collaboration between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), Research Collaboration, visa issues for research scholars and PhD students, Australia’s Education Strategy for India, Joint degrees for teachers in Early Childhood Care and Education and Development of Critical Skills Courses in India were discussed.
- Five Institutional MoUs were signed and exchanged in the presence of the Ministers, for skill, academic and research collaboration.
- The Ministers visited the Centre for Creative Learning, IIT Gandhinagar, Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU) and Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK), Ahmedabad.
- The Australian side conducted an event celebrating the opening up of campuses of Deakin University and the University of Wollongong in GIFT City, Gujarat.
Visit of Union Minister for Education to Singapore in May 2023
A delegation led by Union Minister for Education, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, visited Singapore from 29-31st May 2023. During the visit, he met the following Singapore Ministers:
- Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Singapore, Mr. Lawrence Wong
- Minister of Trade & Industry, Mr. Gan Kim Yong
- Senior Minister, Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam
- Foreign Minister of Singapore, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan
- Education Minister of Singapore, Mr. Chan Chun Sing
Visits to the following institutes were also conducted during the visit:
- Future Skills Singapore
- Spectra Secondary School
- Nanyang Technological University
- Institute of Technical Education (ITE), Singapore
- Singapore University of Technology & Design
India-Singapore Hackathon
3rd edition of the India-Singapore hackathon was held in July 2023 at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Gandhinagar. The event was jointly organized by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) of the Ministry of Education, India and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. It was attended by over 600 students, start-ups, investors, policymakers, corporates, and academics.
BRICS Education Ministers’ Meeting
A delegation led by Union Minister of State, Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, participated in the 10th BRICS Education Ministers’ Meeting on 13th July 2023 at Mpumalanga province, South Africa. He also met the Brazilian and South African Ministers on the sidelines of the meeting.
Study in India Portal
The Study in India Portal was launched on 3rd August 2023. It is a dedicated website that showcases the best of Indian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and is a one-stop solution for admission and visa applications for foreign students who wish to pursue their higher education in Indian Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs). With the launch of the portal, it is now mandatory for every international student seeking admission in Indian HEIs to register on the SII portal for the academic session 2023-24 onwards, for every full-time or short-time course. The portal provides a structured mechanism to facilitate foreign students to meet their Visa obligations. A unique ID will be generated when a student registers on the portal, and this ID will have to be quoted with Visa applications.
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