Chandigarh, September 9 – An important meeting was held in Chandigarh on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Haryana Chief Minister Mr. Naib Singh Saini with a delegation led by the Australian High Commissioner to India Mr. Philip Green. The meeting discussed in detail about enhancing cooperation between Haryana and Australia in various fields including education, higher education, skill development, innovation, agriculture, green energy, sports, tourism, investment and providing global opportunities to the youth.
Chief Minister Mr. Naib Singh Saini said that there is a strong and comprehensive strategic partnership between India and Australia. Trade, education, technology, innovation, skill development and people-to-people contacts between the two countries are continuously increasing. In such a situation, there is a vast potential for Haryana to further strengthen cooperation with Australia at the state level. He said that it is the priority of the state government to extend the benefits of the strengthening relations between India and Australia to the youth, students, farmers, entrepreneurs and industries of Haryana. Haryana’s development can be given a new impetus with cooperation in the fields of education, skills, research, innovation and new technologies.
The meeting was attended by Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary Shri Rajesh Khullar, Deputy Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Shri Ajay Kumar, Advisor to the Chief Minister in the Department of External Cooperation Shri Pawan Chaudhary, Joint Director of the Department of External Cooperation Mrs. Heena Bindlish, representatives associated with the Australia-India Business Council and other members of the delegation. During this, detailed discussions were also held regarding the promotion of trade and investment between Haryana and Australia and further strengthening business-to-business cooperation between the two sides.
Special emphasis on cooperation in universities and innovation
The meeting laid special emphasis on increasing cooperation between the universities of Haryana and leading universities and research institutions of Australia. The possibilities of joint research, student and faculty exchange and joint educational programs in areas like artificial intelligence, cyber security, agriculture, engineering, clean energy and public policy were discussed.
The Chief Minister said that the field of higher education, technical education and research is expanding rapidly in Haryana. Innovation, research and industry-academia partnerships can be further strengthened in Haryana by leveraging the expertise of Australian universities and research institutes. He also discussed the possibilities of Australian cooperation in developing Center of Excellence, Research and Innovation Hub and training centers related to new technologies in Haryana.
Initiative to connect Haryana youth with global skills
The meeting also had a special discussion on providing international level skills to the youth of Haryana and connecting them with global employment opportunities. The possibilities of enhancing cooperation between Australian technical and trade education institutions and Haryana’s ITIs, Polytechnics and Skill Universities were discussed. Both sides emphasized on providing industry-relevant skills training, modern curricula, English language training, certification and employment-oriented training.
The Australian delegation also discussed the possibilities of cooperation in training and skill development for Haryana youth in Australia in sectors like healthcare, construction, advanced manufacturing, hospitality, logistics and IT.
Possibilities of technical cooperation in the agricultural sector
The meeting also discussed the combination of expertise of Haryana and Australia in the field of agriculture. The possibilities of cooperation in areas like precision agriculture, water-saving agriculture, climate resilient agriculture, soil health, farm mechanization, dairy technology, food processing, cold chain and agri-innovation were highlighted.
Cooperation in green hydrogen and clean energy
There was also discussion on enhancing cooperation in areas like green hydrogen, solar energy, battery storage, renewable energy, waste-to-energy and circular economy. The possibilities of developing new projects in the field of clean energy and future energy needs by bringing together the industrial capacity of Haryana and the technical expertise of Australia were considered.
Discussion on Investment and Advanced Manufacturing
The meeting also discussed the prospects of Australian investment in sectors like automobile, advanced manufacturing, agritech, technology, logistics and Industry 4.0. The Chief Minister said that Haryana’s strong industrial economy, developed infrastructure, skilled human resources and rapidly developing innovation ecosystem provide significant opportunities for Australian companies and investors.
Possibilities of cooperation in sports and tourism too
The meeting also discussed cooperation in the field of sports science, high performance training, athlete development and sports management. The possibilities of making the benefits of Australia’s expertise in various sports including cricket, hockey, wrestling and boxing available to Haryana’s players were considered.
There was also discussion on giving tourism and cultural exchange a boost. Australian High Commissioner Mr. Philip Green invited Chief Minister Mr. Naib Singh Saini to visit Australia.
The Chief Minister said that people-to-people connections between the youth and institutions of both countries can be further strengthened through education, skills, innovation, sports and tourism.
