The fifth day of the visit of Minister Lokesh to Australia saw him interact with professors from some of the major universities as well as executives from UK multinational firms. He highlighted the importance of placing Andhra Pradesh students in global skills development and technical cooperation programs.
Minister Lokesh requested Australia's assistance in designing curricula for courses in pharmacy, paramedical, and heritage tourism. He requested that government universities in Andhra Pradesh work with the University of Melbourne to organize training courses in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cybersecurity, and Internet of Things (IoT). He also emphasized collaborating on quantum technology research.
In a meeting with Vice-Chancellor, University of Melbourne, Professor Emma Johnston and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global, Cultural, and Engagement), Professor Michael Wesley, the agenda was to discuss quantum research and teacher training programs.
Minister Lokesh suggested the setting up of joint research facilities in renewable energy, agriculture, and health sectors in Andhra Pradesh. He also stated that the joint venture would support the development schemes of the state. He also urged local organizations to join hands in developing better healthcare facilities through the platform of digital health solutions and telemedicine.
Vice-Chancellor Johnston indicated Melbourne Global Center in Delhi is a hub for the University's strategic research and outreach program in India. She further indicated the University of Melbourne has collaborative agreements with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and with some other Indian universities. The university does not have a teaching campus in India but facilitates professional development, dual degrees, and collaborative research initiatives through local partnerships.
Lokesh welcomed Victoria's Minister for Tourism, Dimopylos, on board to work with Andhra Pradesh on marketing, heritage tourism, and eco-certification. He asked for advice on securing environment branding like Australia's Great Ocean Road.
He further stated that Andhra Pradesh boasts scenic locations like Papikondalu and Visakhapatnam Beach, boasting a 1,053-kilometer coastline. The Minister suggested collaborating studies on coastal development in the section from Victoria Port to Andhra Pradesh using weather technology like the Phillip Bay project.
Lokesh also promoted coordination in hosting international events in Andhra Pradesh, drawing lessons from the Victoria Melbourne Grand Prix. He promoted support for tourism for adventure tourism in Pulicat and Araku, modeled on the Adventure Tourism model of Victoria. He also sought youth skill training programs for green jobs in Andhra Pradesh.
Minister Lokesh discussed with the University of Tasmania administration, such as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Natalie Brown and School of Pharmacy and Pharmacology Head Professor Glenn Jacobson. He requested collaboration in the international development of pharmacy and paramedical curricula.
He recommended application of digital health technologies like telemedicine and Artificial Intelligence in higher education courses. The Minister also proposed linking the Tasmanian University Pharma/Healthcare Network with Andhra Pradesh's medical colleges and skill universities. Collaborative research on tribal and remote area drinking water supply and rural health in both the states was also under discussion.
Professor Natalie explained that the University of Tasmania implemented memoranda with numerous Indian states, amongst which were Kerala, for the education of nurses. She provided credit transfer agreements in engineering with Indian universities on a continuous basis.
Minister Lokesh welcomed Bijal Sejpal, CEO of Bupa Asia Pacific, and Dinesh Kanteti, Enterprise Head. He invited Bupa to look at an option for establishing a Global Capability Center (GCC) in Visakhapatnam, which is a fast-growing IT and data center destination.
He also spoke about rural digital health collaboration. CEO Sejpal informed that Bupa is a UK-based multinational company that has more than 38 million customers globally across 190 countries with a business presence in health insurance, digital health services, and old-age homes in the UK, Australia, and Spain.
