India venture

The University of Wollongong is currently exploring opportunities to set up its own campus in India but these plans are in the exploratory stage, Craig Pedden tells Vandana Ramnani

Updated on: May 26, 2010, 09:29:00 IST

Hindustan Times | By Vandana Ramnani, New Delhi

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Tell us something about the Innovation campus?
This is a unique initiative and is essentially an Australian dollar 500 million investment for the development of a business and technology park designed to foster links with industry and university. We offer a quality commercial environment for these businesses that come here and enjoy a first-hand relationship with the university. They get to interact with the students, the recent graduate population and get to partner with the research and development staff. We offer a green campus.

Any specific India plans?
We are keen to develop partnerships with Indian higher educational institutes. The university is currently exploring opportunities to set up its own campus in India but these plans are in the exploratory stage and are largely dependent on how the legislation (Foreign Educational Institutions, Regulation and Entry and Operations, Bill 2010) unfolds. It will be modeled on a very successful campus in Dubai.

We are also looking at collaborations across research capabilities that are in the field of information technology, engineering, health sciences and energy solutions.

We are bullish about opportunities with the Indian business community too. We will also be visiting Indian businesses interested in the innovation campus advantage. We are primarilyfocussing on IT and future materials companies.

How many Indian students are currently on campus?
We currently have about 300-400 students on campus predominantly pursuing courses in IT, business and engineering.

The innovation incubator
University of Wollongong's Innovation Campus (iC) is a unique endeavour by the university which has developed a unique technology and research precinct that is driven by results, nurtured by a community that embraces industry and powered by a team committed to innovation. The iC invites Indian businesses to set up their Australian offices and facilities on the campus where it offers a steady source of well trained graduates and research and development partnerships, all within a modern campus environment which is only one hour south of Sydney. UOW research institutes work in fields such as advanced IT, nanotechnology, intelligent materials and super-conductivity. Former Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist is the official brand ambassador of the Innovation Campus

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vandana Ramnani
Vandana Ramnani leads the real estate vertical at Hindustan Times Digital, bringing over two decades of journalism experience across real estate, education, human resources, and foreign affairs. She specialises in India’s real estate sector, covering residential and commercial markets in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, with in-depth reporting on regulatory developments, urban policy, housing trends, and interviews with industry leaders. Her work has also appeared in the Hindustan Times newspaper and HT Estates. Earlier, Vandana played a key role in establishing the real estate vertical at Moneycontrol (NW18 Group), shaping its editorial direction and market coverage. She has also written extensively on international education for HT Education, tracking global study destinations, policy changes, and student mobility trends, earning the Singapore Education Award 2009 for Best Media Coverage (Print). Her reporting portfolio includes human resources and employment trends for HT ShineJobs and PowerJobs, as well as lifestyle and interior design features for HT Premium Homes. Vandana began her career with the Press Trust of India, gaining strong editorial and reporting expertise. She was also selected for a prestigious fellowship at Fondation Journalistes en Europe in Paris, where she wrote for EuroMag. One of her notable reporting assignments included covering Germany’s capital relocation from Bonn to Berlin. Outside of journalism, Vandana is a passionate traveller, constantly seeking out charming hideaways across India and the lesser-known, offbeat corners of Southeast Asia.Read More

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