Shri Kapil Sibal, Union Minister of Human Resource Development and Hon. Steven Joyce, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment, New Zealand co-chaired the first meeting of the India-New Zealand Education Council held today. The Council has been constituted to draw up a framework and devise mechanisms of co-operation and set the agenda for improving educational relations between the two countries.This first meeting of the Council was attended by senior academicians, industry leaders and government officials from both sides. Both the Ministers expressed satisfaction at the vibrant engagement between the two sides in the field of education and hoped that the Council, being a novel joint mechanism, will further strengthen the collaborative efforts.

Both leaders renewed their commitment to collaboration and partnership in higher education. India and New Zealand expressed their commitment to earmark US $ 1 million annually to enhance the cooperative activities through specific programmes designed by the India-New Zealand Education Council. The programmes will include joint research, student mobility, faculty development, qualifications framework as well as vocational education and training, among others.

Six MoUs of cooperation between different institutions were also signed on during the meeting.