Melbourne: In a bid to strengthen its ties with India, an Australian government body has announced a grant of 3.32 crore to fund 11 new projects that include workshops on women social entrepreneurs and an innovative programme for school children.
The Australia India Council (AIC), a government body that builds awareness and understanding between the people and institutions of both the countries, would allocate the grant of 689,000 Australian dollars (Rs 3,32, 18,374) to the Western Sydney University (WSU) and the Australian National University (ANU), which will conduct the projects in collaboration with Indian organisations, news wire PTI reported on Wednesday.
Announcing the grant, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said, “I announce this year’s Australia India Council (AIC) grant recipients for projects which will build new innovative linkages and provide sustainable collaborations between Australia and India.”
The Western Sydney University (WSU) will hold a series of workshops for Australian and Indian women social entrepreneurs on innovative and sustainable social business models, while the Australian National University (ANU) will facilitate an Indian version of its Young Persons’ Plan for the Planet programme, which will educate, connect and empower school students to collaborate internationally on delivering the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
The ANU will also organise a three-day OzAsia Festival, in collaboration with the Jaipur Literature festival, in Adelaide to celebrate the heritage of India through stories.
The Genesis Horticultural Services also won the grant to work with Indian experts to set up an Australian Horticulture Centre of Excellence in India to provide training services in hydroponics.