La Trobe University has deepened its engagement with India following a Vice-Chancellor–led visit that focused on skills development, research translation and innovation at a time when artificial intelligence is reshaping education and work across both countries.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Theo Farrell visited India from 1–5 February, meeting with senior leaders across government, education and industry in Goa, Bengaluru and New Delhi. The visit comes as India advances its 2047 development ambitions and as Australia and India look to translate policy alignment into practical collaboration across skills, participation and innovation.
Speaking at the QS India Summit 2026 in Goa, Professor Farrell highlighted the growing convergence between India’s National Education Policy and Australia’s Universities Accord, noting the shared emphasis on education as a driver of economic growth and social mobility.
The visit also reflected a shift in how universities are approaching international engagement, moving beyond recruitment-led models towards partnerships centred on workforce capability, research impact and innovation ecosystems.
In Bengaluru, Professor Farrell engaged with India’s biotechnology and startup sectors, including the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with The GAIN Global Startup Accelerator. The agreement is intended to support research translation and deep-tech commercialisation, creating structured pathways for Indian startups and researchers to access Australian markets, capital and university-led innovation programs.
The partnership builds on La Trobe’s growing footprint in India across research, industry engagement and innovation, positioning the university as a longer-term collaborator within India’s startup and deep-tech ecosystem rather than a short-term education provider.
The visit concluded in New Delhi at The PIE Live India, where discussions centred on workforce transformation, education reform and global mobility in an increasingly uncertain policy environment. Professor Farrell emphasised the need for universities to respond quickly to technological change by embedding industry more deeply into education and ensuring graduates are work-ready in a global context.
As artificial intelligence accelerates changes across labour markets and learning systems, La Trobe’s India engagement reflects a broader trend within international education: a move towards partnerships designed to deliver shared innovation, skills development and economic outcomes, rather than relying on traditional models of cross-border mobility alone.
