In a significant move to bolster its position as a technology hub, the Telangana government has forged a strategic partnership with Australia's prestigious Deakin University. The collaboration aims to establish a groundbreaking Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence within the proposed AI University in Hyderabad's upcoming Future City.
A Pioneering Partnership for Advanced AI
The agreement, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding, was signed on Friday in Hyderabad. The ceremony was graced by the presence of Australia's Minister for International Education, Julian Hill, and Telangana's IT & Industries Minister, Duddilla Sridhar Babu. This CoE is set to be the country's first dedicated skill development centre focused exclusively on cultivating advanced artificial intelligence capabilities.
The centre will be jointly operated by the Deakin Applied Artificial Intelligence Institute (A2I2) and the Government of Telangana. Minister Sridhar Babu highlighted that Telangana is positioned to become a gateway for Digital India, and this new initiative will significantly enhance research and high-end skill development. The sectors set to benefit include governance, healthcare, education, information technology, life sciences, agriculture, and the critical domains of minerals and rare earth metals.
Building a Globally Competitive Talent Pool
Elaborating on the vision behind the tie-up, Minister Sridhar Babu revealed that during his recent visit to Australia, he extended an invitation to Deakin University to set up a campus in Telangana. "Australia has also agreed to offer high-end skill training for working professionals from Telangana in their country," he stated. This international exposure is a key component of the strategy.
The minister emphasized that the collaboration's goal extends beyond merely producing graduates. It is fundamentally aimed at creating a globally competitive and highly skilled pool of talent. He credited this agreement as part of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's broader efforts to attract leading international universities to the state. Sridhar Babu also noted that Telangana's innovation-friendly ecosystem will be further strengthened by this CoE, with parallel arrangements for skill development being made across major educational institutions in the state.
A Foundation for Future-Ready Skills
The event saw participation from key officials and delegates, including Telangana's IT advisor Saikrishna, IT department chief strategist Srikanth Lanka, and a delegation from Australia comprising Cam Green, Karen Sandercock, Nathaniel Webb, Steven Biddle, Hilary McGeachy, Steven Connelly, and Vikram Singh.
This partnership marks a concrete step towards integrating world-class AI education and research directly into India's technological landscape. By leveraging Deakin University's expertise in applied AI, the Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad is poised to become a nodal point for cutting-edge innovation, directly feeding into the strategic sectors crucial for Telangana's and India's economic future.
