The University of Western Australia (UWA) and Vivenns Group have entered into a strategic partnership to strengthen higher education, research, innovation and industry collaboration in Andhra Pradesh.

The partnership was announced at a Strategic Partnership Roundtable held in Vijayawada on Saturday.

The collaboration marks a significant step in UWA’s long-term engagement with India and is part of the university’s hub-and-spoke model, under which its upcoming campuses in Mumbai and Chennai will collaborate with regional institutions, governments and industry partners across the country. Vivenns Group is among the first strategic partners under this initiative.

Australia’s Assistant Minister for International Education and Training, Julian Hill, said the partnership reflected the growing education and innovation ties between Australia and India. Such collaborations, he said, would create new opportunities for students and researchers while helping develop the skills required for emerging industries.

Mr. Hill said UWA’s investment in India, together with partnerships such as the one with Vivenns Group, represented the next phase of Australia’s engagement with India. It would equip graduates with the skills needed to succeed in rapidly evolving sectors while strengthening the enduring relationship between the two countries, he added.

Vivenns Group president and founder Arjun Surapaneni said the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) reflected a shared commitment to developing Andhra Pradesh as a globally connected hub for education and innovation. The partnership would combine international academic expertise with local aspirations to prepare students and researchers for future opportunities, he said.

The five-year MoU envisages collaboration in academic programmes, professional education, research, knowledge exchange, capability building and industry engagement. The initial focus areas include health, particularly audiology, renewable energy, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, cybersecurity and biodesign.

The agreement follows a recent visit by the Vivenns Group leadership to UWA’s Crawley campus in Perth, where both organisations explored opportunities to expand cooperation in education, research and innovation.

UWA, which has had academic engagement with India for more than 46 years, is establishing wholly owned campuses in Mumbai and Chennai under the National Education Policy 2020 framework. The partnership also builds on the longstanding relationship between the governments of Western Australia and Andhra Pradesh.

The collaboration is expected to leverage UWA’s industry partnerships, including with HCLTech, to offer programmes integrating academic learning with industry experience.

Among those present were UWA Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global Engagement) Prof. Jennifer Howell, Chief Minister’s Advisor Ravi Vemuru, and representatives of the Andhra Pradesh government, UWA, Vivenns Group and HCLTech.

Published - August 01, 2026 07:41 pm IST