Australia’s Federal Education Minister, Julia Gillard announced on Friday that the government will be providing over $8 million Australian dollars to fund a new Australia India Institute at the University of Melbourne, University World News reported yesterday.

This is a welcome announcement for Indian students studying or considering studying in Australia after the spate of attacks on Indian students in Australia earlier in the year.

The University of Melbourne, La Trobe University and the University of New South Wales are collaborating to establish the institute. Julia Gillard said:

“Australia welcomes India’s growing global role and is working with India to strengthen our relationship in pursuit of our many shared interests. To underpin this, the government is committed to building a greater understanding between our two peoples and Australians’ understanding of India, its culture, its history and its place in the world.”

The Australian Government will also be holding an “International Student Round Table” next month. The government will invite thirty students from the 190 countries that provide international students to Australia, to discuss their concerns about their education and treatment whilst studying in Australia.