First India-Australia Partnership In Entrepreneurship Education For Indigenous Youth Launched

Guwahati: In a world-first, a roundtable event was hosted recently in Australia’s Melbourne, marking the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), between a Meghalaya-based youth engagement focused social organisation and an award-winning Australian social organisation, which is the first knowledge exchange programme in entrepreneurship education involving indigenous youth of India and Australia.

The Australian-Indian partnership between the two youth focused organisations aims to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the two nations through innovation education and global learning pathways. The key objectives of the partnership are to build entrepreneurial education pathways for Meghalaya and the indigenous youth of the northeast, strengthen educator capacities in entrepreneurial education, support entrepreneurial ecosystem linkages for both organisations in their respective geographies, initiate opportunities for collaboration in talent identification and cultural exchange for indigenous youth across the two countries, and plan and operationalise a pilot programme amongst the tribal youth of Meghalaya for an A/B testing of the partnership initiative to drive entrepreneurial skill sets programmes for the indigenous communities, as per a press release.

The India-Australia Economic Strategy to 2035 centres education as the main pillar to strengthening the bilateral relationship. Both nations are committed to a deep knowledge partnership, where education, training and research underpin their economic and people-to-people engagement across both countries. The partnership shares the common belief that strengthening entrepreneurial mindsets across India and Australia will open up the youth’s potential to be global leaders and changemakers, the release stated.

On the signing of the MoU, an official of the Australian social organisation said, “This ground-breaking launch of a world-first partnership between the two Indian and Australian organisations, that work purposefully across both the countries to spark entrepreneurial mindsets with indigenous youth, and who are now joining forces to powerfully grow the impact we can create. Together, our partnership will support thousands of indigenous youth across India and Australia to uncover their own potential and become the change agents of their own lives and communities. Entrepreneurial education is the cornerstone of this work.”

On the other hand, an official of the Meghalaya-based social organisation said that this event is a historic moment in northeast India’s youth development narrative, which marks the first knowledge exchange intervention for entrepreneurship education for indigenous youth between both nations, the release added.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma also wished the association of the organisations through a virtual address, stating, “I am delighted to learn about the signing of a MoU between the two organisations. I have been given to understand that this partnership is aimed at introducing globally recognised entrepreneurial mindsets, skillsets and toolsets to youth and educators in Meghalaya and the northeastern region of India. It is truly a historic moment for the northeast and particularly for the development of our youth. Through this collaboration, it is our hope that thousands of young individuals in Meghalaya and the northeast will be inspired with the spirit of social entrepreneurship, guided by an innovative and integrated education pathway.”

The release further stated that the signing of the MoU was followed by an immersive roundtable event that explored the power of early and equitable access to entrepreneurial mindsets, skillsets and toolsets in a young person’s life. The panel featured entrepreneurs and ecosystem representatives, all of whom are working purposefully to contribute to the strength of the bilateral relationship between both countries.

The initial phase of the partnership will see the Australian social organisation being hosted in Meghalaya to collaborate and contextualise a customised entrepreneurial learning initiative for the youth of the state and northeast India. The long-term goal of this partnership is to build and enhance entrepreneurial education pathways with young people as they decide on their next life steps in education and employment. The signing of the MoU will be followed by a similar roundtable event to be held in Meghalaya in March 2024.

The writer is a senior independent journalist covering the Northeast.

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