RMIT University and Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) announce new Higher Education Academy

This partnership is the first Australian/Indian dual degree program, contributing to the development of a globally engaged and skilled workforce.

Commencing mid-2023, the BITS-RMIT Higher Education Academy (The Academy) aims to provide high-quality transnational education to Indian students and facilitate significant regional collaboration between Australia and India.

Initially offering four undergraduate engineering programs through a dual degree and a PhD program, The Academy will enable students to begin their learning at BITS followed by two years at RMIT in Melbourne, with potential for a career in Australia or India. RMIT academics will also get the opportunity to deliver learning at BITS.

The Academy was launched in Delhi, India, with the Hon. Jason Clare MP Federal Minister for Education and the Vice-Chancellors from both RMIT and BITS.

RMIT Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Alec Cameron said The Academy marks a strategic step in strengthening RMIT’s profile and presence in India through partnering with a high-performing university.

“The Academy reinforces RMIT’s position as a leading university of impact in the Asia Pacific,” Cameron said.

BITS Vice-Chancellor Professor Souvik Bhattacharyya said The Academy represents a new dimension in trans-national education and research that will deliver outcomes combining the best of India and Australia.

“Our universities are naturally aligned in terms of their mandate to deliver highly skilled, industry-ready graduates.”

“We look forward to a new era of academic cooperation that will define and deliver the best attributes of a global graduate and citizen,” Bhattacharyya said.