Mumbai, Chennai to Host University of Australia Campuses Starting in 2026

The University of Western Australia (UWA) is going to bring its education to India.

After getting approval from the University Grants Commission (UGC), the Australian university is looking to set up its campuses in Mumbai and Chennai before expanding to other Indian cities. The first campus will be opened in Mumbai, followed by the second one in Chennai. Both schools are expected to open to students by August 2026.

Currently, a high-level UWA delegation is in India to meet government bodies and educational institutions to plan and establish partnerships.

 

 

Big Step for UWA

 

The University of Western Australia is one of the top 100 world universities, and a part of a group called the Group of Eight (Go8). UWA will be the first Go8 University and one of the first large global universities to open branches in India.

Guy Littlefair, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (education and student experience) at UWA, opined that India is special because it has over 371 million young people who are full of new ideas and energy, as he said—

"India, home to the world's largest youth population with over 371 million people aged 15 to 29, is a digitally native, entrepreneurial and globally connected generation driving innovation and growth. With one of the world's most vibrant startup ecosystems, India is translating research into real-world impact."

He further stated that they want to open the campuses in Mumbai and Chennai to capture this energy and help it grow with much teaching, novel research and working in close contact with businesses.

The learning hubs and source of new ideas will be the campuses, which will only enhance the relationship between schools in India and Australia.

 

Working Together

 

The UWA team also conducts meetings with other leaders to fast-track the building of the schools as well as to form reinforced partnerships.

 

UWA already has partnerships with some organisations in India, including:

Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ): To help students learn health and medical sciences.

Avid Sports: To open opportunities to students in sports science and business.

HCLTech: To integrate new industry concepts into the UWA classes and research.

 

The new campuses will be geared towards new ideas, sustainability and new business establishment. They are planning to hold special events to unite students, researchers and business people in the two nations.

“UWA’s upcoming India campuses are also envisioned as hubs for innovation and entrepreneurship. These sites will host startup launchpads, collaborative research centres, and cross-border incubation programmes fostering bi-national ecosystems that bring together researchers, students, and industry partners from both India and Western Australia,” Littlefair said.

 

The logic behind this move by UWA is that India is now open to foreign universities to establish their branches based on a new policy called the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. By establishing itself in major cities like Mumbai and Chennai, UWA is already planning to play a major role in the future of education in India.

These new locations will provide a global curriculum and pedagogy that will not only address international standards but will also expose students to a multicultural and diverse learning environment.