By Prashant K. Nanda

New Delhi, Dec 5 (IANS) Recognising India's excellence in education, Australia has invited "elite Indian institutions" to set up campuses there and help Adelaide become a "University City". Some of them are already on the table, a senior minister of South Australia said.

"We are now inviting elite Indian universities and institutions to set up campuses in our province," Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education in the provincial government of South Australia Michael O'Brien told IANS.

"We are slowly positioning Adelaide as a university city. And Indian institutions are welcome to set up campuses there. We will be happy," O'Brien, who is currently in New Delhi, told IANS on the sidelines of his meeting with union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi.

He said the University College, London, one of the premier institutions of Britain, has already opened a campus there. Kaplan University of the US too will open its campus.

"South Australia will be happy to host Indian varsities. If this proposition works out then there will be more young and bright Indian students in our country. We are already in talks with a few Indian institutions," he revealed.

The minister, however, declined to give details of the educational institutions who are in talks with the South Australian authorities.

When asked about any Australian varsity opening a campus in India, O'Brien said: "Our universities are now looking more for collaborative things. Joint courses, collaborative programmes and things like that. It is a logical step. Then they may think of campuses in India."

India is set to open its higher education sector to foreign varsities. The human resource development ministry has already indicated that several foreign institutions are eager to set up shop here.

Similarly, several Indian institutes including some of the premier Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are eager to start offshore campuses. Though they have been denied permission a few years back, Kapil Sibal, the new HRD minister, has told a number of times that his ministry is not against such moves.

When asked about the racial attacks on Indian students, O'Brien said: "There is no substantial decrease in student flow. South Australia is very safe. We are a multi-cultural and tolerant community."

"The Australian government is taking steps and we will look after the Indian students well," he added.

Like other top administrators of his country, O'Brien also declined to term attacks on Indian students as racist. "We don't see them as racist attacks. They are criminal acts, acts of theft," he said.

There are over 500,000 international students in Australia pursuing university education and vocational studies, of which 94,000 are Indians -- the second highest group after the Chinese. Thousands of Indians are enrolled in vocational courses in government and private Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institutes.

In recent years Australia's education industry has boomed to become the country's third-largest foreign currency earner after coal and iron ore, generating about $12 billion in revenue in 2008. Indian students in Australia alone contribute $3.5 billion a year to the economy.

Dozens of Indian students have been attacked in Australia throughout this year, making India react strongly. Even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh took up the issue with his Australian counterpart. The soaring sentiment in India forced many Australian authorities, including its prime minister, to tour India, to assure parents about the safety of their wards.