A Ceremony of Firsts: India's Deakin GIFT City Celebrates Inaugural Graduation Ceremony

GANDHINAGAR, India, March 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In a pivotal moment for India's higher education landscape, Deakin University, Australia, the first foreign university to establish an international branch campus in India, today celebrated the Graduation Ceremony of its inaugural cohort at its GIFT City Campus in Gujarat.

With this historic milestone, the graduating students become the first in India to earn a globally recognised Australian university degree while completing their entire education within the country.

Unlike any graduation ceremony previously held in India, the occasion brought the full Australian university experience to Indian soil and was overseen by Deakin Vice-Chancellor, Professor Iain Martin. Traditional Australian academic regalia, ceremonial protocols, and institutional customs were observed in their entirety, set within an unmistakably Indian context of place, culture, and community symbolising both continuity and convergence in the evolving Australia–India education partnership.

The Hon'ble Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel, Chief Minister of Gujarat, was the Guest of Honour at the ceremony along with H.E. Phillip Green OAM, Australian High Commissioner to India, along with senior delegates from the Indian and Australian governments.

Congratulating the graduates at this event, the Hon'ble Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel, Chief Minister of Gujarat, said, "All of you graduating today will be pioneers in building a developed India. You are the first batch of graduates from the GIFT City Campus of Deakin University. Your achievements will inspire many students in the future. The knowledge, skills, and global exposure you have gained here will empower you to contribute to building a developed India by 2047, with a spirit of 'Nation First'." 

He was joined by H.E. Phillip Green OAM, Australian High Commissioner to India, who felicitated the students, saying, "Congratulations to Deakin University as its first batch of Deakin GIFT City students graduate. This event is not merely an event for awarding degrees, but also an opportunity to present India's transformation into a global knowledge centre before the world."

"Australia was the first country to have a campus of a foreign university like Deakin here in India, and to have a graduation so soon is demonstrative of Australia's promise to Prime Minister Modi's educational goals for India," he added.

The inaugural graduation also marks a defining milestone in India's internationalisation journey under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Until now, earning an international degree required Indian students to relocate overseas.

"This is a momentous occasion in the Deakin–India partnership. This group represents the very best of what's possible when two countries collaborate and are committed to excellence and the delivery of world-class education. I am confident that having completed their globally recognised degrees, these graduates are prepared to meet India's economic, industry and workforce needs," Professor Martin said.

The first-ever Deakin GIFT graduates have experienced a contemporary learning model that departs from traditional formats. Their academic journey combined an industry-integrated curriculum, applied and assignment-based pedagogy, international academic systems, and structured engagement with global industry leaders through masterclasses and mentoring. With employability embedded in the courses, many students already have placement success with multinational organisations with transnational operations, including National Australia Bank (NAB), Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) and India International Exchange (IFSC) Ltd.

Ravneet Pawha, Vice President (Global Engagement) and CEO (South Asia), Deakin University, said: "Today marks more than student achievement; it marks policy delivered in practice. When India reimagined its education ecosystem under NEP 2020, it signalled a new openness to high-quality global institutions. This graduation demonstrates that vision in action: international standards embedded in India, responsible institutional investment, and students accessing world-class education without leaving home. It reflects two nations advancing from dialogue to an enduring partnership in education, skills and knowledge creation."

As India advances its ambition to become a global education and talent hub and Australia strengthens its engagement through long-term institutional presence, the inaugural graduation at Deakin University's GIFT City Campus marks the beginning of a new chapter in how international education is conceived, delivered, and experienced.

Applications for the July 2026 intake are now open. Meritorious students will have the opportunity to compete for scholarships supporting their academic and professional journey. For more information, visit: https://www.deakin.edu.au/gift-city-campus-india

About Deakin University GIFT City Campus

Deakin University, ranked among the top 1% of global universities, made history as the first international university to establish a branch campus in India, with operations at GIFT City, Gandhinagar. Since welcoming its first cohort in July 2024, Deakin's campus has become a hub for academic excellence and industry-aligned learning. Currently, the campus offers two cutting-edge postgraduate programs in Business Analytics and Cyber Security.

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