New Delhi, Aug 1 (IANS) India and Australia Monday announced the launch of an education council to strengthen exchanges between the two nations.

‘Last April, we decided to start the India-Australia education council, which we start today,’ Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said after meeting Australian Tertiary Education Minister Chris Evans in New Delhi.

Sibal announced the start of the India-Australia education council at a press conference here.

A meeting of vice-chancellors from nearly 30 universities from the two countries was also held in New Delhi Sunday.

‘We are looking forward to expand the relations and increase people to people, and institution to institution contact,’ Evans said.

The university-level collaboration would include degree recognition, credit transfer, and collaboration in post-graduate and research programmes.

Asked about the issue of safety of Indian students in Australia, Evans said special steps have been taken for that.

‘We did have some issues, but now the students express high satisfaction,’ he said.

The minister said the problems occurred ‘partially due to the fact that the students were exposed to social conditions which left them exposed to crime’.

Asked about the fake universities luring students, the Australian minister said legislations have been passed to prevent that.