Chris Minns Launches Western Sydney University Campus in India

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns launched a new Western Sydney University (WSU) campus in India on August 31, 2026. The institution will establish a presence in Greater Noida, marking the first time a foreign university has collaborated with the state of Uttar Pradesh. The campus is expected to be operational by February, with technology-related academic classes beginning in 2027.

To support the initiative, WSU launched five scholarships named after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, focusing on areas such as women's education, water sustainability, data management, and business management. Minns stated the campus would help India reach its national goal of enrolling 50 percent of its youth in higher education by 2035, emphasizing that the university would maintain its Australian values of direct teacher-student relationships to empower students of all backgrounds.

Beyond education, Minns used a meeting in New Delhi regarding energy transition and high-tech metals to advocate for deeper economic cooperation. He highlighted a complementarity between the industrial needs of India and the mining strengths of New South Wales, specifically regarding rare earths, copper, gold, and metallurgical coal. Minns expressed a desire to support Indian industries as the fastest growing large economy in the world by strengthening links with public sector undertakings and increasing the employment of New South Wales-trained engineers within Indian firms.