In a significant step towards advancing the internationalization of higher education, as envisioned in #NEP2020, we are pleased to announce that AcSIR has signed an academic collaboration agreement with the University of Melbourne to establish a *Joint PhD Program*. This partnership represents a major milestone in fostering high-impact, globally relevant research by enabling doctoral candidates to benefit from the expertise, resources, and mentorship of both institutions. In its pilot phase, the *Melbourne-AcSIR Network* will support jointly funded PhD candidates engaged in collaborative research projects across diverse scientific disciplines. These scholars will be enrolled at both institutions and will receive guidance from faculty at AcSIR and the University of Melbourne. The agreement underscores the shared commitment of both institutions to academic excellence and research innovation. We believe this initiative will not only strengthen research ties between India and Australia but also create new pathways for our scholars to contribute meaningfully to the global scientific community. Further efforts to expand such collaborative partnerships will continue in the future. @CSIR_IND @EduMinOfIndia @DrJitendraSingh @DrNKalaiselvi @Prof_ManojDhar @ICMRDELHI @UniMelb