CQU student Jacqueline Dempsey is among 57 of Australia and India's finest university students to be accepted for the first Australia India Universities Youth Forum (AIUYF) on sustainability this June.

Workshops and events relating to the Forum will be held in Sydney, Canberra, outback Australia and Darwin.

Jacqueline Dempsey ... looking forward to the forum

Ms Dempsey is a third-year Bachelor of Learning Management student based at CQU Bundaberg, who hopes to become a primary school teacher.

She worked in administration in Brisbane for 20 years before moving to Bundaberg to pursue her studies a few years ago.

"Through studying HPE electives I have become an AustSwim instructor - I would never have thought I would become a swim teacher but it is so much fun.  I love teaching the baby classes," she said.

"I am really excited about the opportunity to be joining the forum on behalf of CQU.

"Sustainability is such a relevant topic and I am looking forward to learning more and meeting everyone.

"Hopefully the information I learn will not only be transferred into my immediate environment but can be shared with my future students.

"I have been volunteering at Mon Repos Conservation Centre, which is a conservation site for sea turtles here in Bundaberg, for the last 2 seasons.  I love the work that I get to do there and will go on and on about turtles.

"I have just taken up diving and love the underwater experiences I have had so far."

The AIUYF participants from Australian and Indian universities were chosen following a highly competitive selection process.

The student participants will receive training in sustainability leadership and will be encouraged to share the skills they develop during the AIUYF with their own communities and universities.

The AIUYF has been developed and funded by IDP Education Australia Ltd, an organisation owned by 38 Australian universities undertaking activities to support international education.

Chair of the AIUYF Steering Committee, Professor John Ingleson, says the theme of sustainability was chosen for its importance to youth and for its relevance across a broad range of academic disciplines.

"The Australia India Universities Youth Forum aims to develop links and foster understanding and dialogue between Australian and Indian students.

"Participants were selected based on a demonstrated interest in sustainability, leadership ability and an outstanding academic background," said Professor Ingleson.

The AIUYF commences on June 28 in Sydney and concludes in Darwin on July 12. Program highlights include a sustainability leadership training program, a 3-day eco tour of outback Australia, and workshops with the City of Sydney's Sustainable Sydney 2030 project team.

The AIUYF aims to develop links and foster understanding and dialogue between Australian and Indian students by establishing a program of focused engagement for Australian higher education institutions with similar institutions in India.