India Yet To Secure A Campus From Any Leading Global University: Parliamentary Panel – News18

The report highlights the recent trend of foreign universities establishing campuses in India due to the country’s vast student market and government initiatives to enhance collaborations and joint degrees, reported PTI. However, India still lacks a campus from any of the top global universities such as the Ivy League, New York University, and Carnegie Mellon University. The Ivy League, comprising prestigious U.S. universities like Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia, is renowned for its academic excellence.

“The Committee notes that in recent years, there has been a notable trend of foreign universities establishing campuses in India which is driven by India’s vast student market and the government’s efforts to increase collaborations and joint degrees. However, India is yet to secure a campus from any of the leading global universities (the Ivy Leagues, New York University, Carnegie Mellon University, etc). The Committee recommends that the Department of Higher Education should make efforts to secure the same to enable greater access to the best of global resources for students within the country,” the report stated.

In 2023, the University Grants Commission (UGC) announced regulations for setting up and operating campuses of foreign higher educational institutions in India.

While the UK’s Southampton University is establishing its campus in India this year, two Australian universities, Deakin and Wollongong, already have campuses in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City). Additionally, Queen’s University Belfast and Coventry University have received approval to set up campuses in GIFT City. However, no US university has established an offshore campus in India so far, the report added.

The panel also noted that the ‘Study in India’ (SII) initiative, launched in 2018, aims to attract foreign students by promoting India’s higher education ecosystem globally. The Department of Higher Education is targeting South Asia, South East Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Africa for internationalising higher education.

“The Committee was informed that the Department is targeting the countries in South Asia, South East Asia, Central Asia, Middle East and Africa for globalising higher education platform. To facilitate this, UGC has issued already a guideline where up to 25 per cent seats can be created as supernumerary seats for foreign students. Besides, it has also issued guidelines for setting up offices of international affairs in higher education institutions and also the alumni connect cells,” it said.

The panel was informed about a scheme promoting academic and research collaboration between Indian and foreign higher education institutions. This initiative supports joint research proposals between professors from India and abroad, covering areas of national strategic interest such as emerging technology, energy and sustainability, food security, healthcare, and industry. So far, 787 joint research proposals have been approved under this scheme, involving 28 countries including the US, UK, Germany, Australia, and France.

The report also mentions progress in organising international conferences, workshops, and publishing joint research articles by Indian and foreign professors.