University Of Liverpool’s India Campus To Offer MBA, AI, Game Design Courses; VC Shares Plans | Interview

Last Updated:May 26, 2025, 18:19 IST

Speaking to News18, University of Liverpool VC Prof Tim Jones said Bengaluru campus will offer UK-equivalent degrees in CS (AI), Business, Biomedical Sciences and more.

The University of Liverpool has become the second UK university, after the University of Southampton, to receive an official Letter of Intent (LoI) from the University Grants Commission (UGC) to establish a campus in India. The LoI was handed over during a ceremony held at the Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi, attended by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and UGC Interim Chair Dr Vineet Joshi.

Speaking exclusively to News18.com, Vice-Chancellor Professor Tim Jones shared details about the upcoming Bengaluru campus. He discussed the range of courses that will be offered — including Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Game Design, Business Management, Accounting, and Biomedical Sciences — and confirmed that the degrees awarded will be identical in content and quality to those conferred in the UK.

Here are the edited excerpts from the interview:

Q: What courses will be offered at the Indian campus?
A: Initially, we will begin with a relatively small number of programmes and expand gradually. The focus will be on courses such as Computer Science — including Artificial Intelligence and Data Science — Business Management, Accounting and Finance, Biomedical Sciences, and Game Design, which is quite unique. These courses reflect the university’s strengths in Liverpool and are expected to be highly attractive to both students and employers. Over time, we intend to grow the portfolio of degree programmes.

Q: Will the fees at the Indian campus be more affordable than studying in the UK?
A: We have not yet finalised the fees, but announcements will be made in the coming weeks and months. Since we aim to open the campus in August 2026, we will share all relevant details regarding fees soon for interested students.

Q: Will students from India have a chance to visit the UK campus?
A: Absolutely. Student mobility is very important. The University of Liverpool already attracts a significant number of Indian students and is the second-largest recruiter of Indian students among the Russell Group universities. We will encourage and facilitate movement between our campuses, depending on each student’s preferences.

Q: What kind of teachers and faculty will be at the Indian campus? Will UK professors also teach there?
A: When we open next year, some UK professors will teach at the Bengaluru campus, but the majority of faculty will be locally recruited. We believe it is important to have strong local academic staff. This model has been successful at our international campus in China.

Q: Will the degree awarded at the Indian campus be the same as the one given in the UK?
A: Yes, it will be exactly the same degree, adhering to identical quality standards. There will be no difference whatsoever. We follow a similar approach at our China campus, where the degrees hold equal value.

ALSO READ: University Of Liverpool To Open Campus In Bengaluru, 2nd UGC Approved UK University In India

Q: Will students receive internship or job support?
A: Yes, we are developing strong partnerships. We have already signed several MOUs with companies in Bengaluru and will continue to expand these ties. At Liverpool, we invest heavily in supporting students — especially international students — in securing placements, internships, and work experience, and we plan to replicate this in Bengaluru. We also aim to encourage entrepreneurship among our students.

Q: When will admissions start, and will there be scholarships for Indian students?
A: The campus is scheduled to open in August 2026, with teaching to commence then. Admissions criteria and processes will be announced in the coming weeks and months. Scholarships will be available, and further details will be shared over the next few months.

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