India offers tremendous opportunities in various sectors, education is no different. Internationalisation of this sector was envisaged in the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP) and the Government has taken effective steps over the last four years towards achieving this goal. Initiatives such as Study in India, Foreign Higher Educational Institutions (FHEIs) setting up campuses in India, collaborations between Indian institutions and FHEIs, and mutual recognition of qualifications between governments are already seeing positive results. Enabling FHEIs to set up their campuses in India was allowed through Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) regulations as well as by the University Grants Commission (UGC). These regulations aim to attract top-ranked global universities and institutions to India and offer Indian students a chance to avail global certifications at comparatively affordable costs.
We have already seen Deakin University operationalising its campus in July this year and the University of Wollongong preparing for its launch, both at GIFT City.
The University of Southampton (UK) became the first university to receive a Letter of Intent from the Government to establish its campus in India. We are also seeing Indian institutions setting up campuses overseas as part of the internationalisation initiative. IIT Delhi has set up its first international campus in Abu Dhabi and IIT Madras has located its first overseas campus in Zanzibar. The UGC Institutions of Eminence (IoE) guidelines enable IoEs to set up their campuses overseas and BITS Pilani and Manipal Academy have taken advantage of this window.
While there is a lot of interest from other private universities to set up campuses overseas, promulgating an enabling framework through regulations by the Government would catalyse it further. In May 2022, the Government revamped the collaboration guidelines to allow for joint degree, dual degree and twinning programmes between Indian institutions and FHEIs. There is already lot of traction in this space, with Manipal Institute of Technology tying up with Deakin and the University of Australia and Shoolini University offering dual degrees with the University of Melbourne being recent examples.
Study in India is another initiative towards the internationalisation of the Indian education system. It is a flagship programme of the Government in line with PM Modi’s vision. The website portal acts as a single-window system for admission and visa applications for foreign students wanting to pursue higher education in India, with more than 60,000 students already registering through this portal. The baton of internationalisation of education is also being taken forward through the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding and the Mutual Recognition of Qualification (MRQ) Agreement between India and other countries, which aims to facilitate student and faculty exchanges.
There are around 50-plus active MoUs with a few under negotiation. MRQs have been signed with a few countries as well and some more are under negotiation.
A fabulous start to an era of transformation of the education landscape in India! Is there a need to do more? A targeted approach, probably through a campaign run with Indian consulates in overseas countries, could further the cause of internationalisation. FHEIs are now rethinking their strategy. Possibly an opportunity for India to tap – open an FHEI campus in India and offer itself as an alternate education hub in the region.
