Summary
22 UK universities led by the British Council, Universities UK International, Department for Education and Department for International Trade to meet Indian government bodies and university leaders
UK and Indian education sectors discuss offering dual degrees, joint courses and new partnerships
British Council is hosting a delegation comprising senior UK university leaders to India from June 6 to 10. The team includes representatives from Universities UK International (UUKi), Department for Education (DfE UK) and Department for International Trade (DIT UK).
The delegation represents apex education bodies, such as The Russell Group, Universities Wales, and 22 UK higher education institutions (HEIs) , making it the largest- ever delegation of higher education leaders from the UK to visit the country.
During the visit, the delegation is set to meet central and state government officials, policymakers and senior university leaders from 10 Indian states in New Delhi, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Kolkata. The visit aims at discussing partnerships and collaborations that meet the NEP’s vision of internationalisation of Indian higher education institutions by promoting transnational education (TNE) and greater two-way student and faculty mobility.
The inaugural day of the delegation included a workshop on education collaboration between India and the UK, led by Manju Singh, joint secretary, UGC; Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner to India; Barbara Wickham OBE, director India, British Council and Vivienne Stern, director, Universities UK International. The delegation discussed new policy measures and activities to support internationalisation, quality assurance and collaborating through teaching, industry-academia partnerships and the different models of TNE allowed under the NEP. So far, 44 grants worth GBP 1.2 million have been provided to 107 higher education institutions for joint collaborations. These include 66 institutions from India and 41 from the UK.
Addressing the delegation, Singh said, “We welcome the delegation of UK higher education leaders to India to continue the bilateral collaboration in education benefitting both countries. The focus is on increasing two-way mobility of students, faculty as well as institutional mobility between India and the UK.”
Speaking on the occasion, Stern said, “India is a key partner for the UK, and there are huge benefits for both our countries from close cooperation among our universities in all aspects of higher education, research, and innovation. This is the first major delegation Universities UK has undertaken since the advent of Covid-19, and it is important that so many of our universities are here this week."
Sharing her views, Wickham said, “Education and research cooperation is an important pillar of the India-UK bilateral relationship. Strengthening and diversifying links with India is a priority for the UK. In the post-pandemic world, international education systems are best placed to improve the quality of learning through TNE and be the force multipliers for research innovation that can address sustainable growth and global challenges.”
Over the next few days, on the side-lines of their discussions with stakeholders, the delegation will also discuss current trends in international student recruitment/mobility in India and the UK.
Last updated on 07 Jun 2022
