The Campus Model in Works for Welcoming Foreign Universities in India

As the recently introduced National Education Policy proposed the opening up of campuses world’s top 100 universities in India, the recent reports have stated the work on drafting this law will commence soon. This is definitely a big step towards providing quality higher education to every Indian student, but there are various factors to be considered like what will it take to set up campuses of foreign universities in India.

An important thing to keep in mind is not all the universities in the top 100 would set up campuses in India, for example, the University of Oxford has always had a sole campus in the UK and there can be other universities also that may not wish to set up a campus in a foreign country due to the following reasons:

• The charter of the university may not allow them to do so.
• The university may be following a strategy to preserve the quality and exclusivity of the institution.

Must Read: What is the Future of Higher Education in India?

However, there are many foreign universities which would like the opportunity to collaborate with Indian universities. In fact, the policy will hopefully lay down some standard protocols for foreign universities in India like –

• The universities will have to set up a local non-profit structure in India.
• Provide a minimum campus space and infrastructure.
• They will have to meet the requirements for funding and corpus
• They will have to abide by the rules for reservations and fee regulation.

The concept of “a campus in-campus model” is a model worth considering. This will offer foreign universities an opportunity, as the name implies, to formally link up with an Indian university and open a campus in India within the campus.

Here are the major aspects and factors to consider regarding the opening up of campuses of foreign universities in India:

• To begin with, the top 100 foreign universities in India would obviously be connected to existing and reputed universities. From a quality and brand security perspective, their confidence in a reputed Indian university will give them comfort. It will also ease their enforcement concerns, as they will have to help and direct a trustworthy Indian partner.
• Secondly, the campus model of the campus would allow them to use a part of an Indian university’s premises without the need to hunt for land or develop a campus. This will save a great deal of hassle.
• Thirdly, both Indian and international university staff and students would find common ground for interaction, contributing to the development of a globalized learning climate. Brands of both universities in the country will also jointly benefit from the co-branding of the campus or part of the campus with the name of Indian and International Universities. There may also be some other advantages. Needless to say, in addition to the authorization to set up a campus independently in India, this is a choice.

In other nations, a campus in campus model has performed well. Yale-NUS College and Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore are several examples that are closer to home. In Singapore, regulators will see the working of this model, and replicate the same for foreign universities in India. In order to realize the vision of becoming a global education centre, it is time for India to reinvent and think of certain new age models.

Check Out: India’s Latest Science, Innovation & Tech Policy – STIP 2020

Keep watching this space as we’ll add more updates on the campus model of foreign universities in India! Stay tuned to Leverage Edu for more such educational news from around the world!