Almost 48 Universities Engaged/Pursuing Collaborations With Foreign Institutions

Including Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, four southern universities are among the 48 Indian universities that are either engaged or active in pursuing collaborations with foreign higher education institutions (HEIs) under the government’s twinning scheme. Along the scheme, as per University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Professor M Jagadesh Kumar collaborations include from south are Periyar University, Salem; Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka and Pondicherry University. 

To a renowned media house, Kumar said that The New Indian Express scheme has received a positive response ever since the regulations were released in May this year, allowing Indian and foreign higher education institutions, which offer twinning and joint degree, with some courses completed in foreign countries, and the dual degree, both colleges award degree programs. 

Kumar said, “Response to the regulations has been overwhelming. So far, 48 Indian universities have shared that they have either engaged in academic collaboration with foreign higher education institutions (HEIs) or in the advanced stage of finalising the collaboration agreements.” 

The Tata Institute of Social Sciences in a formal occasion launched the 2022-2023 academic session with two new international dual degree programs, which are the first of their kind, on September 12, 2022. 

One of the dual degrees is in collaboration with Monash University, Australia, in the field of International Development Practices, and the other is a dual degree in partnership with Queen Mary University of London, UK, in Social Entrepreneurship and International Business. 

Almost 26 central universities figure in the list of eligible Indian HEIs, as per the UGC chairman, which includes Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad, Telangana, Pondicherry University, Kalapet, Pondicherry, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, Tezpur University, Tezpur, Assam, Delhi University, and Dr. Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh. 

As of now, eight Central Universities have responded to the UGC sharing the information on academic collaboration, which are Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, Tezpur University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Central University of Haryana, Banaras Hindu University, Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and Pondicherry University. 

Kumar said, “Within a few months, the eligible institutions have displayed overwhelming interest. It is expected that due to the enabling provisions of the UGC regulations on academic collaboration, more Indian universities will come forward and establish partnerships with foreign universities to offer twinning, joint degree, and dual degree programs.” 

UGC also took proactive steps for encouraging the Indian HEIs for forging such partnerships. 

Students Centered 

In this direction, a consultative meeting under the guidance of the chairman of the UGC chairman was conducted where the vice-chancellors from 190 eligible Indian universities participated and expressed interest. 

Kumar said that the collaboration will be beneficial to students which will offer global exposure, quality education at an affordable cost, and internationalization at home to multidisciplinary education, with an internationally relevant curriculum to more chances of jobs. 

16  Indian Universities In Twinning Scheme Include