Discuss the various prospects and challenges involved in opening up the doors for foreign university branch campuses in India (200 words)
Refer - The Hindu
Enrich the answer from other sources, if the question demands.
IAS Parliament 3 years
KEY POINTS
Prospects
· India is on the cusp of opening its higher education doors to the world. NEP 2020 recommends allowing foreign universities in the top 100 category to operate in India.
· UGC draft regulations allow foreign institutions in the “top 500” category to establish campuses in India — realising that more flexibility was needed.
· This will bring in new ideas, best practices and much-needed global experience to India.
· India is seen around the world as an important country and an emerging higher education power.
· It is the world’s second largest “exporter” of students, with 4,61,792 students studying abroad (according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
· So, Foreign countries and universities will be eager to establish their campuses in India and interested in providing opportunities for home campus students to learn about Indian business, society, and culture to participate in growing trade and other relations.
· Some examples include - Gujarat Biotechnology University has partnered with the University of Edinburgh in developing strategies with regard to teaching, learning, research and innovation, and quality assurance, among others.
· Joint PhD programmes are offered by
o IIT Bombay and Monash Research Academy
o IIT Delhi Academy of Research (UQIDAR) and the University of Queensland
· Melbourne-India Postgraduate Academy (MIPA) is a joint initiative of the IISc Bangalore, IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur and IIT Kharagpur with the University of Melbourne.
· It provides students with an opportunity to earn a joint degree accredited both in India and Australia.
· These partnerships suggest that India could offer opportunities for international branch campuses as well.
Practical challenges
· It is important to prevent profit-seekers from entering the Indian market.
· Foreign universities are highly unlikely to invest significant funds up front. So providing significant incentives, including building facilities and necessary infrastructure is essential.
· There are smaller but highly regarded universities outside the ‘top 500’ category that might be more interested.
· If Bureaucratic hurdles and multiple regulations cannot be drastically cut, there will be no success in attracting branch campuses.
· A new accreditation mechanism, flexible visa rules for foreign students and faculty, financial incentives to offer programmes in priority areas should also be considered.
