Now that the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) regulation will allow reputed (top 500) foreign higher educational institutes (FHEIs) to set up branch campuses in India, let’s look at how these campuses will benefit us.
Global outlook, exposure and employment: As per the Ministry of External Affairs, 1,324,954 Indians were studying abroad in 2022. While it’s true that most prefer staying abroad for better career prospects, a large number of students do this for global exposure and an option to pursue diverse courses and specialisations, essentially opening themselves for “global jobs”. The National Education Policy 2020 recognises this and has given a similar guideline to Indian universities. As our universities reorient themselves to ready students for global jobs, we need to have specialised institutions, now. This is where branch campuses of FHEIs can play a key role, by bringing in a diverse range of teaching methodologies, cultural perspectives and academic approaches that can broaden Indian students’ global outlook.
Retaining talent in India: The Ministry of Education noted that 750,365 students moved to foreign lands to pursue higher education in 2022 alone, up from 518,015 in 2018. Around 75% of those who study abroad prefer settling down there. This is evident from the rise in Indian diaspora in many of the popular study-abroad countries – migration often starts with a quest for better education. But this is also brain drain – these minds could have played a role in building our economy. With the setting up of branch campuses of FHEIs in India, we can contain some of this brain drain.
Attracting talent to the sector: The Indian higher education sector is unable to attract and retain the best talent for teaching, research and administrative roles. Sectors like technology, automotive, banking and entertainment have stolen a march over education. With FHEIs, there is a signalling value at the sector level, with these institutions hiring staff from India or abroad, collaborating with existing academic fraternity, and creating new job roles for both teaching and non-teaching staff within the country.
Destination for global education: India aims to enrol over half a million foreign students annually by 2047, becoming a major destination for global education. The Ministry of External Affairs noted that about 330,000 foreign students came to India for higher education from more than 160 nations during 2016-21, and there was an increase of 14% in 2021 over 2020. India is a popular higher education destination for students from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan. With campuses of FHEIs in India, this inflow is expected to rise, as many students who were to opt for home campuses of these FHEIs may choose their Indian campuses – considering that they would get the same quality of education at a lower cost of living and in better proximity to their own countries. More students from Africa, the Middle East and the Far East could look at India as a study destination.
Taking our research global: Research and innovation play a crucial role in the development of any nation. In the last few decades, India has proved its mettle in the field of research across sectors. From developing Covid-19 vaccines to building the world’s cheapest spacecraft (the Chandrayaan 3), India can provide solutions to global challenges. With FHEIs bringing cutting-edge research infrastructure, facilities and technology from their home campuses, it can elevate research capabilities in India.
In summary, I believe FHEI campuses in India go beyond providing education to a few students. It will be the beginning of recognition of Indian talent to be accepted across sectors and levels globally.