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The University of Southampton, UK decided to have its India campus in Delhi NCR after much deliberation. Being the first foreign university to get a Letter of Intent (LoI) from the University Grant Commission (UGC), it aims to retain its international outlook. Prof Andrew Atherton, vice-president, International and Engagement, University of Southampton, UK, speaks to Education Times about the process of setting up its international campus, beginning with applying to the Indian government on January 31 and getting approval in August 2024.The campus will be functional by next year and begin with courses in business and computing. Excerpts of the interview:
What prompted the University of Southampton to set up a campus in India? How will this be different from the campus in Malaysia and UK?
India is the most populous nation globally with one of the highest rates of GDP growth and huge demand for Higher Education. Every year, around 1.7 million high school students score over 75% in the Secondary Board of Education exams, yet, there are only around 200,000 seats at universities in the global top 1,000. Demand for Higher Education (HE) will continue to grow, and the appetite for world-leading university programmes will be a core part of this growth. There is a strong culture of investment in Higher Education to develop human capital and to secure enhanced job opportunities on graduation. As a result, demand for HE is growing at a rapid pace and the desire for world-leading courses is huge and expanding.
The University of Southampton recognises the huge expansion of HE and the desire of students to access world-class education in-country. The University is the world’s top 100 universities and so can offer world-class degrees, education and learning. We are also a ‘triple helix’ university, balancing education with research and enterprise.
India has excellent universities and research institutions, as well as an appetite for policy and applied research. We are excited by the prospects of research collaboration with Indian universities on the key challenges and questions facing humankind and our planet. We also want to develop long-term, durable and mutually respectful partnerships to advance our knowledge. India is also a startup nation, with almost half of the working population under 30 starting or working in a new venture. Southampton is one of the leading knowledge exchange and enterprise universities in the UK, ranking first in five of the seven dimensions of the Knowledge Exchange Framework. We look to learn from Start-Up India and offer our knowledge and experience in enterprise and entrepreneurship in this entrepreneurial nation.
The primary difference between the University of Southampton Delhi campus and our campuses in the UK and Malaysia is that it offers the only top 100 educational degree in India. Our campus is in, with and for India and for Indian students seeking a world-class, top-100 degrees in their own country.
When will the Delhi campus start and what are the courses that would be offered? Will it be customised for Indian students, or it will be a global curriculum?
The campus will offer a growing range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in multiple subjects, including Business, Computing and AI, Engineering, Economics, Law, Art and Design. We aim to be a comprehensive university offering a wide range of subjects and undertaking research to inform and underpin our teaching and education. The degrees will be the same as those in the UK, with the same degrees and certificates, so that students receive the same awards in India as they would in the UK.
There may be some localisation of teaching content in courses where this makes sense, such as Indian case studies as well as international case studies in business programmes. However, the structure, award and modules will be the same as those in the UK to ensure the same degree is awarded. Apart from courses in Business, Computing, Engineering, Economics, Law, Data Science, AI, Art and design, at some point, we might look at Biomedicine and Biotech, at the Delhi campus, however, we will begin with courses in Business and Computing. We plan to have 32 programmes in the UG and PG categories, which will be introduced in stages.
We are planning to launch in August 2025, with the first cohorts starting undergraduate degrees in business and computing. We will introduce new degrees each year. We aim to grow the campus to 5,000 or more students by year 10.
What are the regulations given in the Letter of Intent by the Indian government? Will the University keep the curriculum in sync with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020?
The campus was approved under the NEP according to the regulation on Setting Up and Operating a Campus of a Foreign Higher Education Institution. The requirements and conditions to set up are very clear in the regulations and we will stick to these as we set up and operate the campus. We applied to UGC on January 24 and received the approval in August, which was very quick. The average time for approval in any university in Europe or any other country ranges from 15-18 months. UGC was articulate and guided us at every step whenever we reached out to them for clarifications.
What will be the fee structure of the University? Will there be scholarships for the students?
Tuition fees will reflect local conditions in India and, thus, will be lower than fees in the UK. There will be scholarships focused on academic excellence and creating opportunities for talented students with potential from disadvantaged backgrounds. We recognise many highly capable Indian students who have the academic ability to excel at the world top 100 universities but who do not come from families or have the income to fund a premier education, need support. Scholarships will enable these talented individuals to come to the Delhi campus.
Will the University have professors from the UK campus or Indian professors will be hired too?
We will hire an international faculty, seeking the best staff from countries across the world. We aim to create a diverse and globalised faculty to create an international environment and ethos on campus. We are also looking at secondment opportunities from the UK to India and will encourage Southampton staff to engage closely with and support the campus. We intend to give a real international feel and experience to the students, which is what the UGC expects. Indian students would get a UK degree at the India campus.
What prompted the University of Southampton to set up a campus in India? How will this be different from the campus in Malaysia and UK?
India is the most populous nation globally with one of the highest rates of GDP growth and huge demand for Higher Education. Every year, around 1.7 million high school students score over 75% in the Secondary Board of Education exams, yet, there are only around 200,000 seats at universities in the global top 1,000. Demand for Higher Education (HE) will continue to grow, and the appetite for world-leading university programmes will be a core part of this growth. There is a strong culture of investment in Higher Education to develop human capital and to secure enhanced job opportunities on graduation. As a result, demand for HE is growing at a rapid pace and the desire for world-leading courses is huge and expanding.
The University of Southampton recognises the huge expansion of HE and the desire of students to access world-class education in-country. The University is the world’s top 100 universities and so can offer world-class degrees, education and learning. We are also a ‘triple helix’ university, balancing education with research and enterprise.
India has excellent universities and research institutions, as well as an appetite for policy and applied research. We are excited by the prospects of research collaboration with Indian universities on the key challenges and questions facing humankind and our planet. We also want to develop long-term, durable and mutually respectful partnerships to advance our knowledge. India is also a startup nation, with almost half of the working population under 30 starting or working in a new venture. Southampton is one of the leading knowledge exchange and enterprise universities in the UK, ranking first in five of the seven dimensions of the Knowledge Exchange Framework. We look to learn from Start-Up India and offer our knowledge and experience in enterprise and entrepreneurship in this entrepreneurial nation.
The primary difference between the University of Southampton Delhi campus and our campuses in the UK and Malaysia is that it offers the only top 100 educational degree in India. Our campus is in, with and for India and for Indian students seeking a world-class, top-100 degrees in their own country.
When will the Delhi campus start and what are the courses that would be offered? Will it be customised for Indian students, or it will be a global curriculum?
The campus will offer a growing range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in multiple subjects, including Business, Computing and AI, Engineering, Economics, Law, Art and Design. We aim to be a comprehensive university offering a wide range of subjects and undertaking research to inform and underpin our teaching and education. The degrees will be the same as those in the UK, with the same degrees and certificates, so that students receive the same awards in India as they would in the UK.
There may be some localisation of teaching content in courses where this makes sense, such as Indian case studies as well as international case studies in business programmes. However, the structure, award and modules will be the same as those in the UK to ensure the same degree is awarded. Apart from courses in Business, Computing, Engineering, Economics, Law, Data Science, AI, Art and design, at some point, we might look at Biomedicine and Biotech, at the Delhi campus, however, we will begin with courses in Business and Computing. We plan to have 32 programmes in the UG and PG categories, which will be introduced in stages.
We are planning to launch in August 2025, with the first cohorts starting undergraduate degrees in business and computing. We will introduce new degrees each year. We aim to grow the campus to 5,000 or more students by year 10.
What are the regulations given in the Letter of Intent by the Indian government? Will the University keep the curriculum in sync with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020?
The campus was approved under the NEP according to the regulation on Setting Up and Operating a Campus of a Foreign Higher Education Institution. The requirements and conditions to set up are very clear in the regulations and we will stick to these as we set up and operate the campus. We applied to UGC on January 24 and received the approval in August, which was very quick. The average time for approval in any university in Europe or any other country ranges from 15-18 months. UGC was articulate and guided us at every step whenever we reached out to them for clarifications.
What will be the fee structure of the University? Will there be scholarships for the students?
Tuition fees will reflect local conditions in India and, thus, will be lower than fees in the UK. There will be scholarships focused on academic excellence and creating opportunities for talented students with potential from disadvantaged backgrounds. We recognise many highly capable Indian students who have the academic ability to excel at the world top 100 universities but who do not come from families or have the income to fund a premier education, need support. Scholarships will enable these talented individuals to come to the Delhi campus.
Will the University have professors from the UK campus or Indian professors will be hired too?
We will hire an international faculty, seeking the best staff from countries across the world. We aim to create a diverse and globalised faculty to create an international environment and ethos on campus. We are also looking at secondment opportunities from the UK to India and will encourage Southampton staff to engage closely with and support the campus. We intend to give a real international feel and experience to the students, which is what the UGC expects. Indian students would get a UK degree at the India campus.
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