How NEP facilitated a UK-India partnership

Hindustan Times

a day ago

In July 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi set out a new vision for education in India, the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP). This visionary framework for the very first time identified internationalisation of education as a national priority and invited the world to collaborate and co-create with India's thriving higher education ecosystem. Provisions for foreign university campuses, joint and dual degrees, credit transfers, and an increased focus on research and innovation aim to propel India towards becoming one of the world's leading knowledge economies.
Almost exactly five years on, India is celebrating five years of the National Education Policy in action and India and the UK have prioritised education in our refreshed and forward-looking Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Last week in the UK, Prime Ministers Keir Starmer and Modi set out a vision for 2035 that will build on our already strong education and skills partnership, nurturing the next generation of global talent, creating opportunities for cross cultural learning and accelerating our cooperation and ambition through an annual strategic education dialogue. And the future of our education partnership is already clear to see, with the opportunity to access the UK's world-class education growing right here in India.
In July, the University of Southampton became the first foreign university to open a comprehensive branch campus in India under the University Grants Commission regulations. We were delighted to attend the opening ceremony in Gurugram along with dignitaries from the Government of India and the University of Southampton. But it was among students that the excitement was most palpable – one told us that she was delighted to have the chance to attend a UK university without having to travel thousands of miles from her family.
It is students like her that this partnership benefits most.
This is an important milestone in the UK-India relationship, which has been made possible by the NEP, the UGC regulations and the UK and India's shared commitment to internationalisation, inclusion and innovation. And with four other UK universities set to follow Southampton's lead and open campuses in India next year, and two more set to launch soon in GIFT City, this excitement is continuing to grow.
With some of the UK's best universities bringing their brands to India, thousands of bright Indian students will have new opportunities to gain the global skills that India's fast-growing economy needs. These students will be the pillars of India's knowledge economy and integral to the achievement of the vision of Viksit Bharat.
But these university openings are just one strand in the golden thread of people-to-people connections linking the UK and India.
For decades, British and Indian students have travelled to each other's countries, enriching our living bridge and playing their important part in our vibrant research, education and skills partnership. In the UK, we are proud to celebrate our 1.9 million strong Indian diaspora. Their contributions to the arts, language, culture, food, sports and everything else have been felt in towns and cities across the UK.
We are at an inflection point in transnational education. Together, both countries are shaping a future-ready, equitable and innovative model of transnational education that prioritises access, quality, and cross-cultural exchange. UK campuses in India are only one part of the story: More India-UK joint and dual degrees, centres of excellence with industry, and science and research hubs are joining the thriving Indian higher education ecosystem. All this creates greater opportunities for young people, including for British students to spend time studying in India.
The bespoke Young Professionals Scheme (YPS), a visa scheme which allows young Indian and British graduates to live, study, travel and work in the other country for up to two years, is also an enabler of that.
The timing of our commitment to deepen our educational partnership could not be more important. In a world of geopolitical, geo-economic and technological shifts, and greater demand for higher education, it is crucial that our education systems evolve to drive innovation and build a skilled and forward-looking talent pool, ready to address global challenges and contribute to a safe and sustainable future for all.
That is why the UK and India's intellectual partnership will build on the strong foundations of the first five years of progress we have seen under the NEP. We will be responsive to emerging opportunities, adapt to the rapid advancement of technology, and strengthen our collaboration.
And we hope to see universities continuing to partner to align their curricula, processes, and support systems to meet students' international aspirations. As the NEP shows, regulations, when thoughtfully crafted and consistently implemented, can be powerful enablers of international learning.
India and the UK are collaborating to build institutions that can foster a generation of globally minded, socially conscious leaders equipped to tackle complex transnational challenges. Education is the foundation on which economies grow, and where innovations that create the opportunities of the future are shaped. The UK and India will continue to nurture the next generation of talent through our global education and skills partnership – and we are excited to see what the next five years of the NEP will bring.
Lindy Cameron is British high commissioner to India and Alison Barrett is country director, British Council India. The views expressed are personal.