Education Minister Opens India Campus Of University Of Southampton In Gurugram

News18

17-07-2025

Last Updated:
The Gurugram campus of University Of Southampton will allow students to spend up to one year at the University's campuses in the UK or Malaysia.
Union Minister of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan, inaugurated the India campus of the University of Southampton in Gurugram, Haryana, alongside Nayab Singh Saini, Chief Minister of Haryana, on Wednesday, as stated by the Ministry of Education, reported ANI. The University of Southampton, a QS Top 100 global institution and founding member of the UK's Russell Group, becomes the first foreign university to establish a campus in India under the University Grants Commission's regulations.
The Gurugram campus will allow students to spend up to one year at the University's campuses in the UK or Malaysia. Programmes starting in 2025 include undergraduate (BSc) courses in Computer Science, Economics, Accounting & Finance, Business Management, and postgraduate (MSc) courses in Finance and International Management.
Pradhan highlighted that this occasion marks a crucial step towards the internationalisation of education in India under NEP 2020 and strengthens the educational collaboration between India and the UK, as outlined in the India-UK Roadmap 2030. He lauded the University of Southampton for setting up the campus swiftly and expressed confidence that it will become a leading institution shaping future leaders with its advanced courses and academic excellence. He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi views education as a vital bridge between India and the UK, and today's inauguration further solidifies this connection.
The Gurugram campus will foster new synergies, a culture of curiosity and excellence, and provide students access to world-class education at a more affordable cost, closer to home and family. Pradhan encouraged the University of Southampton to introduce STEM courses at the Gurugram campus and aspire to become a hub for global solutions, the report added.
Pradhan emphasised that education is central to India's development and, through the internationalisation of education at home, India is poised to become a global knowledge destination, reviving its historical intellectual heritage from Pushpagiri and Nalanda to Gurugram.
Vineet Joshi, Secretary, Higher Education and Chairman UGC, congratulated the University of Southampton and the UK Government on the opening of their campus in India, calling it a proud milestone in the India-UK education partnership. He noted that this is the first campus set up under the UGC's new regulations, enabling foreign universities to establish branch campuses in India, a key reform under NEP 2020 proposed by Prime Minister Modi.
Joshi stated that NEP 2020 positions India as a global hub for education, research, and innovation, and emphasised that the UGC has streamlined the process to facilitate such initiatives. He praised the proactive support of the Haryana Government and expressed confidence that the University of Southampton will provide quality education in critical areas such as Computer Science, Economics, International Business, and Management, contributing to India's goals in digital innovation and global leadership. He hoped the new campus would foster collaboration between Indian and international academia, becoming a beacon of excellence and a bridge between nations.
The University plans to hire over 75 full-time faculty members who meet UK academic standards and will undertake the University's Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice, bringing experience from global academic centres in the UK, UAE, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Germany, Japan, and the United States.
The University of Southampton boasts a global alumni network of over 290,000 graduates, including more than 1,700 from India.
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