UK-India education ties: University of Aberdeen gets green signal for Indian expansion; first Scottish campus by 2026
The University of Aberdeen became the first Scottish university to receive approval to set up a branch campus in India, officials confirmed on Saturday.
The prestigious institution has been granted a Letter of Intent to open its international campus in Mumbai, which is expected to begin operations by 2026.
Initially, it will offer undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in subjects such as computing and data science, business management, economics, and artificial intelligence.
An MBA programme will also be part of the first phase.
Future expansion plans include courses in mathematics, international business management, public health, film studies, psychology, and information systems, fields where both Aberdeen and India share strategic interests.
Siladitya Bhattacharya, vice-principal for Global Engagement at the University of Aberdeen, said,
'We are excited to progress our global ambitions after the Indian Government gave us approval to proceed with our intention for a campus. As a country of over 1.4 billion where 50 per cent of the population are below the age of 25, India has long been a priority area for our global engagement strategy focusing on student recruitment, articulation partnerships, research collaborations and alumni networks.'
He added that the new campus will help empower students and support joint research with Indian partners.
'By combining the University of Aberdeen's research expertise with India's innovation ecosystem, this initiative aims to tackle global challenges while enabling student exchange, faculty collaboration and industry-led innovation,' Bhattacharya said.
'We are looking forward to collaborating with our Indian partners to bring this vision to life and further bolster ties between Scotland and India through education and research.'
Alison Barrett MBE, country director India at the British Council, called the development a milestone in UK-India educational ties.
'It reflects our shared commitment to advancing the internationalisation of higher education, research, and innovation, as envisioned in India's National Education Policy 2020.'
Founded in 1495, the University of Aberdeen is the UK's fifth oldest university. It hosts more than 14,500 students from over 130 nationalities, with teaching and research organised across 12 schools.
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