UK–India Academic Ties Set for Major Expansion as British Universities Plan Campuses Across India
By Tajdar H. Zaidi
Lucknow: Educational collaboration between the United Kingdom and India is poised to reach a significant new milestone, with nine British universities preparing to establish campuses across India.
This move marks a strategic shift toward deeper, long-term partnerships in higher education, skill development, and the fast-growing creative economy.
In an exclusive interaction, Alison Barrett, a senior representative of the British Council, described the initiative as a transformative step that goes far beyond expanding access to foreign degrees.
She said the new campuses will serve as hubs of collaboration, bringing together academia, industry, and innovation in ways that benefit both countries.
Barrett highlighted the importance of two-way mobility — not only Indian students gaining access to British education models, but also British students coming to India to learn, intern, and work within the country’s vibrant creative sectors.
She explained that British students will increasingly travel to India for internships in areas such as filmmaking, podcasting, fashion, design, and other creative industries, gaining exposure to India’s dynamic market and its innovative approaches to scaling businesses.
According to Barrett, the presence of British universities in India will help create integrated ecosystems where universities and industries collaborate closely to prepare students for real-world challenges.
Looking ahead, she expressed strong optimism about the next decade of cooperation.
She said she expects to see far stronger institutional links between UK and Indian universities in creative industries, adding that there is enormous potential to jointly nurture a new generation of future-ready talent equipped with global skills and perspectives.
The initiative fits neatly into India’s broader goal of internationalizing its higher education sector and positioning itself as a global center for innovation, entrepreneurship, and creative excellence.
For the UK, the strategy represents a shift from a traditional education export model toward a more collaborative global presence — allowing British institutions to reach diverse student communities while remaining competitive in an increasingly interconnected education market.
Barrett noted that these partnerships will take various forms, including joint undergraduate and master’s degree programs, shared research initiatives, and structured internship pathways that allow students to gain hands-on experience in India’s rapidly expanding creative economy.
She emphasized that student mobility will remain at the heart of the relationship, with learners moving between the two countries and universities working together to design curricula that directly reflect industry needs.
Barrett also pointed to the growing momentum behind the initiative, saying that with nine British universities already preparing to set up campuses in India, many more are expected to follow in the coming years as regulatory systems mature and demand continues to rise.
She added that this evolving ecosystem will ensure a steady flow of talent, ideas, and innovation between the UK and India for decades to come, strengthening ties not only in education but also in economic and cultural cooperation.
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