CEO speaks: Beyond the brand
The University Grants Commission (UGC)’s “Setting Up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India” (FHEIs) initiative by the government is expected to provide a major incentive to top global universities to open their campuses in India in the near future, facilitated by a decisive and stable policy framework.
The primary aim of the above regulations is to arrest the continuous outward flow of Indian students to foreign shores in search of quality education and consequently check the outward flow of valuable foreign currencies. According to government records, almost 7.5 lakh Indian students enrolled at foreign universities in 2022 alone — up by 68% over the 2021 figures of 4.44 lakh.
While this is a long overdue and very welcome move, I am of the firm view that students should make truly informed choices on their higher education — especially with the increase in accessibility once foreign universities open their domestic campuses in India.
In order to make those informed choices, I believe that students should first understand what sets an academic institution truly apart — what is it that makes an institution an “Institute of Eminence”?
The differentiators lie in their pedagogy, their excellence in faculty as represented through their research publications and patents, their strong focus on innovation and the use of modern technologies in teaching and learning processes, an enabling environment of international collaboration through exchange of knowledge and ideas, state-of-the-art infrastructure and facilities that support research, innovation, and overall student experience and effective leadership through a robust and transparent governance structure.
All of the above factors constitute and define the excellence achieved by Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Harvard, Oxford or MIT overseas, and the IITs, NITs, AIIMS, IIMs and IISCs closer home — to name but a few of globally reputed institutes. And all of the above factors are strong functions of time and evolution. Just as Rome was not built in a day, neither was a university of global repute! Cumulatively, these factors create and define the unique environment — the “culture” and “legacy” of a truly eminent institution.
The campuses to be set up in India by foreign institutions shall also need to grow and evolve with time. While they will surely benefit immensely from the available legacy of their parent campuses, it shall be premature to believe that the ethos and culture of their original campuses can be transplanted here at short notice. Another point to consider is that the parent campuses of some of these institutes are centuries old — and substantial investment has been made over time in creating and sustaining their standards. Will foreign universities be willing to make proportionate investments in their Indian campuses as well, in an accelerated manner?
If we need case studies, we need only to consider the newer IITs, IIMs and the AIIMS. Even though they were modelled on and mentored by the older established IITs, IIMs and AIIMS respectively, they are still on a growth journey to match the stature and prestige of the older established campuses — even when investment and resources are not a constraint.
The quality of undergraduate education in India — across all areas of the STEM discipline — is exceptional. Our post graduate courses and research facilities too are rapidly catching up to world standards. This is increasingly being recognised worldwide. In 2001, CBS in the United States featured the IITs in CBS 60 minutes — one of the most watched programmes in that country. Since then, and even before that, Indian engineers, scientists and doctors — educated in Indian institutes of eminence — have made headlines throughout the world.
If an Indian student, who wants to pursue engineering, gains admission to an established IIT campus and also the Indian campus of a reputable foreign university — what shall s/he choose?
The primary reason for the outflow of Indian students is better job and immigration opportunities in their countries of choice. There is also an added aspect of prestige of degrees from foreign institutions — especially amongst the financial elite of the country. Will a relatively new campus of a foreign university in India be able to tick the right boxes for their target audiences?
The success of this initiative shall largely depend on how both the foreign universities as well as their targeted students in India perceive their relative positions. Answers to many of the questions raised here shall be driven by strong personal preferences and of course, time. However, by taking a holistic, objective and research-based approach to their institute selection process, students can make an informed decision that best meets their aspirations and requirements.
Dr Sanku Bose, Group CEO
(Techno India Group)
