Twinning plan winner: Four top southern universities pursuing tie-ups with foreign institutes

The Tata Institute of Social Sciences formally launched the 2022-2023 academic session with two new international dual degree programmes, the first of its kind, on September 12, 2022.
Indian Institute of Science (IISC) in Bengaluru (File photo| EPS)
Indian Institute of Science (IISC) in Bengaluru (File photo| EPS)

NEW DELHI: Four southern universities, including the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, are among the 48 Indian universities that are either engaged or actively pursuing collaborations with foreign higher education institutions (HEIs) under the government’s twinning scheme.

Periyar University, Salem, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka and Pondicherry University are the others from the south seeking collaborations under the scheme, said University Grants Commission (UGC) chairman Professor M Jagadesh Kumar.

Kumar told The New Indian Express that the scheme has received a positive response ever since the regulations were released in May this year, which allows Indian and foreign higher education institutions to offer twinning and joint degree (where some course is completed abroad) and dual degree (where both colleges award degree) programmes.

"Response to the regulations has been overwhelming. So far, 48 Indian universities have shared that they have either engaged in academic collaboration with foreign higher education institutions (HEIs) or in the advanced stage of finalising the collaboration agreements," Kumar said.

The Tata Institute of Social Sciences formally launched the 2022-2023 academic session with two new international dual degree programmes, the first of its kind, on September 12, 2022.

While one dual degree is in collaboration with Monash University, Australia, in the field of International Development Practice, the other is a dual degree in partnership with Queen Mary University of London, UK, in Social Entrepreneurship and International Business.

About 26 central universities figure in the list of eligible Indian HEIs, the UGC chairman said. These include Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad, Telangana, Pondicherry University, Kalapet, Pondicherry, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana, Tezpur University, Tezpur, Assam, Delhi University, and Dr Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh.

So far, eight Central Universities have responded to UGC sharing information on academic collaboration. These are Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, Tezpur University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Central University of Haryana, Banaras Hindu University, Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Pondicherry University.

"Within a few months, the eligible institutions have displayed overwhelming interest. It is expected that due to the enabling provisions of the UGC regulations on academic collaboration, more Indian universities will come forward and establish partnerships with foreign universities to offer twinning, joint degree and dual degree programmes," Kumar said.

UGC has also taken proactive steps to encourage the Indian HEIs to forge such partnerships.

In this direction, a consultative meeting under the chairmanship of the UGC chairman was held where vice-chancellors from 190 eligible Indian universities participated and expressed interest.

Kumar said the collaboration would benefit students immensely - from offering global exposure, quality education at affordable cost, and internationalisation at home to multidisciplinary education with an internationally relevant curriculum to more chances of jobs.

Highlights

48 Indian universities are actively pursuing collaborations with foreign higher educational institutions in the twinning scheme

There include - Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

Periyar University, Salem

Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka

Pondicherry University, Pondicherry.

O.P. Jindal Global University, Haryana

Chitkara University, Chandigarh

Panjab University, Chandigarh

26 central universities figure in the list of eligible India HEIs

These include –

Tezpur University, Tezpur, Assam

University of Delhi, Delhi

Dr Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh

Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya, Wardha, Maharashtra

Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad, Telangana

Pondicherry University, Kalapet, Pondicherry

Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu

University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, Telangana

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