University of Southampton becomes first foreign university to set up campus in India under NEP (Photo: X/@DrSJaishankar)
New Delhi: The United Kingdom University of Southampton has become the first foreign university to establish its offshore campus in India under the new PNEthe Center announced Thursday.
He University Scholarship Commission (UGC) announced Regulations for establishment and operation of campuses of foreign higher education institutions in India in 2023.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar handed over a Letter of Intent (LoI) to university representatives at an event here.
The University of Southampton The Delhi-NCR campus will provide education, research, knowledge exchange and entrepreneurship in the country, the university said in a statement.
According to officials, the University of Southampton submitted a proposal to open a branch campus which was approved by the UGC standing committee, comprising leading scholars from India and abroad, to issue an LoI as per regulations.
“The titles awarded by the Campus in India “The programmes offered at the University of Southampton’s India campus will be of the same academic and quality standards,” said UGC Chairman Jagadesh Kumar.
“The Indian campus of the University of Southampton is expected to launch its academic programmes in July 2025. The courses offered will focus on subjects such as business and management, computer science, law, engineering, art and design, biosciences and life sciences,” he added.
Australia’s Deakin University and the University of Wollongong have already set up campuses in GIFT City in Gujarat. However, the University of Southampton will be the first foreign university to set up a campus in India as per UGC norms.
The University of Southampton is a founding member of the Russell Group of UK-leading research-focused universities.
External Affairs Minister Jaishankar said the development reflected both the vision of raising India’s educational standards to the highest global levels and the fulfilment of the educational pillar of India-UK cooperation.
“I am confident that these efforts will further prepare our youth for work and foster a spirit of global understanding and cooperation,” he said.
The Minister stressed that the initiative would help establish a strong interactive footprint of Brand India in the educational sphere.
“This is a growing reality as we seek to align new technologies and service demands with demographic deficits,” Jaishankar said.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan termed the development as a step forward towards achieving the goal of ‘internationalisation at home’ as envisaged in the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020.
“I am glad that more and more world-renowned higher education institutions are showing keen interest in multifaceted collaborations with leading Indian institutions as well as in harnessing India’s potential as a global education and talent hub of the future,” he said in a post on X.
“Setting up foreign university campuses in India and Indian higher education institutions abroad is not only aimed at expanding educational opportunities but at creating a vibrant ecosystem of research, knowledge sharing and global collaboration. Educational institutions across countries have a responsibility to develop ‘global citizens’ with global values who can provide solutions to global challenges,” the minister added.
Mark E Smith, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton, said no university could be truly global in the 21st century without engaging with India.
He said: “Our intention is to establish a campus that will generate social value and economic impact for India and the University by bringing together Southampton’s world-class activities in education, research, knowledge exchange and entrepreneurship, with all the talent of the rising global superpower that is India.”
“Through this new campus, the University of Southampton will help implement a critical element of the Indian government’s transformational agenda, playing its part in harnessing the potential, talent and capabilities of India’s youth,” Smith added.
Andrew Atherton, the university’s vice president for international relations and engagement, said they would develop world-class, work-ready graduates with specialist and transferable skills.
“The University of Southampton’s Delhi-NCR campus will be India’s first comprehensive international campus. It will foster academic collaboration and bring an international dimension to India’s higher education system, opening up opportunities to study one of the country’s top 100 degrees,” Atherton said.
“We will produce world-class, job-ready graduates with specialised and transferable skills that will enhance India’s rapidly growing knowledge economy. We will conduct research and share knowledge in partnership with universities, industries and local governments and apply the results to create real social and economic impact,” he added.
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