"Tremendous interest" among international universities for setting up campuses in India: UGC chairman

New Delhi [India], April 22 : Several international universities, including those in North America, Europe, the UK and Australia, are in talks with India for establishing campuses here, said UGC chairman M Jagadesh Kumar on Monday.
Kumar declined to share the names of universities, as the application process is still underway, but said, there is tremendous interest among international universities to come to India.
In November last year, the University Grants Commission (UGC) notified the regulations for foreign universities to set up and operate their campuses in India.
Speaking to ANI, Kumar said: "There is tremendous interest among international universities to come to India and set up their campuses here. We have delegations coming from North America, Europe, the UK, Australia and so on. These universities are interested in setting up campuses in several emerging areas where they would like to offer programs."
Australia's Deakin University is the first international university in the world to open a teaching campus in India. Deakin has established its first international branch campus in Gujarat International Finance Technology City (GIFT City) in accordance with International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) regulations.
The UGC chairman said that there is an online portal where international universities can apply.
"Within 60 days, an expert committee will evaluate their applications and view the recommendations to UGC. UGC will then examine these recommendations. And within 60 days, we will give the letter of intent to these universities to set up their campuses in India. And we are positively hopeful that many universities will come and set up their campuses in the near future in India," he added.
These Universities should be ranked among the top 500 universities in the world, according to a list approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
When asked about the universities that are in advanced talks with India, the chairman said, "Since the application process is in progress, it wouldn't be nice for me to disclose the names. But once the application process is over, we will be publicly announcing those university names."
Deakin University and the University of Wollongong from Australia have established their campuses in Gujarat's GIFT city and are ready to roll out their programmes in June .
The Gujarat government recently said two more Australian universities are expected to soon set up campuses in Gujarat.
The varsities are likely to establish their presence in Gandhinagar's GIFT City, where Deakin University and the University of Wollongong from Australia are already ready to roll out their programmes in June.
In their Indian campuses, foreign universities are allowed to offer study programmes leading to the award of certificates, diplomas, degrees, research and other programmes at the undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral and post-doctoral levels.
According to the UGC regulations, "Foreign institutions intending to establish campuses in India should have secured a position within the top 500 in the overall category of global rankings, as decided by the commission from time to time, or should have secured a position within the top 500 in the subject-wise category of global rankings and should possess outstanding expertise in a particular area, as decided by the commission from time to time."
In case an FHEI desires to receive or utilise foreign contributions, it will have to obtain registration or prior permission under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 and comply with legal requirements under the FCRA, as the UGC stated.