The internationalisation of Indian education

India's university-age population is rising and will reach 116 million in 2020 -almost 50% more than China. A UK degree is highly regarded in India and there would be more opportunities to gain an international qualification if foreign education providers were granted access, says Dr Joanna Newman. The Foreign Education Providers Bill, first introduced in 2010, seeks to reduce current regulatory complexity and regulate entry and operations of foreign educational institutions. If passed, it will permit foreign education providers to set up campuses in the country and offer degrees. A change in legislation would go a long way to ensure the Indian government meets its goal of attaining a Gross Enrolment Ratio of 30% by 2020 by increasing the number of higher educatio institutions, programmes and places in India. Allowing international institutions access will also contribute to wider development goals by catering to India's education and training needs without the risk of brain drain and fostering quality within the national higher education system by increasing collaboration and competition. Transnational education is where a student studies for a qualification in a country other than the one in which the awarding institution is located. UK universities and higher education institutions are already leading providers with 570,000 students registered or studying for qualifications awarded by a UK institution worldwide. In recent years the number of students studying for UK qualifications has risen substantially, with an average annual growth rate of 13.7% since 2008/09. Of course, international partners must be chosen with care. Given a stable regulatory and legislative environment, the UK higher education sector has the capacity to deliver transnational education in India and this is well regulated by the UK's Quality Assurance Agency. The majority of UK universities are charitable, not-for-profit organisations, and transnational education is not pursued for the financial returns to the university (which are often limited) but as means of forging lasting relationships, pursuing valuable research or building capacity in a particular market. The UK higher education sector is large and diverse. Higher education institutions differ in size, subject focus, research interests, infrastructure and priorities. This diversity is a key strength of the system, which can meet the varying needs of different types of student and partners and covers a wide range of institutional missions. Limiting the universities with access to the Indian market to those institutions that appear in the global rankings would overlook specialist, scholarship-focused and graduate-only institutions, as well as excellence at departmental and course level. Clear guidelines on collaborative provision in India would be welcomed. Currently, collaborative degrees in 'technical' courses (a definition which ranges from engineering doctorates to MBAs) between Indian and overseas universities have to be approved by AICTE. However, only three UK higher education institutions currently appear on AICTE's approved list, with the majority of programmes pending AICTE approval or operating outside its oversight. In addition, there is no equivalent approval process for non-technical courses, creating uncertainty for partnering institutions. Where regulation is unclear, some universities are wary about the risk of contravening a rule, and so what are potentially highly fruitful partnerships are delayed or do not occur. Nevertheless, the UK-India higher education relationship is built on solid foundations. The UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI), which is funded by the UK and Indian governments, has supported nearly 400 institutional links since its establishment in 2005 and builds on longstanding institutional relationships. According to Thomson Reuters on behalf of Research Councils UK, the share of Indian research papers jointly authored with UK academics also increased three-fold between 1981 and 2008. India's growth and its ambitions for the future represent one of the most important and exciting potential developments in higher education in the world. With the correct enabling regulatory framework, the UK's higher education institutions have a lot to offer. That the UK attracts more international students per capita than any other country in the world and is testimony to the quality, diversity and international outlook of the UK higher education system. UK higher education is also second in the world in terms of research quality and links between universities and business. Sustainable higher education partnerships between India and the UK could be of great benefit to both countries. Through increasing access to quality higher education in India, these partnerships have the potential to improve lives as well as economy. Ultimately, it is in the nature of UK universities to grow and pass on knowledge. The education of global citizens and the creation of new knowledge, new ways of learning and new long term relationships are not less important than the economic benefits to the students, to the UK or to India -they are what underpin them.