Foreign Universities Focus on Research Centers in India

International universities are changing direction in their global higher education activities in India, focusing on creating local research and collaboration hubs instead of establishing full degree-granting campuses. The University of Manchester has announced it will establish a center in Bengaluru, while Imperial College London has launched its Global India Center.

India's growing research goals are providing international universities with the opportunity to partner with domestic institutions and businesses. While discussions previously focused on foreign universities opening full-fledged campuses offering their own degrees, the model is now shifting toward research networks that bring stakeholders together. The University of Manchester's announcement on October 15 that it will establish a center in Bengaluru is a concrete example of this change.

Dr. Kriti Dagar from the Centre for Policy Research in Higher Education at the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration states that these centers are part of a broader transformation aimed at joint knowledge production and innovation rather than attracting students. According to Dagar, while branch campuses primarily expand education, research centers bring institutions, academics, and industries together across borders.