Australian Universities Accord

 

Jason Clare MP, Australia’s Minister for Education has recently released the Australian Universities Accord Final Report. The report, touted as the “blueprint” for higher education in the country, aims to create a long-term reform plan for the higher education sector to meet Australia’s future skills needs. The final report includes 47 recommendations and proposes big changes that Australia should meet head on.

 

What does it mean for International Students?

 

According to the report, education makes an enormous contribution to Australian tertiary education by enabling Australian learning and teaching to have wider impact, helping universities to invest in important research, adding to diversity, and being an important avenue for soft diplomacy and international linkages. 

 

In 2022, Australian higher education providers enrolled almost 450,000 international fee-paying students (more than a quarter of total enrolments), with around 120,000 of these studying Australian higher education courses from outside Australia. International student fees contributed more thana fifth of overall university funding. Now Australia’s fourth largest export, international education is a fixture of the economy.

 

A strong and sustainable footing is important. On the demand side, fluctuations in enrolments risk the stability
and viability of institutions. On the supply side, there have been failures in quality and integrity in some parts of the market, and these must be addressed. 

 

The report recommends managing volatility in demand where possible, including by diversifying markets to avoid overreliance on a small number of countries. 

 

Some international students seek a migration pathway. In line with the Australian Government’s Migration Strategy goal for a better targeted system, the report recommends that the tertiary education sector should encourage these students to study courses linked to Australian skill shortages and to study in regional locations. 

 

The sector should protect its reputation and ranking as a study destination by lifting course quality and improving the overall student experience. TEQSA should take an evidence-based approach to ensure that providers have appropriate risk management strategies for international education to issues including managing demand volatility, course concentrations and the quality of the student experience, and access and availability of affordable housing. The financial stability and integrity of Australia’s international education system should be addressed. 

 

This is the first broad review of the sector since 2008. “The Australian Universities Accord has recommended how to reform higher education over the next decade and beyond,” notes Jason Clare MP, Australia’s Minister for Education.

 

You can access the report here: Australian Universities Accord.

US-India task force set up for expanding research & higher education partnerships

Courtesy: Association of American Universities

A new task force consisting of university research and higher education leaders from the United States and India has been set up to make recommendations for expanding US-India research and higher education partnerships.

The co-chairs of the AAU Task Force on Expanding United States-India University Partnerships include The Pennsylvania State University President Neeli Bendapudi, University of Illinois Urbana-Campaign Chancellor Robert J. Jones, University of California San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla, University at Buffalo President Satish K. Tripathi, and current Johns Hopkins University Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Sunil Kumar (who is set to become president of Tufts University on July 1).

AAU has created this task force in coordination with the Biden administration’s US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET), which seeks to grow technological and industrial collaboration between the two nations. The task force will meet monthly to determine key focus areas for bilateral research and education cooperation, to identify existing programmes that could provide blueprints for future partnerships, and to formulate strategies on how best to move forward.

“It is nearly impossible in today’s world to make advancements in scientific research and technology without international collaboration and cooperation,” said AAU President Barbara R. Snyder. “This is why the Association of American Universities is proud to lead this effort to strengthen relationships between leading US and Indian research universities and to lay the groundwork for shared future scientific and economic success.”

Five Australian unis place ban on Indian students

Courtesy: Pixabay

Five Australian universities have placed bans on students from a few Indian states in response to an increase in fraudulent applications. According to emails in Australian media, there has been a “crackdown on applications from Indian students”. 

The universities alleged to have placed a restriction on Indian students are Victoria University, Edith Cowan University, the University of Wollongong, Torrens University, and agents working for Southern Cross University.

According to reports, the restrictions apply primarily to applicants from eight Indian states — Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat. However, in an official statement released recently, the University of Wollongong has denied placing restrictions on students from India.

The UOW said in a statement that it “does not have any restrictions on student applications from India other than the standard entry criteria we apply to all international students and the requirements of the Australian Department of Home Affairs”.

“Like all Australian universities, UOW has rigorous entry criteria for all students. All Australian universities are required to guard against fraudulent applications.” The university statement added that UOW works hard to ensure that the “admissions process is fair and just and accessible to all students”. While this has created a fair amount of confusion amongst Indian students aspiring to study in Australia, it remains to be seen how the situation plays out going forward.

Australia is reportedly set to enrol the highest number of Indian students ever, surpassing the previous high of 75,000 in 2019. 

Foreign universities in India: Looking a GIFT horse in the mouth?

GIFT City, Gujarat: pic courtesy: Jay Soni (Unsplash)

The stage is finally set for foreign universities establish campuses in India.
 
The University Grants Commission (UGC), has set up a committee that will facilitate their entry. According to reports in the media, the universities will be permitted to operate from GIFT city in Gandhinagar to offer post-graduate and executive programmes in financial services and technology. They will not have to follow domestic rules. Which indicates that local education regulators such as UGC and AICTE will not supervise them and they might be allowed to make and repatriate profit.
 
Now all of this sounds very promising and if it does come through, it will be a huge step in the right direction. Over the years, attempts to open up India’s higher education space to international universities have been a series of hits and misses. In 1995, the then government drafted the Foreign Education Bill which was ultimately shelved. In 2006, there was another bid to allow foreign universities into India but the draft law was not approved. Finally, in 2010 the UPA-2 government brought the Foreign Educational Institutions Bill which ultimately lapsed in 2014 when the political regime changed.
 
International colleges and universities have been collaborating with Indian educational institutions since the early 1990s when government regulations did not, allow foreign institutes to set up campuses in India or, recognize foreign degrees awarded in India. Collaborations were inked to help foreign institutes market their programs in India through a local partner, participate in student and faculty exchanges as well as lend their expertise. Collaborations ranged from twinning agreements, joint faculty and staff exchange programs to support in curriculum design and pedagogy. 
 
So what does the new mandate mean for foreign universities keen to set foot into the Indian market?

“This will open new opportunities for Indian universities for collaborative research in emerging areas such as finance and technology. To facilitate such collaborations, UGC will work with Indian universities and provide the necessary assistance,” UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar told Moneycontrol.
 
Foreign universities opening campuses will boost internationalisation and exchange of students and faculty. The National Education Policy 2020 gives a green signal to foreign universities interested in setting up shop in India and domestic institutes to establish campuses abroad. Through all this, the government hopes to reduce the foreign exchange outflow by bringing overseas education to India.
 
But the entire study abroad experience for Indian students involves living in a foreign country. Will the GIFT experience be able to provide that? 
 
Only time will tell.

 

US Calling!

The spiralling cut-offs required for admission by domestic universities have led to an increase in students considering higher education abroad.  The United States continues to be one of the top education destinations for Indian students. In a recent interview, US Consul General Jennifer A. McIntyre of the US Consulate at Chennai revealed that Indian students made up for 12 per cent of the total foreign students studying in the US, the second largest cohort after China. “Close to one lakh Indian students are studying in higher education institutions in the US today and there has been an increase in the number.”

The International Knowledge Center, set up by GenNext Education Inc, acts as a bridge between US universities and Indian students. The Center has agreements with different universities for student admissions, student exchange and faculty development programmes. Gen Next Education, Inc. was started by Girish Ballolla who saw the need to help US universities internationalize their campuses and graduate global citizens prepared to function in this highly global economy.

Ballola was born and raised in India before moving to the US to pursue a higher education and understands first-hand, the challenges students face in identifying and applying to universities in the US.  He is also experienced in the challenges associated with recruiting the “right-fit” international students. His keen interest in helping US universities internationalize their campus and help them develop an international presence led to the creation of the International Knowledge Center.

Gen Next is organizing a series of events featuring prominent US universities later this month. The events will be held in different cities across India. Universities include University of Kansas, University of Minnesota, University of Denver, Kansas State University, University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, Indiana University, and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.

Watch this space for more information!

Foreign students heading back to Australia says government report

Australia may soon be reclaiming its title as a popular education destination for foreign students, according to an article published in the The Australian newspaper. The article refers to a report released by the Australian government’s new International Education Advisory Council which says the country will host 520,000 international students by 2020, an increase from the current 402,000 in the country.

AUSTRALIA: BACK IN FAVOUR

About 80 per cent will be from Asia and they will bring in $19.1 billion into the economy.

Despite the upbeat projections, the numbers still won’t reach the ones the country achieved in 2009, when 630,700 foreign students reached campuses across Australia.

Tertiary Minister Chris Bowen said interest in studying here was already up, with an increase in higher education visas applicants in the last six months of 2012. Actual student numbers are predicted to rise next year.

Released by Bowen at a Universities Australia conference in Canberra, the report foresees a "new era of sustainable international education growth'' after the "unsustainable increases'' in the VET sector between 2006 and 2009.

Report heralds new chapter in Indo-Australia relations

“The growth of an Indian student presence in Australia has

been messy and tragic. But it heralds an important new chapter in Australia’s

place in its region.” (Robin Jeffrey)

Beyond the Lost Decade, released in Sydney on Tuesday by the Australia-India Institute, throws up some interesting facts about the student crisis and the India-Australia relations.

For instance, according to the report, the first violence against Indian students actually came from Lebanese taxi drivers, migrants from a similar background, who found the new Indian arrivals undercutting them. It was an economic battle between two migrant groups and certainly not a racist attack on Indians. The report also indicated how Indian media magnified it as official policy of racial discrimination.

However, the report stresses on the fact that the student crisis may have done India-Australia relations a good turn. “For Canberra, they have served to emphasise just how important the role and experience of the Indian diaspora can be for a host country in terms of forging ties with Indian government and society.Indian perceptions of other countries are often shaped by the conditions and achievements of the Indian community there.”

The report also ends with many valuable recommendations to improve Indo-Australia relations in higher education such as:

• Undertake as an act of goodwill to extend the visas of Indian students who were in Australia on February 8, 2010, and whose pathways towards permanent residency in Australia were affected by changes to immigration regulations in that year. Such extensions or issuance of alternative categories of visa should be granted for at least 12 months from December 31, 2012.

• Extend the post-study work entitlement currently enjoyed by international students at universities to all TAFE institutes and reputable private colleges offering vocational training.

• Expand the study of contemporary India at Australian universities by providing initial funding for twenty B-level university teaching/research positions for the next five years, after which the universities fund the positions.

Student route back door to Britain?

The debate over Britain’s immigration policy continues.

Migration Watch, a UK-based think tank, has challenged the call by 70 University Chancellors, in a recent letter to the Prime Minister, for overseas students to be taken out of the migration statistics. This would achieve nothing except to destroy public confidence in the government’s immigration policy while any significant expansion of foreign students could blow the government’s immigration policy seriously off course.

According to the study published by Migration Watch UK:

Britain’s main competitors – the US, Australia and Canada all include students in their net migration figures (while distinguishing them for internal administrative purposes). Unlike Britain, the same countries interview students before a visa is granted to test whether they are genuine and whether they really intend to return home after their course. A major Australian report found recently that these interviews did not deter genuine students. The UK should re-introduce them.

The US and Australia both have checks on the departure of individual students which are still not possible in the UK. Over the past ten years two million non EU and ½ million EU students have been admitted to Britain to study for more than a year but the government has not the slightest idea how many have actually left. Universities UK accept that about 20% of students stay on legally – that amounts to net migration of 50,000 a year.

Some of those from poorer countries are likely to stay on illegally. Migration Watch estimate that they could add a further 25,000 per year bringing the total to 75,000. If the number of foreign students was allowed to increase still further as the universities wish to see, students could eventually add 90 - 100,000 a year to net migration.

A 10% change in the number of foreign students would change the UK’s annual foreign exchange earnings by only about 0.2%.

Commenting, Sir Andrew Green, Chairman Migration Watch UK said “Foreign students are valuable but the present system is far too easily abused. Sadly, the student route has become the back door to Britain and it is wide open. Unlike our main competitors, we do not interview students before they come to confirm that they are genuine and there are no checks on their departure. We cannot have a massive inflow of a quarter of a million students a year without their contributing heavily to immigration. Taking them out of the statistics would achieve nothing. The government must thoroughly tighten up the student system or any attempt to reduce the current mass immigration will be blown seriously off course.

Nicola Dandridge, Chief Executive of Universities UK, said: "In many respects the Migration Watch UK report makes valid and important points. The letter from university Chancellors to the prime minister states that any abuse of the student visa route needs to be tackled. UK universities are fully signed up to that agenda.

"But the Migration Watch report is wrong in calling for international students to be counted within the UK's migration figures. The Chancellors were calling for the government to remove international students from net migration figures in order to make a clear distinction between temporary and permanent migrants for the UK's own internal policy purposes. This would actually increase public confidence in the immigration system. No one is suggesting that international students should not be counted in the immigration system.”

Asia is the new destination for MBA abroad

Traditionally, the United States and United Kingdom have always been popular overseas education destinations with Indian students. However, in recent years countries in Asia such as Singapore, Hong Kong and China have emerged as alternative locations for Indian students looking for an overseas education experience.

Take the case of Nishaan Malhotra, who graduated from one of Delhi’s top schools. Nishaan has enrolled in an undergraduate engineering program at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Malhotra zeroed in on Singapore after attending an education fair. “Singapore came across as a fun, vibrant city and the university is well reputed. Also, Singapore is not that far from India, just a short flight away so my family is also not too worried about sending me far away.”

There are many others like him who are applying to colleges and universities elsewhere in Asia. According to Kavita Singh, CEO, FutureWorks Consulting, a company that provides admissions guidance to Indian students, the high cutoffs and shortage of places at Indian colleges have forced many bright, talented students to look overseas. “While countries such as the United States and United Kingdom are still the top picks, many students are looking east as well.” Singh has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the UK’s Oxford University and an MBA from Columbia Business School in the US.

Asian colleges and universities score highly on the cost and competitiveness factor. While the quality of education offered by institutions in countries such as Singapore and Hong Kong is very high, the cost of education is often lower than universities in the West in terms of tuition and living expenses. Most of these countries are close to India and with their economies thriving, employment options are also plentiful.

Hong Kong, for instance, has made a name for itself in the education arena. Some of its institutions such as the Chinese University of Hong Kong and City University of Hong Kong are favourably positioned in the annual QS World University Rankings™, and QS Asian University Rankings. All eight of Hong Kong’s government-funded universities use English as the medium of instruction. Courses such as engineering, bio-sciences, art and design are popular with Indian students.

"China and India constitute two of the BRIC countries that are signaling a major shift in global economic power. Tomorrow's world will need leaders who can capitalize on this by understanding both countries and facilitate the rapidly increasing trade between them," says Professor John A Spinks, Senior Advisor to the Vice-Chancellor, at the University of Hong Kong.

"We are fortunate in having a number of factors come together at the same time - the priority accorded to education by students and their parents in Asia resulting in high academic standards, the continued support of Asian governments for universities and the investment they provide, and the ranking of HKU as the best university in Asia,” Spinks continued. “With the economic development in Asia and the availability of jobs after graduation, many students are choosing to stay in Asia for their undergraduate studies rather than going to the more traditional educational destinations of the US, UK and Australia. This is the new Spice Route of the 21st century - exchanging knowledge across Asia".

Singapore, on the other hand, offers global education against the backdrop of a vibrant, bustling, culturally diverse city. Three universities that are known for their high academic standards are the National University of Singapore, Singapore Management University (SMU) and the Nanyang Technological University. These institutions have partnerships with leading universities across the world, and their degrees are globally respected.

Popular courses here include those in the fields of science and technology, medicine, and arts and design. However, the cost of living and tuition fees in Singapore are considerably higher than that in China and Hong Kong.

Along with Singapore and Hong Kong, China is also fast becoming an important educational hotspot. Seven Chinese universities rank among the top 200 in the 2011/12 QS World University Rankings™, with Peking University and Tsinghua University both making the global top 50. Chinese universities are known for their programs in medicine and business among other courses.

Another city that has become popular with Indian students is Dubai. Nearly 20,000 students from over 100 countries are enrolled in courses at the some of the world’s leading universities through branch campuses in Dubai.

Dubai’s education sector has expanded phenomenally in recent years. Leading universities from across the globe have set up branch campuses offering both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. The standard of living in Dubai is known to be high, and a comparatively low cost of living enables students to lead a comfortable life. A short flight away from India, Dubai has become a popular hotspot for Indian students looking for an international education experience at a reasonable cost.

With a range of attractive options closer to home now complementing the more traditional study destinations such as the US, UK and Australia, students from India are spoilt for choice when it comes to international education.

For those interested in the career benefits of an undergraduate education, QS’ series of global management education events comes to India from 12th-18th May. Register for free entry to the event by visiting www.topuniversities.com.

Source: Cool Avenues.com

Students and academic researchers are not permanent migrants: Universities UK

The British government’s immigration policies aimed at preventing student visa abuse at bogus colleges has resulted in decreasing numbers of foreign students, particularly those from countries such as India, Pakistan and China. The country’s higher education sector has been voicing concerns about the long-terms effects of the government’s strict visa regime on a market that is now worth in excess of £5 billion.

Eric Thomas: contentious debate

At a recent debate organized by higher education action group, Universities UK, university chiefs were unanimous about the fact that the image of Britain as a leading international education destination had taken a beating in the light of the government’s visa regulations.

Professor Eric Thomas, President, Universities UK said: “Migration is a significant issue and we are behind the government in stopping student visa abuse. However, there is clearly a conflict between government policy and the higher education sector’s ability to compete in the international market.” Thomas revealed that while UK’s market share in the international education market dropped from 10.8 per cent in 2000 to 9.9 per cent in 2009, biggest competitors have increased their market share. He also added that there have been reductions in student numbers from the Indian subcontinent.

“Students and academic researchers are not permanent migrants,” stated Thomas. “They come here to study and then, by and large, they leave.”

Professor Julia King, Vice-Chancellor, Aston University revealed that the University had witnessed a 39 per cent decline in applications from India. Birmingham’s local economy (food, clothing and entertainment) had also suffered a loss in revenues. King added that with a change in the post-study work visa regulations, graduates in disciplines such as pharmacy, engineering and business had been affected severely.

Glyn Williams, Head of Migration Policy, Home Office defended his government saying that “student migration is here with us and here to stay and no government is going to ignore that.”

“The more we debate, the more the adverse effect of the government policy will reverberate throughout the world,” Williams added.

Keith Vaz: crusader?

Rt.Hon Keith Vaz MP, Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, focused on how public perception of Britain as a popular overseas education destination in important student markets such as India had taken a beating, especially with the recent deaths and Indian media’s attention on these tragic events. Vaz pointed out that Britain was being viewed as an unwelcoming place and many Indian middle-class families, who could afford an overseas education, were choosing to send their children to countries such as the United States instead.

Vaz was openly critical of the UK Border Agency (UKBA), border control agency of the British Government. He appealed to university representatives to lobby with the Foreign Office, the Government’s Business Department and No 10 rather than the Home Office. “These departments understand the benefits that foreign students bring to our economy,” added Vaz, himself a first generation immigrant. Vaz was born in Yemen from parents born in India.

Irish universities in India: focus on internationalisation

Irish Universities Association, the representative body for Ireland’s universities, hosted an education fair for students at The Lalit in New Delhi on Saturday 11 February 2012. The fair, which featured a consortium of seven leading institutes --  University of Limerick; National University of Ireland, Galway; National University of Ireland, Maynooth; Dublin City University; University College Cork; University of Dublin Trinity College; and University College Dublin --  toured Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore before ending their promotional tour at Delhi.

I visited the fair and spoke to Sinead Lucey, International Marketing Manager, Irish Universities Association (IUA) on higher education in Ireland and the IUA’s blueprint for India:

Debeshi: Tell us about what Ireland has on offer in terms of higher education?

Sinead: Our focus is on high quality education, a commitment to excellence. The quest for excellence is the bedrock of the seven Irish universities. Irish universities are internationally recognized for quality in education, research and the overall student experience, a recognition they relentlessly strive to enhance. International students are fundamental to this objective.

Sinead Lucey

Debeshi: Can you elaborate on the programmes that these universities offer?

Sinead: Alongside the traditional postgraduate courses, there is a diverse range of postgraduate courses ranging from Meteorology, Creative Writing to Biomedical Engineering. Pharmaceuticals, Information Technology, Medical Devices, Biotechnology are some of the other popular disciplines. The Pharmaceutical and Information Technology industry in Ireland is doing well and there are job opportunities for students.

Debeshi: Tell us about scholarships available for higher studies in Ireland?

Sinead: Almost all the universities offer some form of financial aid to international students. In addition, the government is offering a fully-funded scholarship which includes full tuition fee waiver and a stipend of 10,000 euros.

Debeshi: Are students allowed to work in Ireland after their course is completed?

Sinead: Students are allowed to stay back for a year and gain work experience after their course is completed. Leading global companies are located in Ireland. Companies who require a skilled, educated and highly capable workforce to drive their success choose to locate in Ireland. Recently, Ireland has welcomed Google, Facebook, Pfizer, Apple, Intel to name just a few  - all of whom chose Ireland as their European base. Global work experience helps graduates find their feet easily enough when they return to India.

Students at the University of Dublin Trinity College

Debeshi: Given recent incidents, Indian students will want to make sure they are safe in a foreign environment. Tell us how Ireland scores on this front?

National University of Ireland, Maynooth

Sinead: Ireland is a friendly, safe country. And it is not just us saying it! Ireland was voted by Lonely Planet as the world’s friendliest country in 2008 and 2010 and was ranked 12th in the 2009 Global Peace Index. International students enrich campus communities countrywide and our hospitable nature coupled with an unrivalled sense of fun ensures living in Ireland is an unforgettable experience. The island’s varied environment is ideal for many outdoor pursuits such as climbing, water sports and all kinds of ball and team sports. It’s easy to explore Europe from an Irish base with low-cost, frequent flights making trips affordable

Debeshi: What are your plans for India?

Sinead: We are very happy with the response in the different cities. We have seen excellent students here. We will return in May 2012 and November 2012 with more fairs. We hope to be very active in the Indian market going forward.

Top varsities or bottom feeders?

In an article published in an US-based education website recently, Philip Altbach wrote “India is still debating legislation to open the door to foreign higher education institutions. It is unlikely, despite smiling university presidents and copious amounts of goodwill, that America’s top universities are going to invest heavily in India, even if the doors are open. More likely, bottom feeders will slither into the country.” Altbach is Monan Professor of Higher Education and Director of the Center for International Higher Education at Boston College in the United States.

Nothing short of a sad indictment given the earlier anticipation surrounding the Foreign Education Providers Bill in India and the entry of “world class” varsities to the country. A year ago, I had written an article for QS TopMBA on foreign b-schools that were keen on setting up offshore campuses in India once the proposed bill became a regulation. University representatives of b-schools in North America and Europe were very excited about the new regulation that was being planned. There was a flurry of activity. Land was being acquired, campuses planned.

Canada’s Schulich School of Business was one such institute. Schulich is setting up a campus at Hyderabad in partnership with the city’s GMR group. “The GMR Campus of the Schulich School of Business will be a mirror image of Schulich’s Toronto campus, with first-rate facilities, international faculty and an internationally-focused curriculum,” said Schulich Dean Dezsö J Horváth. “We will attract the best and the brightest students from India and abroad and prepare them for global careers in India and elsewhere in the world.” US-based Georgia Tech was also scouting around for locations in Hyderabad for a b-school in collaboration with Infosys.

Faculty of top Indian b-schools such as the Indian Institutes of Management were upbeat about the competition. Professor Sougata Ray, Dean, Programme Initiatives, Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIMC), noted, “The bill is certainly a welcome move as there is a great demand for quality management education in India. Large numbers of students do not get admitted to the IIMs and end up spending huge sums of money going abroad. By allowing foreign varsities into India, these students will now get a chance to study at a good institute.”

Ajit Rangnekar, Dean, Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad, was also optimistic. “We have always believed that the best public policy for improving educational institutions is to enable and encourage competition. The introduction of this bill allowing foreign institutions into India seems to be a step in the right direction. There is a large pool of bright young students whose aspirations have been limited by the lack of right opportunities. We need several high quality educational institutions to meet this demand.”

So what changed over the course of the year? Could it be the delay in getting the bill cleared? Or the mixed signals from the government? Or protests from private education providers in various parts of the country.

In a report released recently by the US-based Institute of International Education (IIE), US institutions are being advised that bureaucracy may present a significant challenge to setting up study abroad programs in India and building partnerships with Indian institutions. The report says that “legislation to alleviate this has been introduced but has an uncertain future.”

“Given the delay of the much anticipated Foreign Providers’ Bill in India, US institutions interested in initiating large-scale operations in India may want to focus on joint and dual degree programs in partnership with Indian institutions, rather than wait for future opportunities to establish brick-and-mortar branch campuses in India, which may also be prohibitively expensive to launch.”

One wonders whether it is just a case of US universities getting cold feet about setting up offshore campuses in India and therefore, diluting their brand? One will just have to wait (for the Bill to get cleared) and watch ….