APPENDIX 6
Supplementary memorandum by the British
Council
INDIA
— Purpose: To build mutually beneficial
relationships between people in the UK and the countries, and
to increase appreciation of the UK's creative ideas and achievements.
— Improved perceptions of the UK in
other countries.
— Greater mutual understanding between
the UK and other countries.
— Stronger ties between the UK and
other countries.
— India is currently characterised
by political stability and sustained economic growth.
— Majority of the population is young
(51% under 25), "impatient aspirers" hungry for self-development
and access to educational opportunity.
— Economic growth is fuelling strong
investment in new industries such as IT, biotech, financial services,
private education, and outsourcing.
— Growing awareness of the need for
future diversification is already generating demand for "soft"
skills which will facilitate further Indian integration into the
global economy.
— GDP and the incomes of a rising "middle
class" are growing.
— There is fierce competition for the
attention of the Indian market. Australia, France, Germany and
the US in particular are giving increasing time and money to public
diplomacy. The UK is widely seen as trustworthy and as a natural
partner, but one who has let this advantage slip (eg to America
in higher education). We also have to get across that we are part
of India's future as well as its past.
We are known as trusted partners who are creative
catalysts, demonstrably driving debate in key areas of the UK-India-Sri
Lanka relationship, for excellent service delivery to very large
audiences, and for delivering what we promise. We offer "flagship"
events which really grab attention and shift perceptions, and
we are seen as adding value to the agendas of stakeholders in
the UK.
We know what our customers want and we reach
millions through engagement with new audiences and developing
relationships with new partners who can help us to reach the audiences
we want to work with.
— Established, India in 1948, becoming
a division of the British High Commission in 1972.
— We have a network of 11 centres across
India: four metropolitan centres—New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai
and Kolkata, and seven British Libraries—Ahmedabad, Bangalore,
Bhopal, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Pune and Trivandrum which run in
cooperation with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. We
focus outreach beyond these cities on a clearly-defined network
of "second cities" in which we run a range of programmes,
and "third tier" cities where restricted programmes
are offered focused on young aspirers.
— We employ 401 staff of whom 11 are
UK-based and 13 are full-time teachers in the English Language
Teaching Centre in Delhi. 298 locally appointed staff work in
the four metropolitan centres, 75 in the seven British Libraries,
and four in the South Asia IT Hub.
— Rod Pryde is the Director and Les
Dangerfield the Deputy Director.
— Total turnover in 2005-06 will be
£10.8 million of which £4.5 million is grant-in-aid
from the FCO. The balance is earned through our work in examinations,
teaching and library services. In 2006-07 expenditure will increase
to a total of £12.5 million, of which £5.2 million comes
from the FCO.
— India's prospects, affinity with
the UK, and the UK Government's commitment to the relationship
all create a very favourable environment for all those representing
the overseas.
— The British Council and the High
Commission work hard to ensure that our strategies are aligned
to achieve public diplomacy goals. The joint public diplomacy
campaign was launched in September this year and has already contributed
to refocusing the attention of the new professional generation
on the UK as a partner for their personal and professional development
and business interests. We are also active partners in the new
£10 million UK India Education and Research Initiative launched
by the Prime Minister in September 2005.
— Our core challenge is to build the
partnerships, relationships and programmes to meet the needs of
the millions of well-informed young people spread across a subcontinent.
EDUCATION
The new UK India education and research initiative
(UKIERI) allows us to significantly boost the development of links
and policy engagement with India. In higher education the scope
of this will include joint research projects linked to PhD scholarships,
collaborative programme delivery including split-site PhDs, academic
exchanges (researchers and students), and policy dialogue. We
plan a significant increase in school-to-school partnerships,
and in teacher development and school leadership programmes.
Our core business remains to increase the numbers
of Indian students studying in the UK and of educational joint
ventures between the UK and India. Some 16,000 Indians are currently
studying in the UK and we expect to see numbers continue to increase
by around 30% a year. We also selected top candidates for over
one hundred British Chevening Scholarships and supported a nationwide
network of 24 alumni groups of the Association of British Scholars.
INFORMATION
Our library network allows us to provide high
quality information and educational opportunities to over 100,000
people a year. Our state-of-the-art online delivery systems allow
us to extend this reach much further and to promote a range of
UK online qualifications. We work with the Indian authorities
on systems of quality assurance and mutual recognition of educational
qualifications. This year we will administer around 82,000 UK
examinations.
THE ARTS
We work to secure recognition of the UK's creative
excellence and entrepreneurship, to build new audiences and to
challenge their perceptions, and to establish the UK as the first
choice destination for India's future leaders in creative entrepreneurship
and cultural policy. This year we will have organised around 200
arts events across India.
SCIENCE
Our main focus is on profiling UK creativity
and ideas, on building lasting relationships between key individuals
and institutions, and on engaging the young and on exploiting
both the media and the India education initiative to achieve reach.
Our priority areas are climate change and the environment, nanotechnology,
pure science, biotech and biomedical, and science communications
and education.
GOVERNANCE
Our focus is on developing mutual understanding
through partnership and exchanges which influence social change,
encouraging public debate and awareness of key issues affecting
society and on capacity building for leadership of social change.
Our priority areas are citizenship and participation, equality
and diversity, and justice and rights. We work closely with the
Indian government, the judiciary and the police as well as NGOs
on projects in the above areas.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Our main focus is on capacity building to meet
ELT demand/needs, on building relationships with key institutions
to achieve influence, and on demonstrating the UK's global leadership
in innovation. Our teaching centre in Delhi provides a strong
base of expertise to feed into our library and online services,
and to support the development of strong networks for Indian teachers
of English.
Relationships brokered by the UK broaden the international
outlook of young people
— people exchanges in education; and
— youth leadership—Dreams and
Teams, Beyond Borders, Global Exchange.
The UK is increasingly recognised as the country
of choice for partnering positive social change
— professional networks in women's
studies, legal education, corporate social responsibility, disability,
reforms and awareness, judiciary and governance; and
— Delhi 2010 and London 2012.
There is an increase in the number of quality
relationships between the UK and other countries
— institutional links in science, environment
and education; and
— future leaders—Chevening and
BC seminars.
The UK is increasingly recognised as the country
of choice for creative ideas and achievement
— Big Bang—high profile, large
scale media friendly innovative events;
— Buzz—centre programmes; and
— Battle for ideas—intellectual
engagement.
World Authority
— Policy dialogue in education, culture
and creative industries.
— 550,000 people visited our website
last year.
— 25,000 people visited our teaching
centre last year.
— 82,000 students took exams with us
last year.
— 17,000 students studied in the UK
last year.
— 50 visitors were sent from here to
the UK through the British Council.
— 100 people participated in exchange
visits with the UK through the British Council.
EDUCATION ROADSHOWS
In North, South, East and West India attracted
95,000 visitors against a target of 50,000.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S
DREAM
Tim Supple's production of A Midsummer Night's
Dream will tour throughout India and Sri Lanka before visiting
the UK.
THE UK INDIA
EDUCATION AND
RESEARCH INITIATIVE
This initiative, arising from research carried
out by British Council India, was announced by the Prime Minister
during his visit to India in September 2005. A commitment of £10
million from the UK Government will be augmented by contributions
from the business sector and the educational institutions involved.
Over the next five years we will create a step change in the educational
relations between India and the UK so that in the longer term
the UK and India becomes each other's partner of choice in education.
— UK Department for Education and Skills
(in a £10 million education initiative).
— UK Department for International Development
(in developing global schools partnerships and Higher Education
links).
— UK Department for Culture Media and
Sport (for Delhi 2010 and London 2012).
— The Royal Society (in our science
programmes).
— Universities UK and the devolved
UK administrations.
We are engaging more and more with the private
sector in both India and the UK, and are increasingly looking
to UK institutions as partners in the development and delivery
of new regional and global products.
— Young professional people aged between
15 and 35 who are international in outlook, educated in English
medium, ambitious and keen to develop their skills. This is an
audience of approximately seven million people, 87% of whom live
in 26 cities.
— We manage close personal relationships
with around 1,500 senior contacts throughout India and about 70
professional networks.
— We also reach the wider public through
large and medium-scale events in the arts, science and education
ensuring that they receive extensive coverage in the print and
broadcast media.
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