Memorandum submitted by Tim Gore, Director
of Education, The British Council, India
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This memorandum summarises the Indo-UK education
and research relationship.
The relationship is rapidly improving. The Prime
Minister's Initiative helped reposition UK education as first
or second choice for young Indians and the introduction of the
UK India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) has much strengthened
our position as partner of choice and is well on its way to doubling
the level of education and research interaction.
The competitive environment is challenging and
we need to continue to develop the mechanisms we have in place
such as PMI and UKIERI to build the UK's status as preferred partner-a
relationship that many Indians see as a natural choice despite
recent US and Australian inroads.
INTRODUCTION
1. The United Kingdom has a strong and respected
position in India and Indian education and research links. The
relationship has evolved from a post-colonial legacy, to capacity
building and development, through commercial opportunism to a
more balanced and strategic relationship with India rapidly becoming
a partner of choice for UK universities.
MARKET BACKGROUND
2. India is changing rapidly. The economy
grew in 2006 at over 8%, and is projected to continue at 8% plus
every year for the next 5 to 10 years. Growth is strongest in
services (notably IT) and manufacturing as India becomes a thriving
knowledge economy with a large, mature research and higher education
base.
3. With a population of 1.1 billion and
growing steadily, India will overtake China's population in the
2030s. By 2010 India will have a middle class of 450 million.
It's a young country with 54% of the population under 25: by 2050
there will be 900 million Indians of working age. As the world
ages, India will provide a growing percentage of the global workforce
from the 2020s onwards. More and more of this population is migrating
towards the main cities ; by 2020 India will have 6 of the 10
largest urban conglomerations in the world.
4. India is well described as a country
of contrasts. It has spawned world-class institutions such as
the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) but is struggling to
achieve the millennium development goal of universal primary education.
It is emerging strongly as a destination for medical tourism while
millions have poor access to basic healthcare. While 85% of households
in Delhi own television sets, 84% of households in Bihar have
no electricity.
5. Foremost amongst the many challenges
the country faces to sustain projected levels of growth is that
of education. Demand for higher education is booming and the government
of India is committed to extending access, but provision remains
variable and quality options are limited. We see major opportunity
for the UK, building on the success of UKIERI, in this area.
6. English language skills underpin business
growth, particularly in the BPO (Business Process Outsourcing)
sector, and we are seeing huge growth in both corporate demand
and parental demand for English-medium secondary education. English
is widely seen as poorly taught, and only a limited percentage
of Indians speak English proficiently, and this represents a substantial
limiting factor inhibiting economic growth.
7. India knows her strength, and expects
to have a voice in international affairs in consequence. Many
countries are upping their engagement with this India, and seeking
to have some influence over how this voice will develop. The US
describes India as a strategic partner, and has invested strategically
over many decades to be seen as a leading education destination,
a committed player in scientific collaboration and in English
language support, and a model of contemporary culture. Australia
is a major competitor in international education.
8. Links with the UK are strong. Trade is
growing fast from a relatively low base. 500,000 Indians visited
Britain last year, and 400,000 Britons visited India. Diaspora
links are significant; some 2% of the British population is of
Indian origin (1.3 million), and they own over 4% of British GDP.
This year over 20,000 Indian students are studying in the UK,
more than ever before.
9. Survey data shows that the UK is widely
seen as reliable and trustworthy, with strong traditions and a
proud history, but not always as of immediate relevance in the
present or as the beacons of contemporary culture we aspire to
being. In higher education, for example, the UK is seen to have
neglected a historical position of strength and in some circles
is considered to be only interested in India as an education market.
This is also partially true in other areas including science,
where the older generation of Indian scientists have strong UK
connections but the younger generation looks mainly elsewhere.
10. Many of these challenges present opportunities
for greater international engagement. Demand is booming for study
overseas, and, while the issue is highly politicised, foreign
education providers must in some form or other be part of the
solution in extending tertiary provision. Emerging quality assurance
issues offer a great platform for international cooperation. India's
energy demands will double by 2020, but so will its appetite for
closer collaboration on renewable energy sources, access to energy,
clean energy technology, and climate change. Growing awareness
of and interest in the vibrancy of India is widely predicted to
feed through into a booming creative economy.
11. UK stakeholders and partner institutions
are queuing to be part of the action. This circumstance presents
great opportunities but also the risk of others attempting to
drive and shape our agenda.
12. The British Council has a significant
role to play in contributing to the achievement of the UK's International
Priorities
EDUCATIONAL RELATIONS
13. For the decades immediately after independence
the UK education system continued to exert a strong influence-successive
foreign ministers were educated at Oxford or LSE and the university
model was a UK one. However, as India emerged from the aftermath
of its Cold War positioning the United States took full advantage
and attracted a great number of young Indians away from the UK.
The number of students going to UK stood at only 3,040 in 1997.
14. In parallel, although the UK had helped
in institution building prior to independence and later as the
Indian Institutes of Technology were established this strategic
involvement faded over the years and again was largely replaced
by US and European influences. The 90s ecomomic liberalisation
in India saw a rapidly expanding middle class with aspirations
for education and advancement. The top tier Indian institutions
were admitting a fraction of the aspirants (IITs take around 1%
of the 200,000 annual applicants). An increasing gap between supply
and demand opened up and increasing numbers of young Indians went
overseas for their education. In parallel, a large number of private
colleges sprung up aiming largely at the professional areas of
management, engineering, pharmacy and computer sciences.
15. However, for this generation of young
students, the UK was not necessarily the first choice. Prior to
the Prime Minister's Initiative, research in India and around
the world commissioned by the British Council (Through Other Eyes)
revealed a view of UK through young people's ideas as faded and
unappealing. The US was by now a well-trodden route with the cluster
of successful engineers and entrepreneurs at Silicon Valley serving
as role models for the outgoing students. At the same time, Australia
moved aggressively into the market and continues to be the "smartest"
competitor for outgoing students attracting way above the proportion
of students relative to the size of its higher education system.
Australia is appealing on several dimensions-price, lifestyle
and above all immigration possibilities. The US continues to dominate
the market but up to now has had a chaotic disorganised approach
to marketing.
16. The Prime Minister's Initiative (PMI),
the first phase of which was launched in 1999, changed the equation
and the UK rapidly grew its market share and overall number of
students from around 4,000 at the time to 23,000 in 2007. Our
annual number of visas issued is comparable with the US and Australia
and far above other competitors. The Initiative has invested in
building a consistent and fresh image of UK education which has
helped refresh the UK as a "trendy" destination. This
has also been helped by the popularity of UK as a Bollywood setting
and other initiatives to refresh UK's image. This year NDTV will
run a reality TV show around UK education.
17. The British Council now operates a partnership
model with the higher education sector in UK and the India "country
partnership" has 130 member institutions (ie those with a
strong interest in the market). The British Council is running
two major (80 institutions represented) touring exhibitions and
four sector-specific missions around the key cities in India this
year.
18. The number of students going to UK (as
measured by visa issues) is 19,221 for 2006-7. We estimate that
there are at least 23,000 students studying in UK this year including
those in their second or third year of study. The USA by comparison
issued 24,622 visas. Total enrollments for Indian students for
the same period were 76,503. The Australians issued less visas
(around 13,000) but have around 29,000 students enrolled.
TRANSNATIONAL EDUCATION
19. Meanwhile, the higher education sector
in UK has been developing its approach to internationalisation.
Most universities have a considerable proportion of non-British
faculty and students. Most are recognising that internationalisation
means far more than this and are recognising the need to develop
global reach. India is in the top three countries on most university
internationalisation strategies. A 2006 study by Professor Bhushan
of the Indian National University for Educational Planning and
Administration (NUEPA) estimated that the US and UK had around
the same number of teaching collaborations (60-70 each) and those
two were far ahead of the other competitor countries. Current
estimates are for around 80 collaborations (we have verified 24
partnerships in north India and are surveying the other regions).
We estimate that these partnerships cater to around 4,000 Indian
students taking degrees in India as well as a much larger number
of degrees taken partly in India.
20. In fact, the UK is very well positioned
in this type of collaboration. UK institutions have initiated
a tremendous range of collaborations from fashion and design to
clinical research. They are becoming adept at developing effective
partnerships and navigating the uncertain waters of the regulatory
and legislative environment. The UK is the only country that has
fully accredited collaborative programmes operating in India (under
the All India Council for Technical Education-AICTE). The UK's
support for AICTE in its application for membership of the Washington
Accord was vital to building goodwill.
21. The British Council is now organising
a series of sector specific missions to India. The most recent,
a computer sciences mission to Bangalore and Hyderabad, was led
by Derek Wyatt and was featured in the House Magazine.
22. The Indian Government is currently preparing
a Foreign Education Providers' Bill which will regulate transnational
education. This is a longstanding process which has generated
much controversy. As the current bill stands there are various
areas of concern that could pose significant barriers to collaboration
particularly around the need for a corpus fund; fee level controls
and subsidised places for disadvantaged groups. We, along with
other members of the international education providers in India
are in dialogue with the Ministry about this. When the bill is
tabled in Parliament, we are requesting that there be an opportunity
for consultation with partner countries.
THE UK INDIA
EDUCATION AND
RESEARCH INITIATIVE
23. The UK India Education and Research
Initiative (UKIERI) has its origins in the 2004 India UK Round
Table meeting and a follow-up report by the British Council-India-UK
Strategic Partnership-A Review of Academic and Educational Links.
24. The main aim was to bring a significant
positive change to the Indo-UK education and research relationship.
Its main principles are excellence; mutuality; and sustainability.
The initiative has done much to rebuild trust in the relationship
and has now secured the Indian Department of Science and Technology
and the Ministry of Human Resources Development as funding and
operational partners.
25. UKIERI received and evaluated 1,607
proposals across all strands (calling on 900 specialists to achieve
this); created 190 new Indo-UK links and disbursed £4 million.
It secured active participation and respect from the Indian Government
and ran 25 events of which 5 were very high profile.
26. The Initiative has achieved all its
major objectives for the first year and has exceeded some targets.
Overall level of Indo-UK education and research interaction has
almost doubled this year-well on the way to delivering the "step
change" that was intended-schools activity has doubled from
around 110 links to 220; higher education and research links have
increased by 57% from around 70 to 110; conferences and workshops
have increased Indo-UK senior faculty interactions enormously;
PhD scholarships and fellowships are new to the relationship on
such a scale; and the 388 higher education and research proposals
are strong evidence of burgeoning relationships.
UKIERI is widely recognised, in the words of
Lord Rees, President of the Royal Society, as a "trust brand".
It is seen as a very positive addition to the group of bodies
who are in the business of increasing the quantity and quality
of UK-India Science and Innovation links, as in for example, the
"UK-India Science and Innovation Links" report produced
by Fresh Minds, February 2007.
At this year's meeting of the UK/India Round
Table there was widespread recognition in papers and discussion
that UKIERI had made very real progress and a very important contribution
to enhancing UK/India relations, in particular with respect to
education and research. The group resolved that UKIERI should
continue to be actively pursued and supported. The initiative's
focus on mutuality of benefit, and its balance of programmes were
widely endorsed.
The Foreign Affairs' Committee very recent report
on South Asia concluded, in one of only two references to the
work of the British Council, that "the establishment of the
UK India Education and Research Initiative is very important for
the UK to maintain a strong position in the higher education market
and we recommend that the Government continue to work to strengthen
the promotion of bilateral educational links."
Gordon Brown, in announcing the major awards
in Delhi in January, quoted his belief that "UKIERI has created
an excitement in universities, and institutions and schools and
colleges. I think all of us know and the British Council plays
a part in making this happen in every part of the world that education
enriches lives"
27. The Initiative has rebuilt bridges into
the most significant institutions in India as this table demonstrates:
INDIAN INSTITUTIONS AWARDED MAJOR, STANDARD
OR DELIVERY AWARDS
|
| Indian Institution | Number Funded
| SA/Ma/Del |
|
| AAIMS | 1 |
Standard |
| Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology |
1 | Major
|
| Cochin University Of Sciences And Technology
| 1 | Standard
|
| CSDS,New Delhi | 1
| Standard |
| Harish Chandra Research Institute, Uttar Pradesh
| 1 | Standard
|
| IGIB, New Delhi | 1
| Standard |
| IIM Bangalore | 1
| Standard |
| IIS Bangalore | 6
| 2 MA, 4 SA |
| IIT Guwahati | 1
| Standard |
| IIT Kanpur | 1
| Major |
| IIT Mumbai | 1
| Standard |
| IIT Chennai | 1
| Standard |
| IIT New Delhi | 5
| 1 MA, 4 SA |
| Indian Institute for Tropical Meteorology |
1 | Major
|
| Indian Institute Of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad
| 1 | Standard
|
| Indian Agriculture Research Institute, New Delhi
| 1 | Standard
|
| Jadavpur University,Kolkata | 1
| Standard |
| JNU, New Delhi | 1
| Standard |
| Delhi University | 1
| Standard |
| National Chemical Laboratory, Maharashtra |
1 | Standard
|
| National Institute Of Oceanography,Goa |
1 | Standard
|
| MS Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies | 1
| Delivery |
| Institute for International Management and Technology
| 1 | Delivery
|
| DY Patil Institute for Biotechnology and Bioinformatics
| 1 | Delivery
|
| National Institute of Fashion Technology |
1 | Delivery
|
| Institute of Clinical Research | 1
| Delivery |
| TERI School of Advanced Studies | 1
| Delivery |
| Jadavpur University | 1
| Delivery |
| Total | 38
| |
|
28. One crucial area of development is the development
of strategic links with publicly funded universities in India
such as Delhi University. Most of the existing Indo-UK strategic
alliances are with private institutions-these are more flexible
and quicker than public institutions but we should not ignore
the importance of the best national universities.
29. Another important aspect of UKIERI is its involvement
in educational policy. The initiative has hosted 4 major conferences
and a large number of smaller events. These explore aspects of
importance to UK and India and have allowed us to develop closer
relationships with the key regulators and government bodies. They
also bring large numbers of influential educationalists together,
which in itself is leading to more collaborations.
RESEARCH COLLABORATION
30. The extent of research collaboration can be measured
in many ways but the majority of links are researcher to researcher
links which may go unnoticed even by the host universities. The
extent of this informal collaboration is probably best measured
by joint papers. More substantial institutional research and academic
collaborations are those that result from the strategic engagement
of universities in India, an increasing trend, or from external
funding such as UKIERI. We estimate around 70 such substantial
links but are reviewing these linkages at the moment.
31. The UK is still a significant collaborator with India
but its relative position is in slow decline. Between 1996 and
2003 the UK's share of scientific co-authored papers fell from
10.2% to 8.2%. The US remained the main collaborator with India
but its share also fell from 34.9% to 28.2%. By contrast the German
position held up but the biggest rise was in publications co-authored
with Japan, China and South Korea. With the exception of Oxford,
Cambridge and Imperial College, the Indian scientists we spoke
to regarded few UK universities as international leaders, with
little to set them apart from their European competitors. A minority
described the UK as the place to go to study the most difficult
problems, what one professor called a "Nobel prize winning
type of science".—India: the uneven innovator. Kirsten
Bound, Atlas of Ideas, Demos 2007.
Director, Indian Institute of Science, May 2007:
"Until the UKIERI Initiative was launched there was no
mechanism for collaboration, you will notice that we have many
more collaborations with French universities and this is because
the French had a long presence as far as the scientific missions
were concerned in Delhi they were funding projects jointly between
Indian and French universities so there's a longer history of
, it is sort of ironic that the countries with which the least
formal collaborations have taken place are the UK and the United
States—this is where we have the largest number of informal
collaborations. There is a need to have a government programme
signed and in place before the formal collaborations can take
place-I think we have that now. ..We now have a formal relationship
with the University of Manchester and we are hoping to have a
fairly strong collaboration with the Imperial College".
31. Part of the "invisibility" of UK links
may be our reluctance to sign formal MoUs. While it is true
that many MoUs do not become active collaborations, they are a
mechanism that is well understood in India as witnessed by
the quotation from the all important Indian Institute of Science
IISc.
"Collaborations with the UK are about friendship, collaborations
with the US are about business".—India: the uneven
innovator. Kirsten Bound, Atlas of Ideas, Demos 2007.
"What we are today is due to the British legacy-that
is the system that we are still carrying forward the education
is almost the same there are hardly any changes, I think there
could be a lot of synergy, you could leverage that"—Colonel
Ramachandran, Regional Director, Nasscom-the voice of the IT industry
in India.
CAMPUS ACTIVITY
32. Currently, campus presence in India by foreign providers
is extremely limited. Most foreign providers have opted for partnership
with local institutions. For example, Nottingham Trent delivers
its degrees in fashion and textile design through a local partner
Pearl Academy in Delhi.
33. A private sector company-the Modi Group-has set up
a small branch of Western International University in Delhi. It
is regarded as "illegal" by the regulatory authorities.
34. Georgia Institute of Technology is in an advanced
stage of preparations for establishing a campus in Andra Pradesh
State.
35. At least two Australian universities are interested
in establishing a campus-Woolangong and Macquarrie.
36. At least two UK universities are also interested
in establishing a campus. We are also actively reviewing the possibility
of a multi-instution management academy and a substantial computer
sciences partnership.
37. The current feeling is to wait and see what happens
with the Foreign Education Providers' Bill. However, the opposite
may be true. Approaching India with a high level and attractive
model, especially if we can gain prime ministerial support, could
help shape legislation or may be able to command its own legislation
giving autonomous status.
CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
The United Kingdom is making very good progress in all areas
of the educational partnership from a significant low in the mid
to late nineties. The competitive environment is challenging and
needs continued investment through existing mechanisms.
Recommendations
1. Continue to invest in the Indo-UK education and research
initiative through mechanisms such as PMI and UKIERI and building
on the success of the British Council's administration of these
programmes.
2. Actively pursue transnational education, campus and
campus partnership models in India.
3. Take any opportunities of high level interaction to
stress the need for dialogue on Foreign Education Providers' Bill.
4. Encourage the higher education sector to think strategically
about India concentrating on both short term student recruitment
but also longer term partnerships in teaching and research. Targeted
scholarships and partial funding models should be part of the
mix.
5. Encourage more flows of UK students and faculty to
India for short or longer term exchanges and placements to counter
the "one-way stream" image and increase institutional
interaction.
July 2007
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