Written evidence submitted by the UK-India
Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI)
1. UKIERI is a five year initiative which
aims to substantially improve educational links between India
and the UK ensuring in the longer term we become each other's
partner of choice in education. UKIERI was announced by the Prime
Minister during his visit to India in September 2005, and launched
by him in April 2006.
2. UKIERI is contributing to the strengthening
of economic ties between India and the UK, of which education
is a key part. The value to the UK of the educational relationship
is estimated at in excess of £420 million per annum. The
initiative's emphasis on mutuality benefits from India's emerging
position at the forefront of research in several areas of cutting
edge technology, including IT and nanotechnology.
3. This pan-Whitehall initiative represents
a new way of working cross-departmentally to increase impact,
and has involved non-governmental departments from the start,
with the design of the initiative based on extensive consultation
in India and UK, including educational institutions and the business
sector. By strengthening institution to institution collaboration
and promoting stronger links to industry and related communities,
this initiative aims to make India and the UK once again each
other's preferred partner in education.
4. HMG committed an initial £12 million
to this initiative, through contributions from DfES, FCO and the
British Council. This is increasing to approximately £15.5
million with contributions from OSI and the Devolved Administrations.
An additional amount of almost £2 million has been raised
from Corporate Sponsorship, with contributions of a similar value
to be provided in-kind, and institutions applying for funds are
also making contributions. The Government of India has indicated
its willingness to match the anticipated minimum HMG spend of
£6 million on Science and Technology research under the initiative.
The resulting total anticipated value of UKIERI is at present
in excess of £25 million over five years.
5. The main focus of the investment is on
higher education and, within this, there is an emphasis on research
oriented links between centres of excellence, in particular in
areas of science, technology and social sciences that are crucial
for the future of both countries and their place in the globalised
and increasingly knowledge based economy. A key component is to
encourage substantially more doctorate and post-doctorate collaboration
between India and UK, through split PhDs, research fellowships
and other mechanisms.
6. The initiative also includes activities
devoted to strengthening of Professional and Technical Skills,
by developing links between centres of vocational excellence in
both countries, and providing opportunities for workforce development
in areas of skills gaps, identified by the business community.
Links between schools in both countries are also an integral element
of the initiative, bringing together clusters of schools in the
UK and India for joint curriculum projects and professional development.
7. Mutuality is a core feature of UKIERI.
All research proposals supported under the initiative are required
to demonstrate that both partners make an appropriate contribution
to the collaboration and that benefits accrue to both sides. Benefits
are sought beyond the institutional level, and proposals are judged
against the benefits (including economic) that they might bring
to the two countries.
8. Integrity is key to the selection process.
Research proposals are peer reviewed and reviewed against UKIERI
specific criteria (eg mutuality, sustainability). An independent
Evaluation Panel of Vice-Chancellor level membership makes recommendations
for funding to the Project Board.
9. The initiative will also ensure that
the UK and India are engaging in constructive dialogue on key
policy issues. UKIERI works government, regulatory bodies, associations
and individual institutions to ensure that the respective international
educational policies of both countries are harmonised to best
effect and to support each other's broader international educational
aspirations (such as membership of the Washington Accord for India).
Such policy dialogue helps lower barriers to co-operation on both
sides and therefore enhances the overall effectiveness of the
initiative (eg transferability of national awards leading to greater
student mobility).
10. The Project Board is chaired by DfES
and represents the main funding agencies with advice from a wide
range of bodies. The general principle regarding membership of
the Project Board is that each funding "constituency"
should receive a place on the board and yet it is able to retain
a leaner executive capability as well. The UKIERI Project Board
is responsible for strategic oversight of the initiative and major
decisions. The Project Board meets two or three times a year to
set strategic direction, approve spending proposals, and monitor
objectives and outputs.
11. The Board has delegated executive leadership
to a much tighter Project Management Team consisting of one representative
each from the Department for Education and Skills, the Foreign
Office, British Council, and the Office of Science and Innovation.
The Project Management Team reports directly to the Project Board
and manages the project team who implement the initiative.
12. Activity under UKIERI is divided into
three main strands:
HIGHER EDUCATION
AND RESEARCH
The largest part of the £12+ million UK
government funding will be directed towards Research and Higher
Education collaborations between Indian and UK institutions. The
ambitious targets for the initiative include at least 50 new collaborative
research projects, 40 collaborative delivery projects, 300 additional
Indian research students, postdoctoral researchers and staff to
have worked in the UK and 200 UK researchers worked in India,
as well as 200 UK undergraduate students supported for studies
in India.
As an indication of the huge interest in the
UKIERI, we received over a hundred Expressions of Interest for
the five major awards, and over 250 applications for the 25 standard
awards in our first round of funding. Areas for which applications
were received include biotechnology, biomedical sciences and medicine,
aeronautics and engineering, nanotechnology, environment, chemistry
and IT, and a smaller number in social sciences, business and
humanities. Proposals have been received from research groups
based in a wide range of institutions in both countries, including
those at the top of their fields.
The initiative is offering 20 PhD Scholarships
(there were over 700 applications for the 10 available in the
first round of funding) and 50 Research Fellowships, applications
to which were also heavily oversubscribed.
SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS
A programme for schools will bring together
clusters of schools in the UK and India for joint curriculum projects
and professional development opportunities. It will offer links
between young people in the UK and India and provide opportunities
for thousands of young people to start a life-long engagement
with each others' country. Overall, the initiative aims to link
400 schools and support 300 teacher exchanges, 50 international
projects, with 250,000 students directly participating and another
250,000 indirectly benefiting.
PROFESSIONAL AND
TECHNICAL SKILLS
This strand will develop professional and technical
skills which meet the needs of employers in financial services
and creative industries—areas of common interest and strength
in both our countries. Collaborative projects, exchanges and work
placements will ensure better delivery of the skills employers
require through the development of new courses, opportunities
for exchanges, industrial placements and professional development.
POLICY DIALOGUE
All three of these strands are supported by
policy dialogue on key issues of relevance to both countries.
The dialogue aims to engage key sector stakeholders in the initiative
and ensure that respective international educational policies
are harmonised to best effect. Suggested areas for discussion
include: quality assurance mechanisms; teaching and learning methodologies;
GATS—integration of education within GATS; joint recognition
of professional, technical and other qualifications; Bologna Process
integration and implications; future directions in the financing
of higher education provision and UK-EU and India relationships.
13. Business partners have been involved
in the design phase of the initiative from its inception, with
a number of UK, multinational and Indian companies expressing
strong interest in participation and support. BAE Systems, BP,
GSK and Shell are UKIERI's Corporate Partners, having made a substantial
commitment to support the initiative. Other organisations involved
include KPMG and we are in discussion with others including further
financial institutions. Business partners play a full role in
the initiative, engaging with academic and other institutions
involved, particularly in key areas of interest such as engineering,
IT, energy and financial services. Businesses support academic
and research collaborations in areas of particular interest, contribute
to the initiative's skills agenda in their particular sectors,
and engage in schools projects aligning with their social investment
goals.
14. UKIERI ACTIVITIES
General
— Policy dialogue and formulation.
Higher Education
— Joint research—based on institution
to institution partnerships and including PhD scholarships, post
doctoral research and exchanges.
— Collaborative delivery of programmes—eg
jointly delivered masters programmes in key areas.
— Phd Scholarships and Research Fellowships.
— Student mobility programme (especially
students to India).
Professional and Technical Skills
— Collaborative delivery of programmes
to develop innovative training solutions benchmarked to international
practice that address skills gaps and needs in industry.
— Professional work placements and
apprenticeship exchange schemes.
Schools
— Collaborative projects between school
clusters.
— Exchanges in policy and professional
practice.
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