Delegation of 22 V-Cs of UK arrive to explore collaboration in education

Bengaluru: The delegation of Vice-Chancellors representing 22 institutions of the UK, claimed to be the biggest ever education delegation to India, arrived in the city for a two-day visit. The delegation will focus on exploring and identifying the areas of collaborative partnerships to achieve internationalisation of education, aligned to the National Education Policy (NEP 2020), which has been implemented at the higher education level in the State.

This has come close on the heels of the visit by a delegation led by Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, Minister for Higher Education, to London that participated in the Commonwealth Education Conference and Education World Forum (EWF). During the visit, the delegation had convened meetings with heads of many prestigious universities in the UK apart from visiting a few universities. The delegation is keen on identifying possible areas of collaboration to facilitate mutual exchange of students, and faculty and to achieve excellence in research.

On this occasion, two days event of the roundtable on education collaboration between Karnataka and the UK has been organised. Addressing the delegation at the event on Thursday, Ashwath Narayan said that education, research, and innovation were the key pillars of the India-UK bilateral relationship.

He further added, in 2021, both countries announced the ambitious 'India-UK Roadmap 2030' to expand cooperation between universities of both nations in light of India's NEP, by working towards enhancing partnerships between HEIs of both the countries and by supporting the two-way mobility of students, teachers, and researchers.

"The State of Karnataka has shown great initiative in implementing the vision of the NEP. Aligned to the NEP's focus on Trans-National Education (TNE) and the world's top universities keen on setting up campuses in India, the delegation is intent on identifying partnerships and collaborations for the UK's coveted and trusted educational institutions in the state", Minister Ashwath Narayan claimed.

The Chairperson of the NEP steering committee, Dr K Kasturirangan said that the NEP which lays emphasis on multidisciplinary learning would cater to the demands of the 21st century. "The policy provides prominence for both translational research and acquiring theoretical knowledge," he added. Meanwhile, he appreciated the higher education minister for his efforts and initiatives taken towards effectively implementing the NEP.

The Director, Universities UK International (UUKi), Vivienne Stern said that this was a moment to celebrate the deep and extensive links that exist between universities of both countries.

On the occasion, Nottingham Trent University and Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), an Institution of Eminence and Deemed to be University, signed an MoU to explore opportunities for collaboration in teaching, mobility, and research.

Minister Narayan said that he was glad about the partnership between MAHE and Nottingham Trent University for teaching, research, and mutual mobility. The pact would result in greater faculty and student exchange and enhance research excellence more than ever before, he opined.

Barbara Wickham OBE, Director India, British Council, and Janaka Pushpanathan, Director, British Council (South India) also spoke.

Anna Shotbolt, British Deputy High Commissioner, Karnataka, Professor B Thimme Gowda Vice Chairman, SHEC, V Rashmi Mahesh, Principal Secretary to Government, Higher Education, Dr.Gopalakrishna Joshi, ED, SHEC, were among those who were present.