Brain gain: Global classrooms gain traction in Mumbai

Admissions for the current academic year are on, with the institutes offering undergraduate and postgraduate courses in tech, business and creative industries.

When Aditi Kumar returned to India in July this year on a new assignment, after spending almost a decade in the United Kingdom as an academic, she thought little of the adjustments – trading a quiet life in an English countryside for the bustle of Mumbai – since she was fired up by the prospect of finding her feet in a new academic environment.

Brain gain: Global classrooms gain traction in Mumbai

A Fine arts and Art history post grad from JNU, Kumar worked as a researcher and teacher in the universities of Warwick and Loughborough. Today, she is an associate professor of Business of the Creative Industries at the University of York’s Mumbai campus, currently functioning from One Boulevard in the Powai Business District, where she has established the department.

“It was a rare opportunity to be part of the founding faculty to help deliver the University of York curriculum in Mumbai and welcome the first batch of students,” said Kumar.

Professor Rajaraman Eri’s journey back home was similar. Eri returned to India in July after spending nearly 30 years in Australia where he held senior positions as a professor of biological sciences, including senior academic responsibilities at RMIT University, Melbourne. He is now associate pro vice-chancellor of the University of Western Australia (UWA) India, located in Andheri east, near Marol Naka Metro station.

Eri earned his bachelors and master’s degrees in Veterinary Preventive Medicine from Chennai before moving to Australia for his PhD in molecular and cell biology at the University of Queensland.

At UWA India, he works in areas such as research methodology, research ethics and research integrity. “Apart from returning home, this was a chance to foster opportunities for the next generation of Indian students,” he said.

Kumar and Eri both benefit from the UGC’s November 2023 regulations, aligned with NEP 2020, allowing foreign universities to open campuses in India. This initiative brings global education and research opportunities directly to the country, enabling students to earn international degrees locally without the high cost of living abroad.

Launch pad

The University of York, University of Aberdeen, University of Bristol, University of Western Australia and Illinois Institute of Technology have built footprints in across Mumbai’s suburbs since September.

Admissions for the current academic year are on, with the institutes offering undergraduate and postgraduate courses in technology, business, finance and creative industries.

These campuses however are a stop-gap arrangement till they are located in two education hubs being planned by the state government around Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), with the aim to position the Navi Mumbai–Raigad region as a centre for higher education, research and innovation.

The University of Bristol opened its first international campus at the Mumbai Enterprise Campus (MEC), at Cignus Park, opposite the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, in August.

The universities are offering programmes such as BSc Data Science, MSc Finance and Investment, MSc Financial Technology with Data Science, and MA Immersive Arts. The immersive arts course brings together technology, storytelling, design and entrepreneurship, including the use of augmented and virtual reality.

Bristol’s postgraduate programmes run for 12 months, which include students undertaking independent research projects. “Our aim is not just to help them find jobs but also inculcate the ability to apply their knowledge to real-world problems and create value,” said professor Michelle Jones, director and executive dean of MEC, highlighting the importance of applied learning and industry engagement.

While Professor Amit Chakma, vice-chancellor of UWA, said the initiative helps bring global education to India, Professor Elizabeth Hudson, provost of Illinois Tech, which is located at Godrej Business District, Vikhroli West, said: “Our Mumbai campus brings Illinois Tech’s longstanding strengths in technology, innovation and interdisciplinary education to a city that is the heart of India’s business and technology ecosystem.”

Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, chairman, Facilitation Committee for Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India, constituted by the union education ministry, said: “The students’ contribution should be measured by the knowledge and opportunities they help create. Studying within India beneficial to them as they can remain closer to their families and cultural surroundings.”

Scholarship opens doors

Given that the margin of difference between the course fees in India and abroad are minimal, scholarships could open doors for many students.

After completing his Bachelor of Management from Vikas College, Vikhroli, in 2022, Sanjay Kharat received offers from universities of Warwick, Melbourne and Leeds, but could not afford the cost. He has enrolled for MSc in Finance and Investment at Bristol’s Mumbai campus with aid from the Bristol–Maharashtra scholarship scheme, which includes full tuition fee waiver and an internship in the Chief Minister’s Office.

The state has set aside 10 scholarships a year for eligible students from Maharashtra board schools. “I am really happy about receiving the scholarship,” he said. Kharat hopes to pursue a PhD and work with the Reserve Bank of India.

Kumar added that scholarships can make these campuses accessible. Bristol’s Mumbai campus has announced tuition fee waivers of up to ₹5 lakh annually, while Aberdeen offers combined awards of up to ₹4.5 lakh annually.

Drishita Khanna, a Mumbai-born finance professional, is pursuing a master’s in Finance and Investments at the University of Bristol’s Mumbai Enterprise Campus after receiving a 100% tuition fee waiver.

Khanna graduated with a Bachelor’s in Accounting and Finance from SIES College in 2023. She then spent nearly two years in risk consulting at EY, handling treasury and concurrent audits for domestic and international banking clients. Simultaneously, she worked remotely with a US start-up on fundraising and investor engagement.

She chose the Mumbai campus, since “I am the only daughter and wanted to live close to my parents”. The UK degree, practical learning and exposure to Mumbai’s financial ecosystem were other key factors. The scholarship has eased her financial burden too. “Five years down the line, I want to get into core policy consulting,” she said.

Avnish Singhal, head of Consumer Business (India, APAC, & Middle East) & International Branch Campus (IBC) Initiative, Emeritus, who are supporting

foreign universities to set up in India, said: “This is a defining moment for our country, and we are proud to be part of the Study-in-India movement, building the capacity at home so that India reaches its 50% Gross Enrolment Ratio ambition by 2035.”