Siddharth Titoria, a Delhi student, scored 72 per cent in his Class XII board exams from commerce stream this year. The DU cut-offs being what they are these days, Titoria did not get a seat in a Delhi University college. Then he found hope in Leeds Metropolitan University, Bhopal campus, known as Leeds Met India, where his so-called mediocre marks were much higher than the required qualifying marks.
Like Titoria, 61 more students got admission to the debut session of this university’s much awaited Indian campus.
However, there are several queries about the importance of degrees awarded by such institutions. We sought answers to such questions from Prof. Phil Clements, academic director, Leeds Met India and Hari Mohan Gupta, president, Jagran Social Welfare Society, which has set up the Bhopal campus.
Would the degree mention the Bhopal campus?
No, it won’t. Leeds Met, UK, would award the degrees, which would be exactly the same as what one gets in the UK. There would be no frills attached whatsoever.
Does Leeds Met India offer the same number of programmes as on the UK campus?
No, so far, there are six programmes on offer in Bhopal. These programmes are BA (Hons) in business studies; business and HRM; business and management; international management; international hospitality management; and retail marketing management. From next year, three undergraduate and five Master’s programmes would start, including MBA and BA (Hons) in event management.
Who is eligible to study at Leeds Met India?
An aspirant must have scored at least 60 per cent or above in his/her Class XII board exams and 60 per cent or above marks in the English language or a 6.0 score in IELTS test.
But how can a student get the same UK degree without studying on the parent campus?
There is no concept of a parent campus. The university has three campuses in the UK, Hong Kong and India. Wherever you study, the degree is the same. On the Bhopal campus, 30 per cent of the lectures would be given by faculty members flown in from the UK, and local teachers would also be trained to deliver the same quality as maintained on the UK campus.
The Indian campus is completely managed by Leeds Metropolitan UK and even the dean of the Bhopal campus (Prof. Clements), who has been called from the UK campus, will stay in Bhopal for a few years.
Moreover, even if you study from Bhopal, you will spend an entire semester in the UK.
But how can a student get the same UK degree without studying on the parent campus?
There is no concept of a parent campus. The university has three campuses in the UK, Hong Kong and India. Wherever you study, the degree is the same. On the Bhopal campus, 30 per cent of the lectures would be given by faculty members flown in from the UK, and local teachers would also be trained to deliver the same quality as maintained on the UK campus.
The Indian campus is completely managed by Leeds Metropolitan UK and even the dean of the Bhopal campus (Prof. Clements), who has been called from the UK campus, will stay in Bhopal for a few years.
Moreover, even if you study from Bhopal, you will spend an entire semester in the UK.
Why should one study at this campus and not in Britain?
The Bhopal campus is primarily meant for students who can’t afford to go to the UK but still want world-class education while they stay safely in their home country.
The fee here is around 30 per cent of what is paid by an international student at the university in UK. Here one has to pay around Rs 5.85 lakh for the three-year programme. Add to it the accommodation cost (between Rs 2.25 lakh and Rs 3 lakh for three years) and another Rs 3 lakh for spending one semester in the UK.
The fee is still exorbitant by Indian standards. What would be the job opportunities after the Bachelor’s programme?
The programmes are job-oriented and prepare you for a job. Soon, a placement cell would start functioning where companies from India and the UK are expected to come on board. In BA (Hons) international hospitality management, students would get to work in a hotel in the UK for one year as an intern during the course of their study.