Study Abroad: UCL’s collaboration with IISc, IIT Delhi & AIIMS to open more doors for Indian students
UCL's collaboration with Indian institutions is opening opportunities for students including collaborative PhDs, faculty exchanges, research fellowships.
Ranked in the world’s top 10 best universities, University College London (UCL) is known for education, research and innovation and is home to more than 50,000 students from 150 countries. Currently, UCL has 985 Indian students and 71 active research projects with India worth over £71 million in funding.
In an exclusive interview, Dr Michael Spence AC, President & Provost, University College London, talks about the recent collaboration with Indian Institute of Science, IIT (Delhi) and AIIMS as well as its Global Disability Innovation Hub and India Excellence Scholarships.
Kejriwal announces Ambedkar scholarship for free foreign education of Dalit students in Delhi
How will the collaboration between UCL and IISc drive innovation in healthcare research, education and commercialisation?
We will significantly enhance our joint research capabilities in healthcare-focused AI, quantum technology, and robotics and will also develop educational collaborations to train the physicians of the future, especially by supporting IISc’s upcoming Postgraduate Medical School (PGMS). This initiative will pave the way for healthcare innovation and new educational programs, offering many exciting opportunities for students including collaborative PhDs, faculty exchanges, and research fellowships. Indian students will gain new skills, terminology (in clinical science, engineering science, and natural sciences), and approaches, helping them become entrepreneurial clinical academics.
How will the trilateral partnership with AIIMS, IIT Delhi and UCL help in solving major health challenges and life-threatening diseases?
By working in partnership with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi (AIIMS) and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi), we will advance the field of medical technology in areas such as detection, diagnostics and imaging; devices and implants; assistive technologies; digital health; artificial intelligence, machine learning and quantum; surgical and treatment interventions and sensing technologies.
Delhi University’s first NEP 2020 batch can soon complete final year semester abroad, details here
What opportunities will this collaboration provide for student exchanges and joint programmes?
Students stand to benefit enormously from both the trilateral agreement and the new collaboration between UCL and IISc. Joint research programmes will also license medical practitioners of the future to gain experience with state-of-the-art technologies before entering or re-entering the world of work full time. These initiatives will lead to more active projects between the institutions, driving scientific discovery and providing students with transformative exposure to the medical advancements shaping the future.
What opportunities does UCL provide for Indian students to engage in research-driven initiatives?
Students can benefit from active research partnerships in India. Between 2019 and 2023, our academics co-authored 2,600 research publications with Indian collaborators. Indian students can develop entrepreneurial skills and start ventures at UCL. All students and recent graduates can access free extracurricular activities at BaseKX, UCL’s entrepreneurship hub. Here, students can:
Learn about entrepreneurship through workshops and masterclasses.
Test entrepreneurial ideas and learn about setting up businesses or social enterprises.
Turn ideas into viable businesses with bespoke support.
Grow startups through our equity-free Hatchery incubator programme.
If graduates want to stay in the UK after their studies to start a business, we can help them get endorsed for an Innovator Founder visa.
Doctoral students and early career researchers can enhance their entrepreneurial skills through our SPERO programme, benefiting their research and careers. Plus, our industry connections provide internships, networking, and career growth opportunities, giving Indian students a competitive edge after graduation.
Global Disability Innovation Hub contributes to addressing global challenges, what opportunities do these create for Indian students?
The Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) at UCL can create transformative opportunities and accelerate disability innovation for all students. UCL’s partnerships with IIT Delhi and IIT Madras represent another positive waypoint in a long journey that began with the 2012 London Paralympics. The announcement made in November will see 50 promising Indian start-up companies given new funding through a second phase of the Attvaran accelerator program led by the GDI Hub.
Students of our Disability, Design & Innovation MSc - the GDI Hub’s flagship program at UCL East - work closely with global entrepreneurs, and can also develop their ideas from UCL into one of our accelerators. As the GDI Hub is the official WHO Collaborating Centre for Research on Assistive Technology, our MSc students become part of one of the largest networks for disability innovation, which is responsible for working on disability innovation projects in 35 countries with more than 70 partners.
What about scholarships?
There is a wide range of merit and needs-based programmes at UCL specifically created to support talented individuals, including students from India. In 2023, UCL launched its India Excellence Scholarships, the university’s most extensive scholarship initiative for Indian master’s students to date. A total of 33 scholarships were made available for the 2024-25 academic year, awarded to exceptional students who achieved a first-class degree. A further 67 scholarships will be awarded over the next two years. As part of the program, prospective master’s students in any discipline can receive £5,000 towards their studies.
How is UCL aligning its academic offerings to meet the aspirations of Indian students and the demands of a rapidly evolving global job market?
We are constantly adapting to the evolving needs of the professional world. A recent example is the Prosperity, People and Planet MSc at the UCL Institute for Global Prosperity. This master’s degree offers a new, interdisciplinary approach to studying well- being economies and healthy social foundations while respecting ecological boundaries. Another example would be the MSc People Analytics and Human-Centric Management, a new programme at the UCL School of Management launching in 2025. This program will offer comprehensive training in people analytics, human resources management (HRM), and contemporary theories and applications on leadership, organisational and work design.
