India might open to foreign universities. That could be a game-changer.

This Article First Appeared In Washingtonpost.com On Feb 1, 2023

Dhiraj Nayyar is the director for economics and policy at Vedanta Resources, whose philanthropic arm runs three not-for-profit colleges in India.

Can India create a higher education system worthy of its aspirations as a full-fledged knowledge economy?

That’s still to be determined. But India is on the verge of taking a major, long-awaited first step in the right direction: With the recent release of draft rules by the country’s higher education regulator — the University Grants Commission — India is moving closer to allowing high-quality foreign universities to set up campuses to help meet the country’s growing appetite for advanced education.

Crucially, under the rules, which will have to be approved by Parliament, foreign universities would get the freedom to decide their own curriculums, fix fees and hire faculty at terms of their choosing. They would even be allowed to repatriate earnings. That all might seem underwhelming to readers accustomed to the U.S. system. But it would be a radical — and, eventually, perhaps game-changing — shift for India.

Name*

Email*

India might open to foreign universities. That could be a game-changer.

Share with