INDIAN EDUCATION GOES ABROAD
Indian academic degrees, particularly in engineering and technology, have been accepted well internationally
The 21st century has brought with it significant changes in the landscape of higher education. As 2025 settles in around us, we are a quarter-way into the century! We have raced ahead from ‘Y2K’, which came at a time when the Indian dominance of the IT revolution was at its peak. The strategic growth of Indian education into global markets may well helm the next vista of our world-wide impact. In this milieu, Indian campuses abroad represent a coming-of-age of modern Indian education.
The IITs have not been the first off the blocks when it comes to setting up physical campuses abroad. Private institutions such as the Birla Institute of Technology Pilani (BITS Pilani), Amity University, and Manipal University, spread their wings beyond Indian shores, a few years ago. Each of these foreign campuses is unique, in terms of the programmes they offer, the clientele they attract, and the plans for evolution.
Indian academic degrees, particularly in engineering and technology, have been accepted well internationally. The increasing numbers of foreign students, particularly from the Indian subcontinent and Africa, who get their degrees in India and explore career opportunities abroad, is testament to this. Off-shore campuses, in some sense, bring these high quality degrees closer homes to the students and ensure greater access. Financial aspects, visa and travel-related hassles, and cultural disconnects are better managed by students without compromising their academic goals, in these cases.
As far as the institutions are concerned, broadening the profile of enrolled students, either through internationalisation activities in the home campus or through off-shore campuses, is beneficial in many ways. It adds diversity of ideas to the classrooms, enforces modernisation of the curricula, creates a global network of alumni who can have significant impact, and overall increases the brand value of the institution. In terms of challenges, the off-shore campuses do throw up very unique mountains to climb.
A full-fledged international campus is a very big step for Indian academic institutions. Local governance, accreditation, financial, and cultural aspects pose significant difficulties. Location is critical – so far, the Middle East is popular, while other regions in Asia and the African continent are gaining some ground.
The National Forensic Sciences University and IIT Madras have forayed into Africa in the past two years. Although these campuses are in East Africa, the pan-Africa focus is a clearly articulated strategy. As the “youngest continent” the benefits of top-notch academic programmes particularly in the areas of data science, climate, and sustainability and so on, for Africa cannot be overstated. Building bridges to ensure widespread awareness and robust academic preparation for the Indian brand of higher education is a focus area for these pioneering institutions with off-shore campuses in Africa.
As far as aspirations are concerned, foreign campuses should not limit themselves any more to being “degree granting” institutions. The potential impact of Indian higher education in terms of thought leadership and research can go beyond forging well-trained student networks. Influencing aspects of nation building that bring together local relevance with global impact, with a foundation laid on Indian experiences, is a critical way forward for Indian campuses abroad.
These are early days, and much of the dialogue so far has focused on the motivations for Indian educational institutions to set up campuses abroad. Nevertheless, fostering the right environment for the remarkable success of these campuses is critical. Capacity building and providing important skills among local populations is important, no doubt.
But our institutions, with their widely influential alumni groups, unwavering adherence to academic excellence, and contributions to the entrepreneurship and innovation landscape, can genuinely have wider global influences in myriad domains, and paint a uniquely Indian picture on the canvas of the future.
The author is the director-in-charge of IIT Madras Zanzibar (IIT-M Zanzibar)
