Malaysia’s Lincoln University College became the first foreign institution to apply through the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) dedicated application platform to establish a campus in India.
The Commission has formed a five-member standing committee to review the university’s proposal and is expected to issue its decision soon.
Answering a question in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Union Education Minister of State Subhas Sarkar stated that Malaysia’s Lincoln University College has applied to the UGC to establish a campus in Telangana.
“The UGC (University Grants Commission) has opened the portal for inviting applications for setting up campuses of FHEIs (Foreign Higher Education Institutions) in India. An application has been received from Lincoln University College, Malaysia, for setting up a campus in Telangana,” he said.
Although a few foreign universities have gone into the web to learn about the application procedures for establishing campuses in India, Lincoln University College is the only one that has applied so far, according to an official.
Lincoln University College ranks 301-340th in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023. The university is also ranked between 301 and 400th in the Times Higher Education World Rankings.
The UGC published the norms for opening up and managing FHEI campuses in India in November, paving the door for foreign universities to establish and operate campuses in India with total autonomy, confer degrees, and determine admission processes and pricing structures.
According to the UGC, two or more than two universities can collaborate to set up campuses in India, provided each institution meets the eligibility criteria individually. Each foreign university can set up more than one campus in India. However, they shall make a separate application for each proposed campus to UGC.
Regarding the affordability of FHEIs for Indian students, Sarkar went on to say that these might give tuition fee reductions to Indian citizens as well as full or partial scholarships based on merit or need.
“Safeguards against misappropriation of philanthropic resources, non-compliance with internal and external standards for philanthropic operations have also been incorporated in these regulations. These regulations stipulate compliance with the provisions of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, for FHEIs to receive or utilise donations from any foreign sources,” Sarkar added.
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Source: The Indian Express
