Now that IIT Delhi and IIT Madras have been granted permission to start their international campuses in Abu Dhabi and Tanzania, respectively, Prof V Ramgopal Rao examines the benefits IITs can gain from these international campuses, and what needs to be done to leverage this opportunity
The National Education Policy released in 2020 opened doors for India’s public funded higher educational institutions to open campuses abroad. IIT Delhi was the first public funded institution in the country to approach the government in 2020 for permission to open a campus abroad. Now, IIT Delhi and IIT Madras have been granted permission to start their international campuses in Abu Dhabi and Tanzania, respectively. Other IITs may follow suit. This is indeed a historical moment for India with our public funded institutions venturing into foreign shores. Let’s examine the benefits IITs can gain from these international campuses, and what needs to be done to leverage this opportunity?
Increased diversity — Operating campuses in different countries helps attract a diverse pool of students from various cultural and educational backgrounds. This enriches the learning experience, fosters cross-cultural understanding, and prepares students for a globalised world. It is important, therefore, to not rely on just the Indian diaspora to study in these campuses but rather to attract students of diverse nationalities.
International
rankings — In
this
year’s
QS World
University
Rankings,
our
older
five
IITs
received
an
average
of 1.3
points
out of
100 for
international
students
and 2.9
points
out of
100 for
international
faculty.
This
pulls
down
their
international
rankings
considerably.
Given
the
challenges
with
infrastructure,
admission
policies
and
cultural
differences,
it is
difficult
to
expect
international
students
to come
and
study in
IITs in
India.
By
having
international
campuses
and
offering
Bachelor
of
Science
(BS)
programs
(so as
not to
dilute
the
brand
value of
B.Tech
degrees
offered
in
Indian
campuses),
there is
an
opportunity
to
expand
the IIT
brand
globally
and
attract
more
foreign
students
to its
Indian
campuses
as well.
This
cross-pollination
of
talent
and
ideas
can
elevate
the
institution’s
status
and
rankings.
Another
way to
improve
cultural
diversity
is to
have
students
in these
international
campuses
spend
time on
the main
campus
in India
for a
minimum
of one
semester
to a
year, as
part of
their
curriculum
requirements.
The
enhanced
fee
charged
from
these
students
can help
support
the
infrastructure
requirements
to host
them.
This
will
also
significantly
enhance
our
international
rankings.
Global reputation enhancement — One of the reasons for the poor showing in international rankings is also because of low perception scores. In the last QS Global University Rankings, the five older IITs scored an average of 21.9 points out of 100 in the total weighted reputation score. Having an international footprint will help improve perception of our institutions which, in turn, can help our standing in international rankings.
Revenue generation — International campuses can add an additional revenue source for IITs. They can charge higher fees, and if properly managed and with rules permitting, surplus funds can be reinvested in the main campus back in India, improving infrastructure and academic facilities here.
Collaboration opportunities — They can also serve as hubs for collaboration with foreign universities, research institutions, and industries. This facilitates knowledge exchange, joint research projects, and technology transfer, leading to innovations and advancements in various fields.
International faculty recruitments — Freed of rigid salary slabs that exist on Indian campuses, these foreign campuses may attract more international scholars as faculty. Main campuses need to utilise this global talent pool. For example, it is well-known that research papers co-authored with international scholars receive twice the number of citations as compared to purely national collaborations.
Alumni engagement — Having overseas campuses can strengthen ties with IIT alumni spread across the world. This support can be crucial for funding research, scholarships, and infrastructure development.
Addressing brain drain — By offering quality education and research opportunities abroad, Indian institutions can potentially retain some of the top Indian talent that might otherwise have gone elsewhere.
Policy influence — Global presence of our institutions can also provide India with greater leverage in shaping policies, both in India and the host countries of their international campuses. This soft power can help improve India’s prestige abroad.
However, establishing and maintaining international campuses also come with challenges such as meeting regulatory requirements, availability of resources, ensuring quality control, and maintaining the institution’s core values and standards across all campuses. It is also important not to overdo this. We need to see how the two extension campuses perform before expanding on this model further with other IITs. With careful planning and execution, the benefits can outweigh the challenges, contributing to the overall growth, reputation and global rankings of our institutions.
The author is currently the Group Vice-Chancellor, Birla Institute of Technology & Science, and has served as the Director of IIT Delhi between 2016 and 2021. This article was first published in The Times of India and has been reproduced with permission. You can read the article here: https://bit.ly/45QyFWZ
