Now you can go for a dual degree from foreign universities while being in India. Recently Country’s higher education regulator, the University Grants Commission, has opened doors for world top 500 universities to start dual degree or twining courses with Indian higher education institutions.
The commission approved regulations also gave six months to higher education institutions in India running courses of foreign universities to meet the new regulatory framework.
“The institutions failing to meet the regulations will face action,” UGC’s acting chairperson Ved Prakash told HT, after the commissions’ meeting where the regulations were approved.
The new rules stipulate de-recognition of private institutions and stopping of government funds to the public sector institutions, which fail to meet the regulatory provisions. Many educational institutions such as Delhi University offer courses where part of the syllabus is taught in India and remaining in the foreign university.
In a bid to ensure excellence, the commission has decided that only those Indian educational institutions, who receive highest accreditation rating from National Board for Accreditation or National Assessment and Accreditation Council, will be allowed to start a dual degree courses.
They would be able to tie-up with any of the world’s top 500 foreign education providers listed in the Time Higher Education Supplement or Shanghai Ranking Consultancy. “The Indian educations providers will be free to choose their foreign partners,” Prakash said.
The decision comes a few weeks before HRD minister Kapil Sibal is expected to participate in Indo-US Higher Education Summit, where heads of top Indian and Foreign universities are expected to participate.
The Indian government has promised a regulatory framework to allow quality foreign education to offer courses to Indian students. As the foreign education providers bill is still pending, the new UGC regulations will help the well known foreign universities to offer courses locally.
Prakash said before approving the tie-up the UGC will check the academic standards of the institutions singing an agreement. “Only the best to ensure academic excellence will be allowed,” he said.
The new regulations do not stipulate fee or course structure which would be domain of the two collaborating universities.
The UGC, however, deferred decision on allowing foreign education providers to set campuses in India as it required consultation with other stakeholders such as health and law ministries.
