UGC to release norms for offshore campuses

NEW DELHI: The University Grants Commission (UGC) will soon release guidelines for universities looking to set up satellite campuses abroad to the public for feedback from stakeholders, its chairperson has said.

UGC chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar said the guideline will provide universities a road map for starting campuses in foreign locations and also prescribe eligibility criteria in terms of the rankings given by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) and their National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) scores.

“The process of framing the guidelines has reached its final stage and we will release it t soon for wider consultation in coming weeks... ,” he said.

According to Kumar, the guidelines will be in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 that emphasises the internationalisation of education. “High performing Indian universities should be encouraged to set up campuses in other countries,” he said.

A 16-member panel headed by the chairman of the standing committee of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITS) council — K Radhakrishnan – has already submitted a draft report to the government laying down a roadmap for the premier institutes to start campuses abroad. HT had reported that several IITS, including those in Delhi and Chennai, have already started the process in line with the committee’s roadmap.