Talking at a British Council occasion in Delhi on January 29, Newcastle College’s vice-chancellor and president, Chris Day, revealed the college’s intention to arrange a campus in India.
“One of many causes that I’m right here… is the concept UK universities is perhaps trying to arrange campuses in-country. It virtually appears that day-after-day for the time being there’s one other announcement,” mentioned Day.
“It gained’t shock you to listen to that Newcastle is critically contemplating opening a campus right here in India itself. We’re presently fascinated with the place that is perhaps and who our companions is perhaps,” he revealed.
“All I can say is, watch this area…. I’m now leaving India completely satisfied that we have to do that. The query is what sort of campus and what topics and the place it is going to be, quite than if we may have a campus in India.”
Earlier this week, the College of Surrey unveiled plans for its worldwide department campus positioned in GIFT Metropolis – India’s particular financial zone in Gujarat, the place establishments are free from the rules that govern the remainder of the nation. The College of Coventry and Queen’s College Belfast are additionally anticipated to arrange respective campuses there.
In August 2024, it was introduced that the College of Southampton is about turn into the primary UK college to be granted a licence by the Indian authorities to create a department campus within the nation, with plans to arrange outdoors of the particular financial zone, in Delhi.
Newcastle College already has campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. Whereas talking in Delhi, Day emphasised his dedication to “equitable partnerships”.
“These partnerships ought to be mutually useful between the house nation and the worldwide nation quite than being a a method avenue,” mentioned Day.
These partnerships ought to be mutually useful between the house nation and the worldwide nation quite than being a a method avenue
Chris Day, Newcastle College
Over 500 Indian college students enrolled at Newcastle College final yr however the vice-chancellor emphasised “there’s far more to our relationship with India than simply what number of worldwide college students come from India to to Newcastle”, utilizing the college’s 25-year collaboration with the Institute of Expertise in Delhi for example.
Talking solely to The PIE Information on the QS India Summit in Goa days earlier, British excessive commissioner for India, Lindy Cameron, spoke of the “large potential” of UK-India partnerships going down in increased schooling.
“I feel a whole lot of universities have understood how necessary India is when it comes to college students which have come to the UK, however the actually thrilling factor now could be with the reforms within the Indian increased schooling sector, there’s a lot extra potential for various sorts of partnerships,” she mentioned.
There’s a “lengthy queue of schooling establishments” eager to comply with within the footsteps of Southampton, but additionally elevated curiosity in joint levels in partnership with Indian universities, famous Cameron.
“[India] is a rustic of 1.4 billion folks. It’s already the fifth largest economic system on the earth. It would turn into third within the subsequent few years and it has the potential to go larger than that. It’s a younger nation, it’s a rustic that desires to get wealthy earlier than it will get outdated and it’s a rustic the place the upper schooling sector is completely crucial to that development,” mentioned Cameron.
Elsewhere, Day introduced ten full-fee scholarships for Indian college students enrolling at Newcastle College in September 2025. Provided by means of the Newcastle-India Management and Innovation Scholarship, these awards assist candidates from India pursuing a full-time, one-year grasp’s program in an eligible area.
Past this, the college is extending its Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Scholarships from six to thirty scholarships.
