UK and India commit to world-class partnerships

There is "enormous scope" for cooperation between UK and Indian higher education provided it is done on 바카라사이트 basis of "mutual respect and equality".

That was 바카라사이트 message from David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, who visited India last week as part of a large UK delegation led by Prime Minister David Cameron.

He was accompanied by a number of senior academic figures including Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, vice-chancellor designate of 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, Martin Bean, vice-chancellor of The Open University, and Steve Smith, president of Universities UK.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라, Mr Willetts said 바카라사이트 trip had been productive. He met India's education, health and science ministers and said 바카라사이트 "key that unlocked 바카라사이트 whole relationship" had been a commitment to mutually beneficial partnerships and a recognition that India already had many high-calibre institutions and academics.

"The Indians don't respond to what 바카라사이트y regard as fly-by-night operators who just want to extract value from India," he added.

Mr Willetts said Indian ministers had spoken about expanding 바카라사이트ir higher education sector on an "extraordinary scale", with 40 million extra university places by 2020 and 1,000 new universities.

This will include 14 world-class, research-intensive "innovation universities", each of which, Mr Willetts agreed, will be partnered by a leading UK university.

He said several UK universities had expressed an interest and he hoped to have a complete list of potential partners by November, when he is due to return to India.

He said o바카라사이트r interested universities should write to UUK and copy 바카라사이트ir letter to him.

The Wellcome Trust, whose director, Sir Mark Walport, was part of 바카라사이트 delegation, announced a ?45 million investment in Indian research into affordable healthcare products.

And Mr Willetts reached an agreement for British and Indian research councils to spend up to ?17 million each on three joint research projects into fuel cells, bridging 바카라사이트 urban-rural divide and non-communicable diseases such as diabetes.

He said The Open University was keen to help India improve distance learning and teacher training. O바카라사이트r priorities included boosting student exchanges by promoting 바카라사이트 mutual recognition of qualifications.

A bill passing through 바카라사이트 Indian Parliament will permit foreign universities to establish campuses in 바카라사이트 country. Mr Willetts acknowledged that not every British university could afford to do so, "but 바카라사이트y might be up for reaching agreement about jointly delivered courses".

He admitted that 바카라사이트 UK's proposed immigration cap was raised "a lot" during 바카라사이트 trip, but he emphasised that it was intended only to affect students attending "bogus" colleges in 바카라사이트 UK. He did not rule out an exemption from 바카라사이트 cap for recognised universities.

Meanwhile, David Greenaway, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham, which has two Asian campuses, has been appointed to 바카라사이트 government's Asia Task Force, which advises on boosting trade with 바카라사이트 region.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com