Office for International Affairs in Education institutions

The University Grants Commission (UGC) recently asked the higher education institutes across the country to establish an office for international affairs.

About the Office of International Affairs

• The Office of International Affairs will be an integral part of internationalisation of higher education in India.
• They will be responsible for academic and research collaborations with foreign institutes.
• The Offices will act as a liaison body between foreign students and sponsoring agency.
• It will address the grievances of foreign students.
• The Office for International affairs will facilitate networking and extend all support to foreign students to adapt to the country.
• The office will disseminate information related to admission process among prospective foreign students.
• It will engage in promotional activities and brand campaigns abroad.
• The Office will coordinate all matters related to welcoming and supporting foreign students.

Background

Under the New Education Policy, 2020, the Government of India asked colleges to expand global outreach of Indian higher education institutes to promote India as a global study destination. The offices are being set up to achieve this goal of the policy.

Recent Developments

The UGC recently amended its regulations allowing Institutions of eminence to set up campuses abroad. The Institutions of Eminence have to receive No-Objection certificates from Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of External Affairs to set up their campuses abroad. Currently there are eighteen Institutions of Eminence.

Institutions of Eminence

The UGC has nominated twenty Institutions as Institutions of Eminence. The nominations were made based on the recommendations of Empowered Expert Committee headed by N Gopalaswami. Only those institutions that appear in the global or national ranks shall be recommended for the Institutions of Eminence status. The public institutions are assessed based on the QS-2020 world ranking. The private institutions are assessed based on National Institution Ranking Framework (NIRF). The institutes that do not appear in QS-2020, QS-2019, NIRF are excluded from the Institutes of Eminence tag.

Month: Current Affairs - January, 2021