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Expert Comment

Internationalising higher education

— an external perspective

PHILIP ALTBACH

NDIAN HIGHER EDUCATION HAS SUDDENLY “big colleges” in terms of student enrolment and physical
become “hot” with delegations of global university infrastructure. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020
leaders and politicians flocking to the country, the latest promises a major infusion of funds for higher education
Ifrom Australia. Governments and universities from and research, but significant allocations haven’t yet been
around the world are signing memoranda of understanding distributed.
with Indian counterparts and making ambitious plans for Good but not great. While India wants to partner with
research collaboration, joint degrees and other initiatives. world-class universities in other countries, it cannot claim
Recent regulations for setting up international branch to have any world-class universities of its own — at least
campuses in Gujarat and the interest expressed by some as measured by Times Higher Education Rankings 2023.
foreign universities in doing this, is the latest trend. India’s highest ranked university is the Indian Institute
But while there is enthusiasm, little is known about the of Science, ranked in the 251-300 band. Another 75
realities of Indian higher education. It is worth looking universities are included in the rankings but far down in
at some of the challenges that will confront international the global league table.
partners in India. From the perspective of overseas universities seeking
Populism and politics. Indian higher education exists partners in India, a rough estimate of appropriate partner
in a highly toxic political and societal environment — as Indian universities may be around 50. It is important to
is the case in many countries — and this has fundamental plan both an institution-specific and department-specific
implications for how academic institutions from other strategy for identifying potential partners in India.
countries should weigh possible collaboration and The academic profession. At the heart of university
involvement. A few examples illustrate the point. The quality and culture is the professoriate. The Indian
ruling BJP government’s hindutva ideology and especially academic profession is perennially troubled. Subject
its anti-Muslim rhetoric and activism is a hindrance to to strict bureaucratic rules, with many staff subject to
global collaboration. Indeed, reports of threats to academic extensive teaching responsibilities at the undergraduate
freedom are common. These reports include government level and often lacking adequate facilities to teach STEM
interference that led to the resignation of eminent professor subjects, the profession now faces significant shortages.
Pratap Bhanu Mehta, from the private Ashoka University. An estimated 33 percent of the 18,905 academic positions
Complexity and bureaucracy. India has one of the most in Central universities were vacant last year — and the
complicated higher education systems in the world. Most situation is worse in state institutions.
undergraduate students study in private colleges of diverse Internationalisation. NEP 2020 has placed considerable
quality. Of the 1,057 universities that mostly offer postgrad emphasis on internationalisation, especially on increasing
programs, around 450 are private. Most higher education the small number of international students in India, as well
institutions are under the jurisdiction of India’s 28 state as building links and programs with top-ranking foreign
governments. The best quality public universities and universities. But the fact is that India has never had an
research institutes — 7 percent of the total — are Central international academic strategy and has been a largely
government institutions. There is also a small recently- closed system. The infrastructure and policies necessary
established high prestige private universities sector. For for effective internationalisation are lacking.
quality assurance, there is a complex arrangement through These developments are encouraging and discouraging.
the National Assessment and Accreditation Council and The Central government’s International Financial
National Board of Accreditation. But only a small minority Services Centres Authority (Setting up and Operation of
of institutions have volunteered for accreditation. International Branch Campuses and Offshore Education
India is known for its complex bureaucracy — inherited Centres) 2022 law allows Top 500 universities and “other
from British colonialism and ingrained in independent foreign institutions” to establish campuses and offer
India. Rules and regulations, often inconsistently and programs in financial management, fintech, science,
slowly applied, cover many aspects of higher education. technology, engineering and mathematics in GIFT City,
The Constitution of India allows both the Central and state Gujarat. These regulations allow foreign campuses to be
governments to enact laws relating to the higher education established on that specific site.
sector, often leading to confrontation. In sum, the global academic community will need to
Underfunding. Central and state government institutions carefully examine the realities of Indian higher education
have been dramatically underfunded for decades. Much before pursuing involvement with the world’s second
of the significant expansion of recent years has been in largest academic system.
undergrad colleges that don’t receive direct government
funding. The private university sector has been witnessing (Philip G. Altbach is research professor and distinguished fellow, Center
significant growth in recent years. But most of them are only for International Higher Education, Boston College)

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