International Higher Education, Spring 2001

International Providers of Higher Education in India

K. B. Powar and Veena Bhalla
K. B. Powar is secretary general of the Association of Indian Universities, New Delhi. Veena Bhalla is under secretary of the Student Information Services, in the Association of Indian Universities. Address: Association of Indian Universities, AIU House, 16, Kotla Marg, New Delhi 110 002, India. E-Mail: <aiu@del2.vsnl.net.in>.


With higher education having become an international business, foreign academic institutions of different types are advertising their programs in Indian newspapers, magazines, and journals. The advertisements are aimed at attracting students to academic institutions abroad or inducing them to register for diploma and degree programs of foreign universities that are offered in India itself. A survey of advertisements that appeared in 14 national newspapers, between July and December 2000, provides information on the nature of the programs, the background and distribution of the universities and institutions offering them, and the academic standing of the Indian partners.

An Overview
A perusal of these advertisements showed that the largest number of advertisers (who total 144) are from the United Kingdom (53) followed by Australia (40), the United States (24), Canada (7), and New Zealand. Other countries advertising are Bulgaria (2), Cyprus (1), France (2), Hong Kong (China)(1), Ireland (1), Mauritius (1), Nepal (2), Romania (1), Russia (1) and Switzerland (3). While 117 of the institutions are seeking to attract students to their countries, the remaining 27 are offering programs in India. Furthermore, as many as 46 foreign providers are not recognized or accredited in their own countries. Besides, 23 of the 26 Indian partners are not affiliated with any Indian university—an indication that they have entered the academic arena primarily for commercial gain.

The foreign universities offer a variety of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in practically all faculties. Students are invited to enroll, on the home-campus, in undergraduate courses in the liberal arts, business, and medicine. Also on offer are postgraduate courses in engineering, technology, the sciences, the social sciences, law, arts and design, business administration, international business, banking, finance, and management. One of the institutions is offering direct web-based learning.

The programs offered in India are predominantly those in the professional areas of management and engineering. The management courses that lead to an MBA are in the specialized areas of marketing, finance, information systems, mass communications, and international affairs. Other postgraduate management programs are in hotel management, healthcare, and tourism. Engineering undergraduate programs are available in textile engineering, computer engineering, information technology, and communications technology. There are also postgraduate programs in computer science, computer and communications technology, and information technology. Also on offer are undergraduate programs in arts, business, management, and law.

Implications and Options
In his spring 1999 article in this newsletter, “The Perils of Internationalizing Higher Education: An Asian Perspective,” Philip Altbach characterized the current wave influenced by the profit motive rather than by government policy. Increasingly sophisticated marketing techniques are being used to meet demands and create niches for “educational products.” The article notes that universities from the developed countries are offering “off-shore degrees,” in collaboration with noneducational institutions; that the Internet is being used to deliver degrees; that there are few controls concerning quality; and that programs are being offered not only by respected institutions but also by low-prestige schools simply selling worthless certificates.

Our survey supports Altbach’s conclusions and concerns. In India, internationalization of higher education has taken a commercial form, with academic considerations often taking a backseat. In principle, no objection can be raised against foreign universities trying to recruit students for study outside India. In a way foreign study meets the need for a quality education among students who are unable to gain admission to the best institutions in India but have the desire and the means to study abroad. The objection is against the “selling” of degrees, of questionable standard, by nonrecognized institutions and even by some recognized universities. The franchising of programs has become common. Little or no supervision is exercised by faculty from the parent institution, facilities are often minimal, and there are few controls relating to quality or financial arrangements.

From the Indian point of view, the activities of such institutions clearly need to be controlled. Unfortunately, the relevant laws are ambiguous on this point. The 1956 University Grants Commission Act or the 1987 All India Council for Technical Education, for example, do not prohibit the operation of foreign institutions in India, nor do they have provisions concerning the functioning of these institutions in India. The laws relating to foreign exchange do place some restrictions in this area, but these are being increasingly diluted. These factors allow foreign institutions a great deal of latitude; for all practical purposes, they can act with few restrictions. There is, therefore, a clear need to finalize and adopt a policy relating to the operation of foreign institutions in India. To stop the gross commercialization of education, the operation of the Indian partners must be regulated, with only genuine academic institutions being allowed to participate in “twinning activities.” Franchising has been possible only because the legal milieu does not prohibit or regulate it.

To promote quality education, it would be worthwhile to create genuine institutional links that are based on equal participation and have adequate controls related to quality and financial arrangements. As a step in this direction, the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), in 1999, formulated guidelines covering the grant of equivalence to degrees offered in India by foreign universities. The main conditions laid down are, first, that the Indian institution (partner) has adequate infrastructure and facilities as substantiated by the report of a Review Committee of the AIU; second, that the program is implemented jointly by the foreign and the Indian universities, or academic institutions affiliated to them, with both contributing to the academic program in approximately equal measure; and third, that the foreign university gives an undertaking, in the form of a certificate, that the degree or diploma awarded to the student in India would be considered as equivalent to the corresponding degree or diploma awarded by the home university, and that it would be recognized in that country as being equivalent to the corresponding degree or diploma of the awarding university.

To date, only one university has applied for the grant of equivalence. Obviously, the guidelines of the AIU are not acceptable to the foreign providers of higher education. Perhaps they feel that they can continue operation without a grant of equivalence, for there is no dearth of students wanting a foreign degree. One can understand higher education having financial aspects, but most people in India believe that it must essentially be grounded in academic values.