British universities applaud the deal that the UK and India reached today (Thursday, July 21) to recognise each other’s higher education credentials.
A-levels and their equivalents, undergraduate degrees, and postgraduate degrees will now be recognised in India thanks to the Memorandum of Understanding, which is a component of the UK-India Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP) that Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Narendra Modi agreed upon last year.
Indian students who graduate from British universities will be able to seek for postgraduate degrees or start professions in the government that need a university degree when they return home.
With 84,555 Indian students coming to the UK in 2020–2021 and many UK students choosing to study abroad in India through the Turing Scheme, the UK and India are already significant destinations for each other’s students.
The deal will increase Indian students’ interest in attending UK universities and is projected to have a positive economic impact because the UK stands to gain approximately £109,000 per student by accepting non-EU students.
Additionally, it will make it more likely for citizens of the UK to study abroad in India, giving them additional options and expanding their academic and educational horizons, as well as providing opportunities for institutions to design programmes that can be offered in both countries.
UK institutions already enjoy an excellent reputation all throughout the world, according to International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan.
We are now happy to fulfil our commitment to remove trade obstacles between our two countries and increase Indian students’ access to and interest in UK higher education.
James Cleverly, the secretary of state for education, stated that one of the best exports from the UK is its world-renowned universities.
This agreement strengthens our UK-India alliance and lowers barriers so even more of India’s top students may study in the UK, enhancing our campuses and communities and strengthening our economy.
It increases the number of chances for UK students to study abroad and sets the way for our world-class universities to offer additional degree programmes in one of the world’s most rapidly developing and vibrant countries.
The agreement is one of three that were signed today to execute the ETP, which outlines a number of promises to open up new possibilities for British companies doing business in India and vice versa.
Over £24 billion in trade and over 500,000 jobs are supported by our investment connection between the UK and India.
Businesses predict that after the UK Government gained increased access to India’s market in 2017, UK exports of alcohol, oats, pig products, and other goods will increase by about £92 million annually. By 2050, India is anticipated to have the third-largest economy in the world.
The two sides also agreed to renew their commitment to mutually recognising the Seafarers’ Certificate of Competency and to implement ETP promises to establish a taskforce to help Indian nurses and nursing associates who want to learn and work in the NHS.
This historic partnership has been in the works for many years, according to Vivienne Stern MBE, Chief Executive of Universities UK International (UUKi).
The recognition of student credentials on both sides will make it simpler for them to advance in their study and find employment.
An especially significant development is the acceptance of UK Masters.
It implies that Indian graduates of the best colleges in the UK will formally be acknowledged for their remarkable accomplishments and will have unrestricted access to positions in the Indian public sector.
The agreement of the mutual recognition of academic qualifications is a significant moment of celebration in the relationship between India and the UK in the field of education and will help thousands of young people and gifted students in both countries, according to Barbara Wickham OBE, Director India, British Council.
The agreement will encourage even closer cooperation between our higher education sectors, foster graduates who are prepared for the global workforce through an increasingly globalised educational system, and facilitate joint initiatives in education, research, and innovation to find solutions to common global problems.
The agreement’s completion coincides with the ongoing India/UK Together Season of Culture, a historic event that honours India’s 75th anniversary and highlights the close ties between India and the UK.