ABSTRACT
Internationalisation of higher education includes international mobility of students and faculty, establishment of overseas campuses, and programme mobility. In India, private colleges and universities are playing an important role in internationalising India’s higher education sector, predominantly through the establishment of privately owned and managed international branch campuses, through academic and research partnerships with foreign universities, student exchange and study abroad programmes, visits by eminent foreign faculty, twinning and dual-degree programmes, and enrolment of foreign students.
This chapter will discuss the trends in internationalisation by private higher education institutions across these various dimensions. It will discuss the resulting impact on aspects such as the diversity of programmes, skill formation, employability, pedagogic practices, standards, curriculum development, and research and development, as well as the wider externalities for the country in terms of promoting India’s soft power and international relations with other countries. The discussion will also highlight challenges encountered by private higher education institutions (HEIs) due to regulatory and other constraints. Both secondary and primary sources of information are used to outline the trends, achievements, and challenges. This chapter will conclude by assessing the implications of the New Education Policy in terms of creating new opportunities and addressing regulatory hurdles faced by private HEIs and will outline specific steps that could be taken to facilitate this process.
