Lancaster joins India boom with new Bengaluru campus

With international campuses in Ghana and Germany, joint campuses in Indonesia and Malaysia, and a research centre in China, Lancaster University aims to “strengthen its international track record and global reputation for high-quality transnational education” through a new branch campus in India’s high-tech hub, Bengaluru.

“By opening a branch campus in the city of Bengaluru, a vibrant hub of technology, education, and enterprise, Lancaster University aims to partner with Indian businesses, industry and local Universities to collaboratively spark growth, generate opportunity, and ensure above all that Lancaster University students across the globe are empowered to succeed and to make a difference to India and the world,” stated professor Simon Guy, pro-vice-chancellor, global, Lancaster University.

Opening new campuses in India will give more young people the chance to benefit from a UK education, while delivering real returns for our universities at home
_{Bridget Phillipson, UK education secretary}

While the University Grants Commission (UGC), India’s statutory body for higher education and the authority behind national rules on international branch campuses, has granted Lancaster University permission to progress its proposal to the next stage, a public announcement of a successful ‘Letter of Intent’ will be made this week at a special ceremony in India.

The university will then look to create study and research opportunities by “supporting local partners and fostering shared innovation”.

Though more details about the programs to be offered at the Bengaluru campus will be revealed soon, initial courses will focus on business, management, and computing, with potential expansion into a broader range of disciplines.

The campus is designed to appeal to students keen to earn a UK university degree, while staying in India, as per a statement by Lancaster University.

The University of Surrey has also received approval to open a campus in Gujarat’s central business district, GIFT City, under a collaboration with GUS Global Services, as previously reported by The PIE News.

GIFT City operates under a different set of rules from the UGC in administering international branch campuses.

The new campus is “part of a new wave of British university partnerships with India, using higher education as a powerful skills and research accelerator for UK and Indian economic and trade relationships,” said professor Stephen Jarvis, president and vice-chancellor, University of Surrey.

Both the Lancaster and Surrey university VCs are among 14 UK university leaders taking part in a 125-member delegation led by Prime Minister Starmer on his first state visit to India since taking office.

The visit aims to promote the recently signed UK–India trade deal and explore opportunities for growth in a relationship the PM has described as being at an “all-time high”.

With over 40 million students in India pursuing higher education and 70 million places needed by 2035, the trip presents an opportunity for UK universities to expand their overseas offerings and enable students to study while staying in India.

The new announcements make the UK the country with the largest higher education footprint in India, with universities such as York, Aberdeen, Bristol, Liverpool, Queen’s Belfast, and Coventry set to open campuses by 2026.

The University of Southampton has already become the first UK institution with a functional campus in India, enrolling an inaugural cohort of 150 students and attracting applications from across India, the Gulf, and other South Asian countries.

“Opening new campuses in India will give more young people the chance to benefit from a UK education, while delivering real returns for our universities at home,” read a statement by UK education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson.

“As we prepare to set out our international education strategy, these new campuses are a marker of our ambition: building long-term partnerships that deliver growth, innovation and opportunity for both countries.” 

While not a branch campus, Imperial College London, part of the Russell Group, used its participation in the UK delegation’s visit to India to announce plans for a “pioneering hub for innovation and public engagement” with Science Gallery Bengaluru.

The initiative will see dozens of scientists join a groundbreaking fellowship program, “fostering talent exchange, knowledge sharing, and the development of new research facilities”.

“Imperial’s innovation and incubation expertise will create a unique lab and convening space with Science Gallery Bengaluru where cutting-edge solutions to global issues will be discovered, designed and delivered,” said professor Hugh Brady, president of Imperial College London.

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