Queen’s University Belfast will become the latest UK higher education institution to open a new campus in India, subject to internal approval.
The Northern Irish institution said plans for a branch campus were at an “advanced stage” and were awaiting approval from the university senate.
The new campus will be established in Gift City, a special economic zone in Gujarat, which is free from many of the tax regulations that apply to the rest of the country. The new branch will offer postgraduate programmes.
According to Indian press, QUB has already received approval from the relevant regulatory bodies in India. K Rajaraman, chairperson of International Financial Services Authority, which oversees Gift City, told The Hindu that the university has “big plans” and will aim to recruit 800 students initially.
“This is a hugely exciting opportunity for Queen’s and we look forward now to making this project a reality,” said Margaret Topping, QUB’s pro vice-chancellor for global engagement.
There were 1,025 Indian students enrolled at QUB in the 2022-23 academic year, according to Higher Education Statistics Agency data. This would be the university’s first offshore campus, although it currently operates a joint medical university in China.
The institutions’ accounts, published in January, reveal it had an operating deficit of £12.7 million in 2023-24, making it the fourth member of the prestigious Russell Group to post a loss last year.
It is unclear how the institution will fund the new campus, but other British universities are expected to partner with private providers to front the cash and reduce financial risk.
If approved, the Russell Group member will join Australian institutions, Deakin University and the University of Wollongong, which have already opened outposts in Gift City.
Coventry University has also filed an application to open a campus in Gift City.
Outside Gujarat, British universities are showing interest in wider India. The University of Southampton is set to open a campus on the outskirts of Delhi this year and hopes to recruit 5,000 students over the first decade. The University of Leicester has also expressed an interest in opening a campus in the country.
Similarly, Western Sydney University is working with the Uttar Pradesh state government on plans for a new campus in the region, subject to regulatory approval.
