Dharmendra Pradhan, Lindy Cameron Discuss Deepening India-UK Academic Collaboration

By Deepak Arora

NEW DELHI, May 5: India's Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan met the British High Commissioner to India, Ms Lindy Cameron, and had engaging discussion on deepening academic collaboration between the two countries.

The High Commissioner shared updates on the upcoming University of Southampton campus in Gurugram, set to open in July 2025.

The two also had engaging discussions on deepening academic collaboration encouraging more UK students to Study in India as well as top UK universities to establish campuses in India, and strengthening the India-UK education partnership.

Dharmendra Pradhan said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government remained committed to delivering world-class education and expanding global opportunities for India’s talented youth.

Earlier in January this year, Minister Dharmendra Pradhan met with a delegation from the University of Southampton and the British Council in India here.

Pradhan highlighted that as a globally top-100 university and the first foreign institution to establish a campus in India, the University of Southampton Delhi NCR campus will provide high-quality education rooted in research, innovation, and real-world applications for both Indian and international students.

He emphasized that this initiative marks a crucial step in India's journey toward the internationalization of education, supporting the Study in India program and advancing global education standards domestically, as envisioned in NEP 2020.

During the discussion, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton, Prof. Mark E. Smith, briefed the Minister on the progress of the University of Southampton’s Delhi NCR campus.

Also present at the meeting were Secretary of the Department of Higher Education Vineet Joshi; Country Director of the British Council in India, Ms. Alison Barrett MBE; along with other officials from the Ministry.