Following Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UK in November 2015, the UK-India Year of Education and Research initiative was launched here in India. The initiative was launched jointly by Indian Minister of Human Resource Development, Smriti Irani and UK Business Innovation and Skills Secretary, Sajid Javid. The launch was also attended by Minister of State for Universities and Science, Jo Johnson and 25 Vice Chancellors from UK Universities. As a part of this programme, the UK government will send 100 academics from the UK to India next year to support India in meeting the growing need for skills, education and research.

Both governments have allocated £3 million to the third phase of UKIERI. According to Sajid Javid, UKIERI-III will provide a basic schema for cooperation between the two countries over the next 5 years targeting issues such as integration of skills in the education system, faculty development and enhancing mobility. UKIERI I was initiated in 2006 and it continued thereafter and UKIERI phase III will be launched on 1 April 2016.

Jo Johnson, Minister for Universities and Science who was also present at the launch, reiterated that UK government will provide £50 million spread across 5 years to enhance the bilateral cooperation between the two countries with a focus on science, research and innovation.

The various initiatives launched will definitely help improve student mobility between the two countries. SIEM India will continue to work with the UK institutions to initiate interactions with local institutions to build and enhance brand UK in India. To know more on opportunities related to recruitment in India, partnerships and collaborations, and digital promotion, write to Shruti Khanna with a CC to SIEM South Asia.

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