British Council’s Higher Education Dialogues will bring together academic and policy experts to address and debate market disruptions, challenges, and opportunities in the international and domestic higher education sectors in India.

Through the Higher Education Dialogues, the British Council will connect sector specialists and higher education stakeholders and participants by encouraging debate and dialogue between governments, businesses, and higher education institutions. We will explore shifting landscapes, ambitions and expectations in higher education and hear from a community of thought leaders and experts.

 Session details:  

*Dates may change, we will keep all registered participants informed*

October – Research: ‘Impact of financial resources on HE choices in India’- research report launch and panel discussion

Does the household income have an impact on access and choice of institution a student makes in India? This will be a launch webinar of the research report produced by the British Council where we will discuss key findings.  

The research seeks to broaden understanding of the impact of household income and socio-economic background on higher education (HE) access and choice in India, and to provide a clearer picture of the financial profile of India’s domestic students in three broad categories of domestic institutions: public, private non-profit and private for-profit.

Format:

• Presentation by the British Council followed by a panel discussion

December- Online and Distance learning in India – challenges and opportunities

As demand for higher education outstrips supply globally, will the current situation accelerate the growth of transnational education? The fast transformation of delivery models means that higher education could be delivered through a wide variety of programmes and platforms (distance learning programmes, teaching partnerships, offshore campuses and, increasingly Massive Open Online Courses‎ (MOOCs)). What will be the new geographical spread of TNE and its impact?  How will the current crisis influence the demand and acceptance for distance learning in India?

This session will include organisations like AICTE who  will present SWAYAM, a MOOC platform by the Government of India and other government initiatives which promote access, equity and quality in education delivery across UG/PG and vocational courses so we can understand the clear opportunities for collaboration for the UK sector to collaborate.

The session will also look at institutional perspectives about quality performance, graduate employability in the digitalised age, and technology that enables transformation.

1. How can India sustainably adopt ODL?  Access, equity and quality
2. The potential of ODL. Challenges and how these can be mitigated?
3. Examples of successful ODL initiatives and international collaboration

Format:

• Panel discussion & case study

February - Industry endorsed micro-credentials – What is the Indian employer looking for?

Dynamic and evolving job requirements are leading to a massive skills gap in many parts of the world, including in India

According to a report in 2019 by ILO, 66% of Indian businesses say they are looking for different skills in employees, with 53% saying it is becoming harder to find employees with the required skillset. Globally, 60% of employers say new graduates are not well-prepared for current work.

The report cites studies which approximate “by 2020 there may be a global shortage of 38-40 million highly skilled workers. At the same time, the global labour market will experience a potential surplus of 90-95 million low skilled workers, with these imbalances potentially adversely affecting developed and developing economies alike.”

When employers find it difficult to scout and retain the required talent, micro-credentials can come in handy. In the simplest terms, micro-credentials are bite-sized qualifications that focus on a specific skill. Designed in a certification-format, these low-cost, short-term online courses aim at upskilling in a comprehensive, informal manner.

However, is the professional sector in India willing to accept and endorse micro-credentials? Will it find acceptance in the traditional and cutthroat job markets in India? What role does TNE play here? How can university and industry collaborate for the sustainable benefit of India’s growing student population?

The session will address:

1. What are the skills students must have to be industry ready?
2. What is the future of jobs looking like are our student prepared? 
3. Given the post-covid landscape of virtual and non-traditional learning, will micro-credentials find industry approval?

Format:

• Panel discussion & case study

March – Expanding the scope of international collaboration in Education Research and Innovation – ERI - Spectrum – challenges and opportunities

India has reached third position in terms of the number of PhDs, in size of Higher Education System, as well as in terms of the number of Start-ups becoming the third largest education market in the world. India’s Science Technology and Innovation Policy 2020 (draft) is a comprehensive framework aimed to enhance the capacity and capability of research ecosystem and nurture high quality high impact research partnerships focussed to break new grounds in innovation and address some of the global challenges that the world is facing.

According to an estimation India’s gross expenditure in R&D by 2022 is targeted to reach at least 2 per cent of the country’s GDP with the engineering R&D and product development market in India is forecast to post a CAGR of ~12% to reach £46 billion by 2025, from £22 billion in 2019.

The panel will comprise of eminent speakers from science and technology ministries and though leaders from the UK and India.

The panel will elaborate upon the trends, possibilities and opportunities between India and the UK ERI sector and how could the two great and vibrant knowledge economies deepen their people and institution relationships.

The session will address:

1.What are the key challenges and opportunities for STI collaboration between India and the UK?

2.How can the capacity and capability gaps in India be bridged through strategic international collaboration? 

3.Key areas of thematic collaborations that have potential for long term collaboration between India and the UK.

Format:

         Panel discussion

March- Internationalisation of National Education Policy: the journey so far

With the introduction of the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020), the vision of India's new education system has been defined.  The policy is a comprehensive framework for elementary education to higher education as well as vocational training in both rural and urban India. The policy aims to transform India's education system by 2021 and lays special emphasis on internationalisation and the transformational possibility of TNE It has been more than a year since it was introduced but how far has the NEP really come? And what is next?

This policy dialogue will focus on TNE and what lies ahead in the future for internationalisation of higher education.

1. How can TNE be sustainably adopted in India? Policy and practice.
2. What benefits / challenges does India foresee in terms of partnerships, especially in TNE with UK HEIs.
3. What are the short term and long terms opportunities across research, mobility, TNE and skills with states, governments, and institutions?

Format:

• Panel discussion & case study

Who should attend the series?

These sessions are open to the UK higher education sector to attend : Vice-Chancellors, Pro- vice chancellors, international partnerships and recruitment offices, alumni offices, UK education sector bodies. The Indian higher education sector will also be invited to present and attend the Dialogues.