Marking a historic moment in Indian higher education, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the University of Southampton’s first international campus in Gurugram, Haryana — the first under UGC’s new foreign university regulations — aligning with NEP 2020’s vision to internationalise education and establish India as a global knowledge hub.

Highlights:

• First foreign university campus operational in India under UGC’s new regulations.
• Inaugurated by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini.
• Symbolic of five years of NEP 2020 and growing India–UK educational ties.
• Courses begin in 2025 with BSc and MSc programs in Computer Science, Finance, Management, etc.
• Over 75 global-standard faculty to be recruited.
• Students from India, UAE, Nepal already enrolled in the first cohort.
• Campus will offer study-abroad opportunities at UK and Malaysia campuses.
• Strong government support from Haryana and UK dignitaries.

Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, along with Haryana Chief Minister Shri Nayab Singh Saini, today inaugurated the University of Southampton’s India campus in Gurugram. This historic launch marks the opening of India’s first operational foreign university campus under UGC’s 2023 regulations, in line with the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The inauguration was also graced by Haryana Industries Minister Shri Rao Narbir Singh, Lord Patel OBEChancellor of the University and UK House of Lords member, Lindy CameronBritish High Commissioner to India, and senior UK and Indian academic officials, including Dr. Vineet Joshi, Chairman of UGC.

Shri Pradhan hailed the development as a major milestone in the journey of internationalising higher education at home, emphasising its alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making India a global education destination. He noted that this campus further strengthens the India–UK educational partnership, a key aspect of the India-UK Roadmap 2030.

He congratulated the University for swiftly establishing the state-of-the-art Gurugram campus within a year of receiving the Letter of Intent (29 August 2024). Calling it a “living bridge” of knowledge and innovation, he encouraged the university to offer STEM courses and become a hub of global problem-solving.

The Gurugram campus will offer globally recognised undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in disciplines such as Computer Science, Economics, Accounting & Finance, Business Management, and International Management, starting in 2025. Students may also spend up to a year at the university’s campuses in the UK or Malaysia, offering flexible global exposure.

The first student cohort includes talent from across India and countries like UAE and Nepal. To uphold academic excellence, the university plans to recruit over 75 full-time faculty members trained to UK standardswith experience from world-renowned institutions across Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America.

Dr. Vineet Joshi, UGC Chairman, emphasised the NEP’s goal to position India as a hub of research and innovation, and praised the streamlined, transparent regulatory framework that enabled this development. He lauded the proactive support from the Haryana Government and highlighted the university’s potential to foster collaborative innovation between Indian and global academia.

UK dignitaries, including Lord Patel and Lindy Cameron, echoed their enthusiasm for expanding educational partnerships between India and the UK. The University of Southampton, a QS Top 100 university and member of the prestigious Russell Group, already has over 1,700 Indian alumni among its 290,000 global alumni, many of whom are expected to serve as mentors and industry partners to support the new campus.

Haryana CM Shri Nayab Singh Saini reaffirmed the state’s commitment to building Gurugram as an education and innovation hubwelcoming international collaborations that empower students and stimulate economic growth.

The inauguration is not only a proud moment for India but also a beacon of the evolving global education ecosystem envisioned by NEP 2020 — where world-class learning meets Indian soil.