Scottish and Indian universities aim to increase cooperation

An agreement has been signed by Universities Scotland and the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) to promote cooperation in higher education between the two countries.

This is the first international Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be signed by Universities Scotland, and it marks the first collaboration between the AIU and universities from the United Kingdom. Present at the signing were External Affairs Minister Michael Russell and Mr Ashok Thakur, the Government of India’s Secretary to the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

Talking about the alliance, Mr Russell said, “Indian and Scottish institutions have valuable knowledge and expertise, so both countries stand to benefit from the collaboration that will result from this agreement.

“The two bodies will encourage joint degree development and help identify opportunities for enhanced funding to support institutional initiatives.”

He added, “Today's agreement is a great opportunity to ensure that two countries with similar goals work together for mutual benefit. It also reflects why India is our number one country of interest for educational collaboration.”

Under the agreement, the two bodies will cooperate in areas such as combined research, collaborative projects and student and faculty exchanges.

The preparation for MoU was facilitated by the Scottish Development International (SDI), an agency devoted to Scotland’s international development. The SDI will embark on its first education mission in November.

Russell also announced an application round for Scotland’s Saltire Scholarships, a scheme which offers prospective students from the USA, Canada, China and India the chance to study postgraduate degrees at Scottish Universities.

By offering money awards to successful applicants, it is hoped that the sheme will encourage more students from India to study in Scotland. Currently Scottish Universities draw 13 per cent of all Indian students studying in the UK.

Universities Scotland represent 14 universities, the Open University in Scotland, the UHI Millennium Institute, two art schools, one conservatoire and the Scottish Agricultural College.

The AIU consists of 281 institutions.