Government of Gujarat and British Council ink a strategic MoU for Higher Education collaboration. British Council, the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural exchange, and the Department of Higher and Technical Education, Government of Gujarat, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen educational and cultural exchange, aligned with Gujarat’s ambitions for knowledge and vision and work to improve opportunities for young people, enable internationalised higher education and skills development.
The primary objectives of this MoU include, cultivating science research partnerships through British Council-led projects, facilitating educational collaborations and knowledge transfer through transnational partnerships, fostering enhanced mobility for faculty and students, and fortifying the capacity of leaders, faculty, and senior officers within the educational system, with an overall focus on mapping to the NEPs internationalisation agenda.
The MoU with British Council was signed between Director, Commissionerate of Higher Education, PB Pandya and Rashi Jain, Director West India, British Council as part of strategic partnerships being announced by the Government of Gujarat, ahead of upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 in the presence of Hon’ble Cabinet Minister, Industry MSME, Civil Aviation, Labour & Employment, Balwant Singh Rajput, Government of Gujarat, Hon’ble Cabinet Minister – Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Cow Breeding, Fisheries, Rural Housing and Rural Development, Government of Gujarat, Raghav ji Patel, Hon’ble Minister of State Home, Industries, Culture (Transport, Youth Sports -I/C), Dr Harsh Sanghvi, Hon’ble Minister of State Parliamentary Affairs, Primary, Secondary and Adult Education and Higher Education Government of Gujarat, Praful Pansheriya ,Chief Secretary to Government of Gujarat, Raj Kumar, Chief Principal Secretary to Chief Minister of Gujarat ,K Kailashnathan, Additional Chief Secretary, Industries and Mines Department Gujarat, SJ Haider, Principal Secretary, Education Department (Higher & Technical Education) Mukesh Kumar and British Deputy High Commissioner to Gujarat and Rajasthan, Stephen Hickling.
The agreement will function on three levels: Systemic, Institutional, and Individual. Systemically, it will involve policy dialogues and delegations between India and UK to expand educational and research opportunities between Gujarat and the UK’s higher education sectors. Institutionally, it will include capacity building of International Relations officers, knowledge sharing, guidance on grants, transnational education partnerships between Indian and UK universities, and collaborative learning communities. Individually, efforts will concentrate on leadership development and faculty capacity building through collaborations, and jointly funded mobility/scholarship opportunities.
Hon’ble Minister of State Parliamentary Affairs, Primary, Secondary and Adult Education, Higher Education, Praful Pansheriya, said “With this strategic partnership our aim is to internationalise Gujarat’s higher education institutions, enabling extensive collaboration between India and the UK. This partnership will enrich the skills and confidence of our youth. We are looking forward to forging top-tier partnerships with UK higher education institutions, that will help us reinforce our research and development infrastructure and enable us to deliver a positive impact on the lives of students throughout our state.”
Stephen Hickling, British Deputy High Commissioner to Gujarat and Rajasthan said, “We are always looking to enhance engagement between the UK and India, which is also what we strive to achieve through the British Council and this agreement. The MoU will drive high-level policy dialogues, aligning priorities for excellence and equitable advancement between the two nations. Together, we aim to enhance student experiences, employability, and build a prosperous socio-economic future for Gujarat, leveraging the strong India-UK partnerships.”
Rashi Jain, Director West India, British Council said, “We are delighted to partner with the Government of Gujarat, to connect Indian and UK institutions and strengthen internationalisation in both higher education systems. Through this MoU and existing collaborations with the state, like the Going Global Partnerships, we will continue to focus on enhancing knowledge transfer, creating mobility opportunities for students and faculty, and facilitating leadership development schemes. We look forward to establishing sustainable relationships that deliver transformative skills and employability to the youth in the state and benefit their knowledge ambitions and growth.”
To facilitate the smooth execution of this MoU, a working group comprising representatives from the Government of Gujarat and the British Council will be constituted, with defined terms of reference mutually agreed upon by both participants.
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