Profitable Partnerships

Until a few years ago, if Indian students wanted to acquire an overseas experience, they chose to apply to universities abroad and pursue a programme at a high personal cost. Today, however, the international experience is accessible in India itself. With many institutes forging research and faculty links with top institutes overseas and several private institutes opting for twinning programmes and dual degrees.
Experts believe Indian students fall into two categories. The first category is made up of those students who seek international exposure and can afford the expenses incurred by a foreign education. The second category is made up of those who cannot afford an education in a foreign institute but would like to have access to international exposure, without having to go abroad. This is where they seek Indian institutes that have entered into strategic tie-ups with foreign universities.
Says Nitin Garg, director, International School of Management Excellence (ISME), "The certificate from a foreign university adds to the overall learning experience as well as to the institute as a brand." For one of its management programmes, ISME has a tie-up with Carnegie Mellon, of which Garg himself is an alumnus. In addition, the approach to learning itself is more practical than theoretical in most foreign universities, which also adds to the appeal of an institute for students.
However, a word of caution from Sukhadeo Thorat, chairman, University Grants Commission (UGC), "The foreign education bill is still pending with Parliament and it is for the government to take a decision. But we are aware of foreign tie-ups in India. Since foreign institutes are not allowed to operate in India, they are getting a backdoor entry with the help of Indian institutes. If it is research collaborations or faculty and student exchanges, which is the practice say in JNU, DU or Mumbai university it is fine, but a dual degree offered by an Indian and foreign institute is not recognised as of now,'' he said.
When institutes in India tie-up with foreign counterparts, there are several parameters that they look at. According to Shaji Thomas, director, Academy for Business Management, Tourism and Research (ABMTR), which has tied up with Kings International University of Science and Technology for MBA and PhD programmes, must evaluate the curriculum and industry reputation of institutes. He says, "Institutes must look at the quality of curriculum that is offered by the foreign university they plan on tying up with."
He further adds, "They must also consider the corporate view of students that study at these universities. If alumni from these institutes have secured employment with reputed companies, it means that students from those institutes are generally looked upon favourably by corporates. This is an important sign of the quality of that university."
One of the ways of finding out about them is by speaking to the alumni of that institute or university and getting feedback on the courses and the training offered.
However, Garg adds that the foreign universities should be well known within their arena. He says, "Sometimes, Indian institutes tie up with Australian and American universities to demonstrate their global standing. But this alone has no meaning. The foreign university must be reputed."
According to experts, one must also look at how well the courses and curriculum abroad would complement what is already in place in India. In some cases, institutes have tie-ups, which permit students to study at the institute in India for the first year, and then pursue the second year of the course at the university abroad. In this scenario, the curriculum of the two institutes should be coordinated.
Cost is also a major factor in case of tie-ups between institutes. When the cost of education increases beyond a point, it may not be feasible for many students, who will hesitate to join these institutes. But there are some universities that offer scholarships or fee subsidies. Sometimes, the fee is likely to be reduced by half, and in certain institutes, the cost incurred can be only one-tenth of the total amount.
There are also institutes, which enlist professors from the foreign university to visit India for a brief period and teach for a semester.
Students should assess other factors too like how exams and admissions are conducted. It is also necessary to ascertain whether prospective students have easy access to these universities online, whether any information they ask for is given to them promptly and whether the proctoring of exams is up to the mark.
There could be different kinds of tie-ups. They could be student and faculty exchange programmes or joint programmes like dual degrees or research. Another option is twinning programmes.
Dual degrees, as the term suggests, has the students acquiring two degrees, one Indian and the other foreign. With twinning programmes, the final degree is given by the foreign university. Students study in India for two years, and complete the next two at the foreign university.
But Anand Sudarshan, MD and CEO, Manipal Education, says, "Whatever the tie-up, there must be a sense of value for one of the constituents - either the students, or the faculty or research. Tie-ups should not exist for press release value only. In addition, the relationship must be sustained long term, with a clear matrix for assessing the relationship. There are plenty of fly-by-night operators
It is to prevent fly-by-night operators that bodies like the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) exist. Foreign institutes already offering technical programmes in India at the diploma, undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels, directly or through collaborative programmes, must seek approval from the AICTE (see box).
In an era of globalisation, the choices for students are many, but they need to assess all the factors before making a decision. After all, the students are paying the fees and they have to be confident that they are receiving quality education for the amount they are paying.