UGC relaxes norms for joint degrees with foreign varsities

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 19

The UGC has relaxed norms for Indian colleges to collaborate with foreign higher education institutes to offer dual, joint and twinning degree courses. UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar said any Indian institute accredited with the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with a minimum score of 3.01 or in the top 100 in the university category of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) or an Institution of Eminence can collaborate with any foreign institute in top 1,000 QS or Times Higher Education Ranking for joint degrees.

In the draft regulations prepared last year, the eligibility criteria for foreign institutes suggested the institutes must have a global ranking of less than 500. “The students will have to earn more than 30 per cent credits from the foreign institution under the programme. However, the regulations shall not be applicable to programmes offered online and in the open and distance learning mode,” he said

The collaborating institutes will be allowed to offer three kinds of programmes — twinning degree programmes, joint degree programmes and dual degree programmes.

If an Indian institution partners with a foreign university to offer a twinning programme, students will have to complete 30 per cent of the course’s credits at the foreign university by means of an exchange programme. The same will be applicable to foreign students enrolling for a similar programme.

For joint degrees, the partner institutions will have to sign an MoU. Students from India will be required to complete more than 30 per cent of their course credit at a foreign institute. The degree, on completion of the course, will be awarded by the Indian institution along with a certificate of credit recognition.

For dual degrees too, students will have to complete 30 per cent of course credit at a foreign institute, but the degree awarded by both Indian and foreign institutes will indicate the credits earned at the respective institutions.

“We believe that the regulations will lead to the internationalisation of our higher education system,” the UGC Chairman said.

Relaxation for…

• Indian institutes accredited with the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with a minimum score of 3.01
• Those in top 100 in the university category of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)
• Institutions of Eminence

On offer

• Twinning degree programmes
• Joint degree programmes
• Dual degree programmes

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