Liverpool Univ to Open Bengaluru Campus

'Initially, we will look to take a small batch of a few hundred students, with a plan to increase this to 5,000 students in the next five years, and eventually 10,000 by 2036.'

IMAGE: Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan; University Grants Commission interim Chairperson Vineet Joshi; British High Commissioner to India Lindy Cameron; British Council Country Director India, Alison Barrett; Vice-Chancellor, University of Liverpool, Professor Tim Jones; Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Global Engagement and Partnerships at the University of Liverpool, Professor Tariq Ali, University of Liverpool, Chief Operating Officer, Lucy Everest at the handover of the letter of intent from the University Grants Commission. Photograph: Kind courtesy UniversityofLiverpool/Facebook.com

The University of Liverpool is set to open a campus in Bengaluru by the summer of 2026, after receiving a formal letter of intent (LoI) from the University Grants Commission (UGC) on Monday to establish a foreign campus in India.

This makes it the second university from the United Kingdom to set up a campus in India, Vice-Chancellor Tim Jones told Business Standard in a telephonic interaction.

Currently, the University of Southampton has a campus in Gurugram, where classes are expected to begin in August this year.

Scheduled to welcome its inaugural batch of undergraduate and postgraduate students in August 2026, the University of Liverpool's Bengaluru campus will initially offer programmes in business management, accounting and finance, computer science and biomedical sciences.

"Initially, we will look to take a small batch of a few hundred students, with a plan to increase this to 5,000 students in the next five years, and eventually 10,000 by 2036," said Professor Jones.

The development follows the UGC's 2023 notification of rules facilitating the entry of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions (FHEIs) into India, as part of National Education Policy 2020 reforms.

As per these regulations, foreign institutions seeking to establish campuses in India must rank within the top 500 globally in either overall or subject-wise rankings and demonstrate outstanding expertise in their fields, subject to UGC approval.

At the event, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said 15 foreign universities are expected to begin operations in India this academic year, particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

The University of Liverpool also said Indian students will have access to a global mobility scheme, offering academic, professional and personal development opportunities in Liverpool and other international locations.

Commenting on the India-UK educational partnership, Alison Barrett, Country Director India at the British Council, said the initiative supports the NEP 2020 goal of internationalising higher education.

"It will help strengthen academic ties, encourage cross-cultural exchange, and open up transformative opportunities for students in both countries," he added.

The University of Liverpool also signed memorandums of understanding with several organisations -- including the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, AstraZeneca Pharma India, Wipro, YouWeCan and Dream11 -- to explore future collaborative opportunities.

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com