After many years of waiting, the UK and Indian governments signed an agreement to officially recognise qualifications from each other’s countries. Whilst the agreement was only signed on the 21st of July 2022, Indian students, recruitment agents and UK Universities were some of the many who were heralding this as an important step in the development of a partnership that has been growing for many years.
The agreement, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), outlines an agreement to mutually recognise qualifications from each country. This will enable students from both countries to access education in each country. This development is part of the 2030 India-UK Roadmap in which India outlines its National Education Policy to internationalise education and to create globally employable graduates.
As UK and Indian listeners of The Indian’s Guide to Studying Abroad Podcast will appreciate, this will make studying in each country much easier and remove the barrier around qualification equivalency many students faced when wishing to study in India and the UK. Higher education institutions in both countries will also benefit from the knowledge exchange, research and teaching collaboration opportunities.
So, what does this mean for Indian students wishing to study in the UK?
The agreement is groundbreaking in that A-levels and equivalent qualifications, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, including bachelors, masters and doctoral qualifications will now be recognised by institutions across both countries, without the need for complex and lengthy discussions about whether they would be ‘accepted’ by the institution receiving the student. For Indians, this means that upper secondary qualifications will be recognised as meeting the entry requirements of higher education institutions in the UK. A UK master’s degree will also now be formally recognised in India enabling Indian graduates to apply for post-doctoral qualifications when they return home; something they were previously unable to do.
The presenters of The Indian’s Guide to Studying Abroad Podcast are particularly excited as they, and the higher education institution they work for, have excellent links with India and they are already planning courses that can be delivered in both countries
However, for our listeners and others reading this post, it is important to note that the MoU excludes certain courses: namely, professional degrees in the fields of engineering, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, law, and architecture. Qualifications such as those awarded by branch campuses and those that are gained either partially or fully online will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, so advice is best sought from an agent (click here for our recommendation).
The UK has always been one of the top destinations for Indian students wishing to study abroad, but with Covid, post-study work visa changes and universities in Canada, Australia and the US increasing their activities in India, recruitment has dropped but is sure to increase with this new agreement. This will also result in more staff and student exchange visits and the development of knowledge for the equal benefit of populations and businesses.
Picture credit: Photo by Signature Pro