S’pore unis see opportunities in India’s new education policy

S’pore unis see opportunities in India’s new education policy
They see a chance to increase their presence in a lucrative market
By MALMINDERJIT SINGH


INSTEAD of seeing India’s move to allow foreign universities to set up local campuses as a threat, Singapore’s universities and private education institutions are looking at it as an opportunity to expand their presence there.
The Indian Cabinet’s ratification of the Foreign Educational Institutions Bill, partially designed to arrest the outflow of Indian students, has been seen as potentially detrimental to Singapore’s higher education providers who see many Indian students.
They, however, remain optimistic and, in fact, see it as an opportunity to increase their presence in a lucrative market. The number of Indian students in higher education stands at 14 million currently, but sources say that the Indian government has targeted to raise this figure to 21 million by 2012.
The Singapore Management University (SMU), for one, is already looking for partnerships with Indian universities for postgraduate education in areas such as finance, wealth and healthcare management, Rajendra K Srivastava, provost and deputy president (academic affairs) at SMU, told BT.
“On the postgraduate front, India is very much on the radar of SMU for executive education, including specialised master’s programmes and customised training for professionals,” he said.
Others with pre-existing partnerships there may be looking to expand further.
Peter Pang, assistant vice-president, university & global relations at the National University of Singapore (NUS), pointed out that NUS has partnerships with several universities in India, including joint PhD programmes with the Indian Institute of Technology Mumbai, the Indian Institute of Technology Chennai {SEE CORRECTION 1 ABOVE}, and the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, as well as an NUS Overseas College in India.
“The foreign universities bill will open up even more opportunities for collaboration,” he said.
Raffles Education Corporation in Singapore, which already has seven education centres in various Indian cities through joint venture projects with Educomp Solutions, India’s largest education company, may also be on the lookout, although chairman and chief executive officer Chew Hua Seng preferred to comment broadly on this development. “The new law is timely to unleash India’s vast human resource potential to propel it forward economically”, he said. Local players, however, will have their work cut out for them because international players are getting in on the game, too.
New York-based Columbia University will be setting up an international centre for research and regional collaboration in Mumbai later this month, while the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), which conducts the Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT), has also announced plans to set up an office in India, its third globally after the United States and the UK.
But still, most remain buoyant about prospects because “the Indian market is big enough to accommodate multiple players”, said a Singapore Institute of Management {SEE CORRECTION 2 ABOVE} (SIM) spokesman.
“(Even though) with market liberalisation Indian students will have more choices, Singapore will still be attractive to international students who want an overseas education in a safe and vibrant multi-cultural environment, as well as one that offers attractive career opportunities in the future.”
The devil is in the details though. The fine print of the bill includes clauses that bar the foreign universities from repatriating profits and put conditions on them to shell out around 500 million rupees (S$15.3 million) upfront and make complete disclosure on their curriculum and faculties, reported India’s Financial Express.
Such clauses may influence Singapore-based institutions to enter the market through joint ventures and partnerships, rather than establishing a direct presence, and to be more cautious about expansion plans. “It is still too early to tell at our current stage of development,” reiterated the SIM spokesman. “We would like to remain focused on our mission, which is to provide good-quality education for adult learners in Singapore.”
But still no one doubts that India’s new bill will up the ante in the education business.
“India’s policy will spur us to be more competitive,” said Lalit Goel, dean of admissions and financial aid at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU). “NTU will continue to put in effort to attract talent . . . We are always looking for bright talent from all countries, including India, and due to the sheer volume of applicants from India, we do not believe that this will affect applications significantly.”
Prof Srivastava echoed the positive sentiments. “SMU has always been a popular destination for Indian students seeking higher education given our close proximity in the heart of Asia and the excellent connections we have with Indian businesses. I believe that going abroad for tertiary studies remains a very attractive option among Indian students for the global exposure and opportunity to know the region better.”
‘Going abroad for tertiary studies remains a very attractive option among Indian students for the global exposure and opportunity to know the region better.’ – Prof Srivastava