Speaking to The PIE during a delegation visit to India, vice-chancellor Peter Edwards and global engagement director Ashar Ehsan unpacked Aberdeen’s ambitions around mobility, employability and the evolving role of transnational education.
With the university operating two campuses in Scotland, a Doha campus established in 2017 in partnership with AFG College, and its Mumbai campus set to begin teaching in September, discussions are underway on enabling students to study across all three locations.
While the university aims to leverage the Mumbai campus as a platform for student mobility — allowing undergraduates to spend a semester in Scotland and Scottish students from Aberdeen to spend time in Mumbai — the institution’s Qatar campus could also play a role in this mobility model in the near future.
“This is an exciting part for us, as we’re working through the logistics. But yes, absolutely — students in Mumbai go to the UK, students in the UK go to Mumbai. And there’s a really interesting platform here: students in the UK study for a period in Qatar and then go to Mumbai; students in Mumbai study in Qatar and then go to the UK. That trinity can work itself through,” Ehsan told The PIE.
“Aberdeen is absolutely focused on global mobility — not only for Indian students, but also for UK and Qatari students. As we grow our global ambitions, global mobility will be a strong facet of our strategy.”
Moreover, while India’s higher education regulator, the University Grants Commission (UGC), and the Maharashtra government will play a key role in developing faculty for the Mumbai campus, the latter is also expected to host UK and other international faculty teaching parts of the programs, according to Ehsan.
With just eight months to go until the Mumbai campus opens its doors to students, and admissions open since December 2025, the India visit aimed to boost student recruitment while also strengthening industry–academia ties.
Partnerships were signed with TEAM (Tech Entrepreneurs Association of Mumbai) to nurture regional entrepreneurial talent, GOQii, an AI-powered preventive health-tech and longevity platform, InvestorAi, an AI-powered investment platform co-founded by university alumnus Bruce Keith, and The Akanksha Foundation to enable students from low-income communities to access the university’s educational opportunities in Mumbai.
The university also signed a joint venture agreement with Eruditus Executive Education, an organisation that is supporting Aberdeen and many other UK universities, to assist with India campus operations.
The university engaged with the Maharashtra government to discuss the campus, with the state involved in establishing the International Edu City — an upcoming education hub near the newly-built Navi Mumbai International Airport.
While UK universities entering India’s international campus wave have spread across cities such as Gurgaon, GIFT City, Chennai, and Bengaluru, Mumbai was seen as the best fit, according to Edwards, with the city’s status as a financial hub in India being a key driver.
Edwards said the university chose Mumbai due to a range of factors, citing the chief minister’s vision for economic growth and the development of the state’s AI and technology ecosystem, as Maharashtra targets becoming a $1 trillion economy.
“When we chose Mumbai, it was completely natural that we would launch with finance and economics — clearly because it’s Mumbai — and the MBA, again because it’s Mumbai.
“But we also bring AI, computer science, and data science, because it doesn’t matter what business, or whether someone works in a small, medium, or large company today — those skills are relevant in the 21st century. They’re not just the focus of one particular part of any nation’s economy,” the vice-chancellor said.
While the Aberdeen Mumbai campus will develop computing labs and cloud-based technologies, with AI-specific infrastructure a key focus, a second phase will also see the establishment of a research and innovation office to expand collaborations and industry partnerships in areas such as AI, energy, and life sciences.
“I’ve spoken to a number of colleagues while I’ve been here, and that research element is really important because it allows us to make another contribution to India — to the economy and to society,” said Edwards.
Referencing Aberdeen’s 2040 strategy, a 20-year plan focused on inclusive, interdisciplinary, international and sustainable education, Edwards said the Mumbai campus is also expected to introduce PhD and doctoral programs over time.
Beyond AI as a core skill for Aberdeen’s global graduates, the university said helping develop entrepreneurial skills would add value to degrees in India and support the wider economy, with programs in international business management, film and creative industries, and psychology set to be introduced in the Mumbai campus’s second phase.
“For film and creative industries, we’ll work closely with key industry partners in Maharashtra, and particularly in Mumbai. Our market research showed there is demand here, and we want to offer a learning experience that reflects Bollywood, but also where Indian cinema is going more broadly,” said Ehsan.
“Psychology is a little different, as it involves accreditation. India has its own accreditation bodies for psychology and clinical psychology, and we’re prepared to work with those bodies where there is clear market demand. On international business management, we may relabel it. The market response suggests ‘global business management’ is more amenable than ‘international’, and that’s something we’re actively considering.”
For the September 2026 intake, University of Aberdeen fees will range from Rs 12 lakh (£9,900+) for four-year honours degrees to Rs 14 lakh (£11,500+) for the one-year MSc in AI and Rs 17 lakh (£14,000+) for the MBA, with the Aberdeen Pioneer Scholarship offering a Rs 2 lakh (£1,650+) tuition waiver for applicants applying by 31 January 2026.
Students will also be invited to provide feedback within six weeks of learning at the Mumbai campus, with employability outcomes seen as a key return on investment, at a time when reports suggest around 75% of institutions across India are still not “industry-ready”.
“As the first Scottish university operating here, we’ve chosen the four-year degree because it reflects the Scottish tradition of learning beyond your specialism. The four-year degree creates space for micro-internships, industry hackathons, and employer-led workshops, helping make students more employable while allowing employers to shape future talent,” stated Edwards.
“We’ve placed renewed emphasis on work-based learning in recent years, giving students greater exposure to the workplace through industry engagement — something we’re already doing in Scotland and are naturally extending here.”
We are not in India because we need a quick financial fix. That is absolutely not the imperative
Peter Edwards, University of Aberdeen
But how will the University of Aberdeen differentiate itself from other UK universities entering India’s transnational education boom? Edwards said the Mumbai campus would offer a more “rounded and richer experience for young people in India” than its UK counterparts.
“We are a university that balances education and research and values them equally. Not all universities can say that — some may prioritise one more than the other,” said Edwards.
“Moreover I see huge merits to the four-year degree we offer. It provides more time for students to mature, develop resilience, and benefit from a broader curriculum, giving the opportunity to explore more than just a single subject.”
Just as universities in England face significant financial deficits, with nearly half reporting strain, Scottish universities have also been encountering challenges, prompting millions of pounds in cuts and interventions from the Scottish government.
Edwards, who assumed the role of University of Aberdeen vice-chancellor in November 2025, said in a BBC interview last month that Scottish universities must take a “fundamental look” at the current funding model, as Aberdeen implements measures that have generated over £5 million in savings.
While Edwards acknowledged the financial pressures facing UK universities due to falling international student numbers and rising costs, he rejected claims that Aberdeen’s India strategy is driven by these challenges, pushing back against criticism of UK universities’ overseas expansion at a time of job cuts at home.
“The University of Aberdeen has been an international university since it was founded in 1495. We are the fifth-oldest university in the UK, and from the very beginning we were part of an international European network of universities. Internationalism is in our DNA. Providing education in an international context is part of who we are as a university and part of our purpose.
“Does internationalisation help generate revenue? Of course it does. Any large organisation has to consider financial sustainability, but that is not the driver. We are not in India because we need a quick financial fix. That is absolutely not the imperative,” said Edwards.
