The new centre will focus on facilitating faculty and student exchanges, joint research initiatives, and academic collaborations, according to Chris Day, vice-chancellor and president, Newcastle University.
Building on its collaboration with IIT Delhi in water security – where the institute is also a partner in the Newcastle University-led UKRI GCRF Water Security and Sustainable Development Hub – the new centre will draw inspiration from this partnership.
“We renewed our general Memorandum of Understanding [with IIT Delhi] in March 2024 on World Water Day and are aiming to establish a new joint Centre of Climate Change and Resilient Infrastructure, building upon the legacy of the Water Hub,” Day told The PIE News.
“The launch of the new centre will lead to faculty and student exchanges, joint research, and educational program development.”
The centre would be a precursor to Newcastle’s potential branch campus in India, something that the institute is “seriously considering”, as reported by The PIE News.
“We are in the very early stages of exploring new education partnerships in India. This might include joint degree program, study abroad opportunities for Newcastle students and, potentially, an Indian campus established with a partner,” stated Day.
Newcastle’s ambitions to establish a campus in India places it alongside other renowned UK universities with a similar mission.
The University of Southampton is the first UK university to be officially granted a license by the Indian government to establish a campus in India, with plans to open in August 2025.
Meanwhile, other institutions, including Coventry University, Queen’s University Belfast, and the University of Surrey, are also following suit.
Except for University of Southampton, which is establishing the campus in Gurgaon under rules mandated by the University Grants Commission, other institutes are eyeing the lucrative GIFT City – an under-construction special economic zone in the western Indian state of Gujarat.
We are in the very early stages of exploring new education partnerships in India
Chris Day, Newcastle University
With the UGC and GIFT City operating under different regulations for international branch campuses, Day emphasised that the key question now is not whether a campus will be established in India, but rather “what kind of campus it will be, what subjects it will offer, and where it will be located.”
Despite its plans for increasing engagement in transnational education across India, the country also remains a major source destination for Newcastle University.
With over 3,500 Indian alumni and over 600 students from India currently studying at the university, Newcastle has introduced two new alumni associations in New Delhi and Mumbai.
“The alumni chapters are vital in helping to foster a strong sense of community and belonging for our graduates in India. They support engagement between Newcastle University and our alumni community through events and activities. In addition, they play a key role in developing opportunities and sharing knowledge and skills that would benefit the alumni community,” said Day.
“Another key focus area of the alumni chapters is the promotion of lifelong learning and professional development. The launch of the two new alumni chapters will go a long way towards supporting us to recognise and celebrate alumni achievements.”
With its growing Indian student community enrolling in over 110 different courses, the most popular being business, finance, and data science at the postgraduate level, Newcastle has expanded its scholarship offer in the South Asian country.
“For students from India who join Newcastle University in September 2025, we are currently offering a £6,000 (per year) scholarship to prospective undergraduate students and a £7,000 scholarship for postgraduate taught students,” said Day.
“We are also offering competitive merit scholarships that have a value of up to 50% of the course fee.”
The institute has also introduced “Newcastle – India Leadership and Innovation Scholarship awards” which will cover full tuition fees for applicants from India planning to commence full-time, one-year master’s studies on an eligible program.
But Newcastle’s big-ticket India plans are not without their challenges.
While study visa applications to the UK in January 2025 saw a 12.5% increase compared to January 2024, the overall trend for main applicant applications in the year ending January 2025 declined by 13%, totalling 411,100 compared to the previous year.
India, one of the largest source markets for international students in the UK, has been particularly impacted by the decline in the past few years.
Student numbers from India dropped from nearly 140,000 in 2022/23 to 111,329 in 2023/24 – a decrease of over 20%.
Moreover, a recent survey of over 2,000 international students by INTO showed that 60% of students faced visa delays while applying for UK and US universities.
This issue was especially pronounced in South Asia, where 28% of students identified visa delays as a major obstacle.
On the question of what Russell Group institutions like Newcastle are doing to tackle challenges around study visa issuance, Day assured that the 24-member association is committed to maintaining the UK’s popularity among international students.
“As a chair of the Russell Group of universities, I am proud that we are recognised internationally for our leading research, creative teaching methods, and stimulating learning environments. This is reflected in the fact that the UK remains one of the most popular destinations for international students,” stated Day.
Newcastle’s plans for an India campus are also facing flack as the university aims to cut its salary bill by £20 million – the equivalent of 300 jobs.
According to UK mainstream media reports, the university has informed its lecturers that they will need to scale back on some “unfunded research” as part of budget cuts, a move the University and College Union has called “reputationally damaging.”
“Growing our research income remains a key priority, and this has always been an objective of our research strategy,” Day told The PIE.
“We are not deviating from our fundamental commitment to undertaking world-leading research for discovery and impact.”
