Stakeholders from French, Malaysian and Welsh institutions set out how their respective countries have welcomed international students from India and set out future plans for educational collaboration.
Located to the southeast of India, Malaysia’s academic partnership with India dates back to the 1990s when Manipal University became one of the first Indian institutions to establish a campus overseas.
In 1997, Manipal University College Malaysia was established as Melaka-Manipal Medical College as part of a joint venture between the Manipal Academy of Higher Education in India and the Government of Malaysia.
According to the Manipal University website, over 10,000 students have graduated from its Malaysia campus in the past two decades.
Since this development, education has played an integral role in India-Malaysia relations, according to Francois Therin, deputy vice chancellor (research and enterprise), University of Cyberjaya.
“India and Malaysia are looking at a reciprocal relationship now with more joint master’s programs between institutions from both the countries being integral,” said Therin.
“The main issue for us is that there is a relatively small number of exchange of students. Out of the 150,000 international students in Malaysia, only 4,000-5,000 of them are Indian students, which is why we are targeting new scholarships, emphasising on post study work opportunities in Malaysia.”
Malaysia is actively promoting medical courses to attract more Indian students as part of its efforts to boost recruitment from India.
Our university is expanding recruitment efforts in India, with medical courses playing a key role. This field holds significant potential
Francois Therin, University of Cyberjaya
With over 25,000 Indian students pursuing medical degrees abroad each year – a figure highlighted last year by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi – medicine is gaining more traction in Malaysia compared to business and engineering.
“Our university is expanding recruitment efforts in India, with medical courses playing a key role. This field holds significant potential,” said Therin.
In France, increasing the number of Indian students is now a national mission, as French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the country aims to host 30,000 Indian students by 2030.
While the goal is considered ambitious, France welcomed some 10,000 Indian students last year, as previously reported by The PIE News.
“France has over 400,000 international students and wants more students from India,” Nicolas Gherardi, deputy counsel for education, science, and culture, French Embassy, told PIE Live India delegates.
Gherardi highlighted that France now has over 1,600 programs administered in English, with initiatives like Classes Internationales aiming to address language barriers among France-bound Indian students.
The program is designed for Indian students with little to no proficiency in French.
It offers a foundation year in France, where students receive language training along with thematic courses related to their field of interest. At the end of the program, some students may also qualify for scholarships.
France has over 400,000 international students and wants more students from India
Nicolas Gherardi, French Embassy
“Students who successfully complete the International Classes program will be able to access over 200 academic programs taught in French,” stated Gherardi.
“It was launched last year and promoted through the Campus France tour across major Indian cities and the early interest has been pretty good.”
Research is also a major player in building India-France relations, according to Gherardi, who noted how both countries are working on artificial intelligence, space, IT, and cybersecurity.
“We have over 800 agreements between Indian and French institutions, with 650 of them currently active,” stated Gherardi.
One of the key initiatives in this partnership is the Indo-French Campus for Health, a French government-funded project uniting over 60 universities, research institutions, labs, hospitals, startups, and corporations from both countries.
This initiative aims to develop and deliver higher education and research programs in life sciences for health.
Looking ahead, France and India are exploring opportunities for joint campuses, further deepening their educational collaboration.
“France and India share a long-standing research relationship, and our goal is to reshape France’s perception in India,” added Gherardi.
While the UK has already developed its transnational educational network in India, English universities have dominated the conversation in the past few years.
But with all eight of its universities being publicly funded, and supported by a global mission to internationalise its education, Wales is aiming to expand its own internationalisation strategy in India.
“In 2022/23, there were 28,000 Indian students in Wales, but 33,000 Indian students through TNE. That’s not the case for the UK as a whole,” said Tracey Marenghi, head, Global Wales Programme, Universities Wales.
We’re not just looking at recruitment but also at research, partnerships, market development, and scholarships in India.
Tracey Marenghi, Global Wales
“Wales is focusing on a lot of openness, market development, and broad strategies. We’re not just looking at recruitment but also at research, partnerships, market development, and scholarships in India.”
Since the introduction of India’s National Education Policy 2020, each Welsh university has been focusing on the country, including the potential development of branch campuses in the near future.
“Universities in Wales are exploring branch campuses, with one significantly involved in expanding and deepening relationships with existing partners. Other universities are also trying to understand how institution-wide structures can be used to succeed in India,” said Marenghi.
“We’re also eager to hear from universities in India and understand improvement opportunities, particularly in areas like internships, industry jobs, and placements that can help Indian students in Wales.”
