The Russell Group university, ranked among the world’s top 100 institutions, has opened a two-floor campus at the International Tech Park in Gurugram. The University of Southampton became the first UK university to be granted a licence to open a campus in India last year, with other UK universities quickly following suit.
The institution, which received financial backing and professional services from Oxford International Education Group and strategic support from the India Business Group, was granted a license to establish the campus under the University Grants Commission’s 2022 regulations for international universities operating in the country.
Rising international interest
While around 150 students are expected to join the campus’s first cohort on August 25, interest in the institution extends beyond India, with over 800 applications received so far, including some from neighbouring countries.
“It’s smaller numbers because we expect it to be mainly Indian students to start with, but we have had applications from the United Arab Emirates and from Nepal, which, as you know, has a very big outward student flow, from Myanmar as well, and from some Southeast Asian countries,” Andrew Atherton, vice-president, international and engagement, University of Southampton, told The PIE News on the sidelines of the campus launch on Wednesday.
“We thought it would be in year four or five that we would start to see this kind of international interest. So to have some apply already is fantastic.”
As for Indian students attending the institution, around 40% are expected to come from the Delhi National Capital Region, which includes Delhi and surrounding districts, including Gurugram. However, the campus is also seeing strong interest from all around the country, according to Atherton.
“It’s [source destinations] quite distributed across India, so I wouldn’t pinpoint a particular region. That said, the southern tip or southern coast shows a lot of appetite. We have received applications from across zones, but it’s not heavily concentrated anywhere, which is really encouraging,” he said.
Moreover, the university has established accommodation facilities for students within a gated residential community, located just 6km from the campus and connected by a regular private shuttle service.
“We estimate that between 60% to 70% of our students will be residential in the first few years – that is, they will be staying at the university accommodation during the course of their studies,” added Atherton.
To fulfil the ambition of the India-UK roadmap, we now have the foundation of the knowledge bridge between India and the UK with the University of Southampton’s campus in Gurugram
Dharmendra Pradhan, union education minister
Popular programs
With India’s admissions and counselling cycle typically running from May to August, the university has already been able to identify which of its programs are standing out among students.
At its India campus, the University of Southampton has launched three-year BSc (Hons) programs in accounting and finance, economics, computer science, and management, along with one-year postgraduate options including an MSc in finance and an MSc in international management – the latter proving to be a game-changer.
“The one that’s been a real surprise, in a very positive way, is the master’s in international management. It has had over 150 applications,” stated Atherton.
“Given that we are based in Gurugram, which has a strong presence of international businesses and companies, that probably plays a part. We always knew that Business Management and Computing would do really well, and they have attracted a lot of applications. We were not entirely sure how strong the master’s market would be but it’s strong.”
The university may introduce healthcare-related courses at its India campus in the future, although no concrete plans have been confirmed yet.
Students to experience UK and Malaysia campuses
While the university is still deliberating whether undergraduate students at its India campus can pursue postgraduate studies at Southampton’s UK campuses, with a potential 10% alumni discount, many will also have the opportunity to study at the institute’s Malaysia campus, located within the EduCity complex in the southern Malaysian state of Johor.
“We have set up a global student exchange program that encourages movement across all our campuses, including Malaysia, the UK, and India. Students here can do a semester in the UK as part of their studies, which is based on academic performance, so that’s the selection mechanism,” stated Atherton.
“UK students can also come to study here [in India] for a semester. While it’s not a balanced one-to-one exchange, we are able to send students from India to the UK regardless, and we really want to build that two-way flow – that’s really important to us.”
Faculty mix at the India campus
The university is also banking on a diverse faculty team at its Gurugram campus, many of whom bring deep expertise in STEM and medical fields.
Eloise Phillips, who played a key role in establishing the University of Birmingham’s flagship campus in Dubai, is serving as the academic provost at Southampton Delhi. Meanwhile, Vishal Talwar, the COO, was previously head of campus at IIMT Ghaziabad, and Sagaya Amalathas – formerly the head of computer science at the Malaysia campus – has been named the director of learning and teaching at the Indian establishment.
They are joined by other academics and support staff with experience across countries.
“Some of the most compelling stories are of Indian nationals who went overseas as students, became faculty, and built their careers abroad, often in the UK or North America. Now, they are coming back with that global academic experience and a deep cultural understanding of India. It’s the perfect combination,” stated Atherton.
Scholarships and fee model
As the university looks to welcome up to 5,000 students to the Gurugram campus every year by 2035, its scholarships and fees will play a key role in attracting students.
Southampton is already offering scholarship support at its India campus through initiatives such as the Delhi Presidential Scholarship, the Future Talent Scholarship, and the Future Talent Bursary, which includes full tuition coverage to partial funding.
Despite this, the university will still charge a “premium fee” in India, between Rs. 12 lakh and Rs. 19 lakh per year (approximately £10,400-£16,400), which remains around 50% lower than the £19,000-£34,000 annual tuition international students are charged at its UK campuses.
“We’re currently the only top-100 university operating in India. So our entry tariff and fees reflect that position. It’s not as expensive as studying abroad, but it’s still a significant investment for families and students,” added Atherton.
UK universities rushing into India
While the University of Southampton holds the distinction of being the first UK university to establish a campus in India, others are close behind, with the University of Liverpool, University of Surrey, University of York, and University of Aberdeen having received UGC approval to set up campuses in Bengaluru, Mumbai, and GIFT City in Gujarat.
According to Atherton, this demonstrates that the “UK is leading in the internationalisation of higher education” and is well positioned to help address the “huge mismatch between demand and supply” in India as the population grows, household incomes rise, and participation in higher education continues to increase.
Despite ongoing debate over the rapid entry of international institutions into India’s higher education space, union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan has already endorsed institutions setting up campuses in the country.
“To fulfil the ambition of the India-UK roadmap, we now have the foundation of the knowledge bridge between India and the UK with the University of Southampton’s campus in Gurugram,” said Pradhan at the launch event on Wednesday.
“Within three years, 17 foreign universities are working on a campus in India, and three of them have already started teaching here. My congratulations to all of them, you are in the right place.”
While UK institutions have come under criticism for expanding abroad, amid research and staff cuts at home, Atherton emphasised that Southampton is “in one of the healthiest situations” of any UK university and that its move is not a “reaction to short-term changes” but rather a “long-term position”.
“We started this strategy before people were even talking about it, and it’s very much about becoming a global university and global institution for the next several hundred years. This isn’t about short-term shifts in demand.”
Southampton’s future campus plans
Just last year, Southampton announced plans to open three branch campuses by 2030, one already operational in India, with the others being considered in emerging education hubs around the world.
“We’re looking at East Asia, Europe, and Sub-Saharan Africa. It’s more about regions and the opportunities they present. It’s still early days, so we need to test and ensure the proposition works before going public,” stated Atherton.
