The heads of the universities of Cambridge, Exeter, Southampton, Warwick, the Open University, Cardiff University and the London School of Economics and Political Science have joined David Cameron on his trip to the country.
The delegation also includes David Willetts, the universities and science minister, and Joanna Newman, director of the International Unit at Universities UK.
Dr Newman said she was “delighted” by Mr Cameron’s reassurances that there was no cap on the number of Indian students who could study in the UK, and his “positive comments” regarding the availability of post-study work for Indian graduates.
The announcements include:
- The LSE has created 50 new scholarships for postgraduate Indian students, with awards ranging from ?3,000 to ?32,000, depending on financial need.
- Cambridge is to collaborate with the Non-Ferrous Technology Development Centre in Hyderabad and RTM Nagpur University to research fuel cell technology.
- ?11 million from the Indian government will establish a Centre for Chemical Biology and Therapeutics, a collaborative project between Cambridge, India’s National Centre for Biological Sciences, and the Institute for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine in Bangalore.
- Cardiff will work with the University of Hyderabad and the LV Prashad Eye Institute to share best practice in the teaching of optometry.
- Warwick is to offer 16 new scholarships to Indian applicants for master’s programmes in law, business, politics and international studies, life sciences, manufacturing and economics.
- Warwick will also host the ?92 million National Automotive Innovation Campus, which will research new technologies to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, in partnership with Warwick Manufacturing Group, Jaguar Land Rover, Tata Motors European Technical Centre and the UK government.
- Exeter has offered 14 full scholarships for Indian students to attend its International Summer School in 2013, worth ?32,000 in total.