India has granted approval for foreign universities to set up campuses in the country for the first time, as part of its National Education Policy to boost multidisciplinary research. Australia’s Deakin University and the University of Wollongong are the first to announce plans for international campuses, with operations in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City. India has about 1,000 universities, but the government’s new policy aims to create multidisciplinary universities and knowledge hubs to foster cross-disciplinary research. However, the move could divert students and resources away from Indian universities, making it “very controversial in India”, according to education researcher Gavin Moodie.
