Universities look east in pioneering Indian and Scots link-up

Published on Monday 12 October 2009 22:07

UNIVERSITIES in Scotland have signed an agreement to work closely with their counterparts in India.

It is expected the partnership will see joint degrees created between Scottish and Indian universities, student exchanges and joint research projects.

It is the first time Universities Scotland has signed such an international agreement.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) and its Scottish equivalent, Universities Scotland, to promote co-operation.

The bilateral agreement is the first international MoU signed by Universities Scotland and the first signed by AIU with the UK.

Michael Russell, Scottish Government external affairs minister, said both countries stood to benefit.

He said: "Scotland has global strengths in key industries such as life sciences, energy, financial and business services and information technology, which are also important to India's continued growth.

"Coupled with India's capabilities in these areas and our respective governments' strong commitment to continued innovation, the opportunity for mutually beneficial partnerships across many sectors is clear."

The memorandum was facilitated by Scotland's international development agency Scottish Development International (SDI).

In November SDI will lead its first education mission to India where Scottish university principals and professors will attend the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry's Higher Education Summit.