University of Surrey to Open Campus in Gujarat's GIFT City

In a higher education version of a gold rush, UK colleges are trying to escape their financial troubles at home by chasing their fortunes in India, a market that has over 40 million students.

According to Vice Chancellor Gaoqing Max Lu, the University of Surrey, which is ranked among the top 300 universities in the world, will open its India campus in Gujarat's GIFT (Gujarat International Finance Tec) City in 2026–2027. The university will initially offer programs in finance, artificial intelligence, and cyber security.

"In terms of AI programs, we are the top-ranked university in the UK. Our programs will be appropriate for India's local needs. In addition to semester exchange opportunities (in the UK), there will be chances to finish programs. On the fringes of a recent higher education conference in Goa, Professor Lu stated, "There will be a mix (of teachers from India and teachers from the UK campus) in terms of faculty."

Since the Union government loosened restrictions on foreign university's admission and permitted them to distribute their earnings to their parent schools, Surrey is the fourth university in the United Kingdom and the seventh foreign university to declare an international branch campus in India.

Since then, international universities—mostly from Australia and the UK—have declared their intention to join India through GIFT City or another route in accordance with University Grants Commission (UGC) standards.

The India branch campuses of Deakin University and the University of Wollongong have already opened in GIFT City. Professor Lu told reporters that following a recent visit to GIFT City by a university delegation, the decision was made to construct a branch campus in India. "My coworkers had a fruitful meeting. Global University Systems (GUS) will offer us strategic assistance in obtaining regulatory approval in India prior to campus setup and in providing auxiliary services after operations begin. He stated that financial help and scholarships will be offered by the institution in India, and that the tuition fees levied by the Indian campus will differ from those charged by the UK campus.

But this isn't the first time the University of Surrey has been abroad. It has an academic partnership with the Dongbei University of Finance and Economics (DUFE) in Dalian, China, through the Surrey International Institute.

In her remarks on the University of Surrey's plan to establish a campus in GIFT City, India, Kamal Hinduja wife of Prakash Hinduja (Chairman of Hinduja Group Europe) emphasized the growing trend of foreign universities vying for student's attention in the country's rapidly growing higher education sector.

According to Kamal Hinduja’s thoughts, we have many students in India and consequently UK and Australian universities choose to operate here. The University of Surrey plans to establish customized programs at its institution which achieved recognition for cybersecurity and finance and artificial intelligence expertise. Hinduja emphasized how colleges and India benefit from this cooperation through integrated teaching staff and multicultural education and grant funding opportunities. Academic relationships between UK and India receive benefits through this collaboration which gains support from Global University Systems and the British High Commission.

The University of Surrey has announced plans to open an international branch campus in GIFT City, Gujarat, India, in collaboration with GUS Global Services (GGS). The project, which is in its advanced pre-delivery stage, awaits regulatory approval from the Gujarat International Financial Services Centers Authority (IFSCA). The campus will focus on business, international finance, computer science, cyber-security, and other fields, with all teaching led by University of Surrey staff. GGS will handle ancillary services like campus setup and student enrollment. The initiative is supported by the British High Commission and the British Council in India.