Oxford planning business centre in India

Oxford University Chancellor Chris Patten said on Friday that the business school under the Oxford University is planning...

Oxford University Chancellor Chris Patten said on Friday that the business school under the Oxford University is planning to establish a business centre in India as a part of the growing relationship with this country. Earlier in the day, HRD Minister Arjun Singh had appealed to him for setting up a centre in India.

Speaking at the Higher Education summit, organised by FICCI in the Capital, Patten said: “Our business school is aiming to establish an Indian business centre as a focus for the study of business issues in your country. We are hoping to work closely so that the entire research we promote is focused on actual Indian priorities and needs.”

“The Indian business centre is an example of our determination to strengthen our study of contemporary India as well as Indian history and civilisation,” Patten said.

Referring to Singh’s remark on inviting foreign universities to set up campuses and that fly-by-night operators are not wanted, he said: “My view is that the universities should be able to give same quality education to the host country as is maintained in the home country.”

On the Indo-UK collaboration, he said education and research have been on the agenda of the two countries.

“Make no mistake, to work more closely with you is a real aspiration in Britain whatever the university, whatever the business, whichever political party is in power. We are your friends and we want to be your partners,” Patten said.

“The possibilities of our working together more closely in higher education and research are almost literally boundless. Your own astonishing growth, and economic and social transformation make education and acquisition of skills a major priority,” he said.

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“We have as great an interest in working with you, as I believe you have in working with us. You know us well, our history and our language. You have a hugely successful diaspora in our country. They know as you do that while we are no longer a military superpower, we are still an educational powerhouse with some of the best universities in the world,” he said.

The aim on the part of UK-India initiative, he said, is to spend over £23 million over five years, establish stronger research links between centres of excellence, more doctorate and post-doctorate collaboration through split PhDs and research fellowships and strengthening of cooperation in the vocational teaching of professional and technical skills, and of links between schools for curriculum projects.

The minimum aim by 2011 is for 50 new collaborative research projects, 40 new award programmes enrolling 2,000 Indian students, 3,000 additional Indian research students, 200 UK researchers and 200 UK undergraduates working on Indian subjects.