HEI in TS, AP clamour for foreign tie-up tag

Hyderabad: Is obsession in the name of global standards driving the higher education entities in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to run for tie-ups with anything foreign?

If the goings-on are of any indication, sources in the Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TSCHE) and Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) said the government-run universities have come under pressure following foreign collaborations is one of the criteria for rating the institutions.

But, questions are raised over the State Higher Education Council's taking the lead to push for foreign collaborations.

Reason being, the University Grants Commission (UGC) had repealed the regulations issued in 2012 and notified the University Grants Commission (Promotion and Maintenance of Standards of Academic Collaboration between Indian and Foreign Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2016.

Speaking to The Hans India, former vice-chancellor of a prominent university in Andhra Pradesh said that the said regulations cover all Foreign Educational Institutions (FEIs) and Indian Educational Institutions (IEIs) operating through collaboration, intended to offer degrees through collaboration.

Also, any IEI or FEI already have collaborative arrangements before the notification of the new regulations. Such institutions will have to comply with the new set of rules within six months from the date of the new rules have come into force. However, technical educational institutions have been exempted from these regulations.

A former VC of a State university in Telangana said that the State Higher Education Councils can help the universities and enable them in arranging collaboration with FEIs, if they have contacts.

Further, another official of the UGC, South Eastern Regional Office (SERO) said regulations on collaborations between the FEI and IEI does not mention any role, either to the officials of the State Higher Education Department (SHED) or to the State Council of Higher Education (SCHE).

The word " 'Statutory Body' mentioned in the regulations means only a body established or incorporated by or under a Central Act to regulate, coordinate, determine and maintain standards of teaching, examination and research in universities or programme(s) of study, including professional programme(s) leading to the award of degree(s)."

A senior professor from OU pointed out the issue of collaboration best left to the IEIs. This will help each university to identify the areas of collaboration than signing MoUs under pressure or godded by some bureaucrat or official of the higher education councils.

That apart, several HEIs like IITs, IIMs, IIITs, Central Universities, national universities, institutions of excellence, specialised research establishments and centres within the country are known for doing excellent work and research in different fields.