MoE Invited Suggestions For UGC Draft on Joint Degree, Dual Degree and Twinning Programs

Suggestions invited on Draft UGC (Academic Collaboration between Indian and Foreign Higher Education Institutions to offer Joint Degree, Dual Degree and Twinning Programs) Regulations, 2021

The EdTalk | New Delhi:

Union Minister of Education Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ today informed that the UGC has placed the draft Regulations on Academic Collaboration between Indian and Foreign Higher Education Institutions to offer Joint Degree, Dual Degree and Twinning Programs, in the public domain and invited suggestions from all the stakeholders. The Minister sought insights and feedback from the public including the academia and all other stakeholders to enable the Ministry of Education to bring about effective implementation of this aspect of NEP. The Minister also informed that the last date of receiving suggestions/feedback has now been extended to 15^th March. Feedback may be sent to ugcforeigncollaboration@gmail.com.

The Government of India is taking a number of initiatives for the implementation of the National Education Policy-2020. The NEP-2020 calls for permitting credits acquired in foreign countries to be counted for the award of a degree. Furthermore, the budget announcement of 2021 proposed regulatory mechanism to permit dual degrees, joint degrees and twinning arrangements. Accordingly, UGC has framed the draft UGC (Academic collaboration between Indian and foreign Higher Education Institutions to offer Joint Degree, Dual Degree and Twinning Programme) Regulations, 2O21.

These Regulations shall apply to Indian Higher Education Institutions intending to collaborate with Foreign Higher Education Institutions leading to award of diploma(s) and degree(s) including Post Graduate and Doctoral programmes, and Foreign Higher Education Institution intending to collaborate with Indian Higher Education Institutions. Academic Collaboration between Indian and foreign higher education institutions under these Regulations shall facilitateCredit Recognition and Transfer, Twinning Arrangement, Joint Degree Programme and Dual Degree Programme.

Under “Twinning Arrangement”, students enrolled with an Indian higher education institution shall be able to undertake their programme of study partly in India, complying with relevant UGC regulations, and partly in the foreign higher education institution. Moreover, credits earned by the students at a foreign education institution shall be counted towards the degree/diploma awarded by the Indian higher education institution.

In case of “Joint Degree programme”, the curriculum shall be designed jointly by the collaborating Indian and foreign higher educational institutions and the degree shall be awarded by both the collaborating institutions with a single Certificate bearing the crests and logo of both collaborating institutions, upon completion of the programme. “Dual Degree Programme” under these Regulations shall be conferred by the Indian and foreign higher education institutions, separately and simultaneously, upon completion of degree requirements of both the institutions.

Promotion of foreign academic collaboration shall be strengthened through the introduction of the provisions of joint degree, dual degree and twinning arrangement. This initiative will provide global exposure to the students, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary education with internationally relevant curriculum, improve employability, attract foreign students to study in India and improve the standing of the Indian universities in international rankings as internationalization is an important parameter.

Click below to see Draft UGC (Academic Collaboration between Indian and Foreign Higher Education Institutions to offer Joint Degree, Dual Degree and Twinning Programs) Regulations, 2021: