The programme aims at senior staff from UK and Indian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), facilitating the exchange of UK & Indian experiences on current leadership issues and promoting cooperation in learning, teaching and research. The programme falls within the ambit of the existing UKIERI partnerships between India and UK institutions.

An MOU was signed in January 2009 between MHRD, Government of India & British High Commission to establish an agreement for the pilot programme run in 2008-09 as part of the UK India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) with 14 participating institutions from India and UK . University Grants Commission (UGC) on behalf of Indian universities, supported by MHRD was the Indian implementing agency and Leadership Foundation for Higher Education (LFHE) on behalf of UK universities, supported by HEFCE was the main UK implementing agency for the programme. UKIERI was entrusted for the overall management of the programme .

Two workshops have been completed successfully under the programme with participation from 28 senior leaders from UK & Indian HEIs.

A 2-day workshop focussing on developing a deeper shared understanding of HE issues was organised in NUEPA on 21 & 22 March in Delhi . After the workshop, each UK participant spent 3 days visiting their twinned Indian partner which provided the UK participants an insight into the Indian Higher Education system and the framework within which the institutions operate.

On 15 & 16 June 2009, senior leaders from Indian HEIs travelled to UK for a 2-day workshop hosted by the School of Oriental and African Studies, in London , UK . This second phase aimed to provide programme participants with an insight into the principal policy issues in UK Higher Education and key issues in the leadership and management of UK universities.

The programme has garnered positive response from the participants of India and UK HEIs and it is hoped that long-term collaborative relationships will develop between the paired institutions as a result of the programme. There has also been encouraging proposals of networks of participants which is being established that would lead to opportunities for self development for all participants and lead to enhanced links/partnerships between both Indian and UK HEIs.

Please click here to download a detailed report on the programme