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UK-India Education and Research Initiative: Widening Access and Social Inclusion in Higher Education in the UK and India Policy Dialogue Workshop 26-28 th March, 2007 In an increasingly inter-connected world, the challenge of maximising the collaborative opportunities posed by the internationalisation of education is now one of the hot topics for higher education institutions and governments worldwide. And as part of the British Council's drive to ensure this issue stays at the heart of the education agenda, more than sixty delegates from universities and research centres across the UK and India converged on Kolkata to thrash out ways to widen access and improve greater social inclusion in Higher Education last week. The pioneering UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) was the second in a series of thought-provoking policy dialogue workshops to foster greater educational links between the two countries. Eminent academics and policy makers from both the UK and India explored ways to overcome the financial and social barriers posed to students from undergraduate to PhD level who wish gain access to higher education. In collaboration with a wide variety of government and corporate partners, the bilateral conference is part of an ambitious five-year £25m programme to cement a lasting spirit of international collaboration which strengthens each country's economic ties through educational links. Innovations in lifelong learning networks to developing pioneering teaching methods for education practitioners through ICT and curriculum setting were just some of the subjects that were explored during the two day conference. The opportunities and threats of commercialisation and the role of the private sector in higher education was also put under the spotlight as academics and policy makers worked out ways to strengthen existing and develop research-orientated links between higher education institutions in both countries. British Council Head of Education in India , Tim Gore, said: I have been overwhelmed by the collective sense of intellectual engagement over the last two days. The quality and diversity of debate has been conducted with a true spirit of collaboration and purpose whilst at the same time respecting each other's cultural imperatives. I pay tribute to all those involved in making a significant step change in the educational relations between each country as we continue to work towards making the UK and India as a desirable partner of choice in education for international students.' He added: `The workshops and presentations offered a huge amount of insight for all involved and I look forward to seeing this spirit of collaboration grow between our partners in the UK and India as UKIERI reaches out to more centres of excellence over the coming four years. We see this as way of opening doors to a much more strategic relationship based on mutuality by addressing an issue that is close to India 's heart.' Since 2006, UKIERI has reached out to a large academic community in both India and UK and has awarded 26 research fellowships, 86 travel grants, 30 research awards, 10PhD scholarships, 11 schools cluster partnerships, three professional and technical skills development partnerships and six collaborative programmes so far. Facilitated by the British Council, UKIERI is a unique programme involving eleven funding partners including the Department for Education and Skills, Department for Trade and Industry, FCO, Department for Employment and Learning, the Scottish Executive and the Welsh Assembly Government, BAe Systems, BP, GSK and Shell. Collaborative Delivery of Higher Education Programmes in India : To assist UK and India higher education institutions to build a strong base for these new partnerships, the UKIERI project organised a workshop at the Hotel Taj Krishna in Hyderabad for 7 - 9 March 2007. UK and Indian institutions and organisation with direct interests in developing collaborative partnerships for the delivery of degrees were invited to attend this workshop. > To read about the workshop proceedings, please click here.
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