In a landmark development for international education, the University of York and the University of Western Australia (UWA) have announced plans to establish branch campuses in India. These initiatives signify the increasing globalisation of higher education and align with India’s evolving educational and innovation strategies. The announcements were made during the inaugural World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES), held from May 1–4 at the Jio World Centre in Mumbai and organised by India’s Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The University of York becomes the sixth UK institution—and the fourth from the prestigious Russell Group—to outline its intention to open a campus in India. At the same time, UWA is preparing to become the first member of Australia’s Group of Eight to establish a physical presence in the country. These plans come in the wake of an invitation extended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to the world’s top 50 universities to invest in ‘Third Mumbai’, a new urban development initiative near Navi Mumbai. The University of York has scheduled its Mumbai campus to welcome its first cohort of students in the 2026/27 academic year. Initially, the campus will offer undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in disciplines such as computer science with artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, business, economics, and the creative industries. The new campus will operate under York’s curriculum and quality assurance framework, ensuring students receive the same standard of education as those studying at the main UK campus. The University of York will award degrees to the graduates.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Charlie Jeffery highlighted the university’s commitment to embedding its values-driven approach to education and research into the Indian venture. Emphasising India’s dynamic drive toward global influence, skills development, and economic growth, he remarked that the institution is eager to contribute to India’s educational landscape and foster future leaders and innovators. The Mumbai campus will initially function from an existing building in a business district, with plans to expand into a full-scale campus complex over time. The institution also plans to integrate robust research initiatives into the new campus, focusing on areas vital to India’s development, including food security, climate change, and emerging technologies.
Similarly, UWA’s plans for an Indian campus reflect its longstanding aspiration to establish an international footprint. UWA Chancellor Diane Smith-Gander acknowledged that recent policy reforms in India were instrumental in making this ambition a reality. The institution aims to provide a wide range of undergraduate and master’s programmes in STEM fields, business, and the creative arts, including offerings from the UWA Conservatorium of Music. Smith-Gander noted that India’s supportive regulatory environment and favourable demographic trends made it an ideal destination for expansion. Students enrolled at UWA’s India campus will benefit from flexible pathways, including opportunities to transfer between the new campus and UWA’s main campus in Perth.
Both institutions are currently awaiting formal approval from India’s University Grants Commission (UGC). UWA is also exploring the possibility of establishing an additional campus in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. Chief Minister Fadnavis welcomed these developments, praising the academic excellence and research potential these institutions bring to Maharashtra. He noted that Mumbai and Navi Mumbai continue to emerge as pivotal educational and innovation hubs. These international expansions underscore a broader trend of transnational educational partnerships. Notably, the University of Southampton is set to become the first UK university to launch a campus in India later this year, while Australia’s Deakin and Wollongong universities began operations in Gujarat’s GIFT City in 2023.
However, these expansions occur against a backdrop of financial uncertainty for universities in both the UK and Australia. Russell Group institutions and Universities UK have recently voiced concerns over growing fiscal pressures that threaten the quality of academic delivery and research. Recent geopolitical shifts in Australia have further complicated the situation by reducing funding to certain Group of Eight researchers. Despite these challenges, the establishment of campuses by York and UWA represents a strategic investment in the future of global education, promising to deepen academic cooperation and widen access to high-quality learning opportunities in India.
