London 22-Sep-2026: Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) convened its fourth UK–India Higher Education Roundtable at the House of Lords, co-hosted by QS Chief Executive Officer Jessica Turner and Lord Patel of Bradford.
Welcoming the distinguished participants, Jessica Turner said it was a pleasure to bring together leaders committed to strengthening the UK–India knowledge partnership. Dr Ashwin Fernandes opened the roundtable, setting the context for discussions on how universities can translate the opportunities created by the developing Free Trade Agreement into meaningful educational cooperation.
The discussion was co-chaired by Professor C. Raj Kumar of O.P. Jindal Global University and Dr Vidya Yeravdekar of Symbiosis International University.
Senior leaders from universities, government-facing organisations and industry examined how both countries could move from growing ambition to sustainable partnerships capable of delivering at scale.
Indian institutions represented included O.P. Jindal Global University, Symbiosis International University, Chitkara University, Manipal University, SR University and Bharati Vidyapeeth. UK participation included representatives from the University of Cambridge, University of Sheffield, London Metropolitan University and University of Southampton, alongside other higher-education leaders.
Participants explored several important models of cooperation, including co-investment, joint governance, co-supervised research, reciprocal mobility, transnational education and stronger university–industry links.
Four priorities emerged:
- More predictable funding for joint research and innovation.
- A practical mechanism for qualification recognition, credit transfers and professional accreditation.
- More reciprocal and affordable mobility for students, academics and researchers.
- Greater flexibility for high-quality transnational education models.
The roundtable emphasised that sustainable collaboration begins with trust, grows through shared investment and must ultimately be assessed through measurable outcomes for students, universities and both countries.
The QS India Summit 2026 Report was also unveiled during the gathering. QS will now develop the roundtable discussions into recommendations for UK and Indian stakeholders and carry the agenda forward at the next QS India Summit in Goa.
The gathering delivered a clear message: the FTA era presents an opportunity to make higher education one of the strongest pillars of the UK–India relationship—connecting talent, research, innovation and industry across both nations.
“From dialogue to delivery, the UK and India are scaling together to build a stronger global knowledge partnership.”
By Prince M.Lumb
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