You can earn dual degree from Indian, foreign edu institutions

You can earn dual degree from Indian, foreign edu institutions

UGC’s Draft Regulations Also Provide For Joint Degrees

Manash.Gohain@timesgroup.com

New Delhi:21.02.2021 

Now Indian students will be able to earn a dual degree conferred by Indian and foreign higher education institutions, separately and simultaneously. Students will also get the benefit of credit transfer and joint degrees offered under academic collaborations between Indian and foreign higher education institutions.

The University Grants Commission has finalised the draft regulations for these programmes, which will be notified soon.

According to the draft UGC (Academic Collaboration between Indian and Foreign Higher Education Institutions to offer Joint Degree, Dual Degree and Twinning Programmes) Regulations, 2021, “any degree or diploma awarded based on these collaborations “shall be equivalent to any corresponding degree or diploma awarded by the Indian higher education institution; there shall be no further requirement of seeking equivalence from any authority”.

As per the regulations, higher education institutions of India can collaborate with foreign counterparts for credit recognition and transfer and twinning arrangement for offer of degrees. However, the regulations will not be applicable to programmes offered in online and open and distance-learning mode.

As per the newly framed regulations, any Indian institution accredited by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with a minimum score of 3.01 or in the top 100 in University category of National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) or an Institution of Eminence can collaborate with any foreign institution in top 500 of Times Higher Education or QS World University ranking automatically.

Other Indian institutions and any foreign institution accredited by an assessment and accreditation agency in their homeland will have to seek approval of UGC.

The partnerships would be allowed for four types of academic collaborations, which include credit recognition and transfer, joint degree programme, dual degree programme and twinning arrangement.

Under the twinning arrangement, while a student enrolled in an Indian institution may undertake their programme of study partly in the foreign higher education institution, the degree or diploma offered shall be awarded by the Indian higher education institution only.

The joint degree will be a single certificate bearing the crests and logo of both collaborating institutions. The regulations stated that no franchise arrangement will be allowed under these collaborations.

“A franchise arrangement, whether overtly or covertly, by whatever nomenclature used, between a foreign higher education institution and an Indian higher education institution shall not be allowed under these Regulations,” says the draft.

DOUBLE BENEFIT: As per the UGC’s draft regulations, higher education institutions of India can collaborate with foreign counterparts for credit recognition and transfer and twinning arrangement for offer of degrees