Philip Altbach’s ageless remark “Everyone wants a world-class university. No country feels it can do without one. The problem is that no one knows what a world-class university is and no one has figured out how to get one” will ring forever as countries continue to compete for global student talent in higher education.

The evolutionary trend of building a world class university (WCU) has its own Moore’s law with decreasing time and increasing allocation of funds.

The cost factor

According to a World Bank report, establishing a WCU in the late 19th century required $450 million and 200 years. The University of Chicago, in the beginning of the 20th century, invested 20 years and more than $100 million to build a WCU.

The Cornell University spent more than $750 million in setting up a world-class medical school in Qatar in 2002. King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia recently established a WCU at a cost of $3 billion.

Current levels of policy catalysis in progressive countries focussing on international students is unprecedented.

A NAFSA: Association of International Educators study estimates huge economic value addition from international students studying in American universities.

They contribute $40.1 billion to the US economy and support 3,68,333 jobs with related spending occurring in the higher education, accommodation, dining, retail, transportation, telecommunications and health insurance sectors.

The intangible but measurable academic and cultural value that international students bring is another social value addition that makes this socio-economic twin-engine of America, the powerhouse of global student mobility.

Socio-economic value

This socio-economic value add is true for the other top five countries that attracted students worldwide during 2023 – UK, Canada, France and Australia (Germany closely catching up with Australia dipping by 7 per cent compared to 2022).

Another insightful information is the dependence on international students to fatten the top-line of foreign universities who have an unquenched and unquestioned thirst for bottom-line. Canada (30 per cent), Australia (25 per cent) and UK (22 per cent) depend on international students for their tuition fee revenues which is almost or over one-fourth of their total fees and to all the three India contribute substantially – number one or two.

Interestingly, despite a $40 billion economic benefit, the share of international students in American universities is still 6 per cent only.

The American universities have the cushy and comforting appetite to increase this with as most of the host universities can add capacity with very little effort.

For the first time since 2014, America saw increase in international students across all academic levels – under-graduate, master’s, doctoral and professional degrees. A small increase in the international share upto 10% shall create global turbulence in student mobility increasing the competing spirits of other comparable countries which can also counter-act.

India must do more

It is in this context that India’s policy response to attract foreign students needs to be conceptualised. Are we doing enough?

India’s share in the global 6.4 million international student population is less than 1 per cent. On the other hand, India’s dominant share in the international student population in foreign universities is reflected in it being amongst the top five contributors in six of the top ten host countries – the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Germany and Italy.

Surprisingly, India is not (when it should have been) in the top five in Japan, France and The Netherlands! This huge gap resulting in a wide knowledge account deficit cannot be filled by policies that are currently too little. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s grand idea of Viksit Bharat @ 2047 requires a Sankalp going beyond the current modes of internationalisation of Indian higher education.

Isn’t 20 Institutions of Eminence (IoE) of which many are still work in process for a country like India disproportional? Is the symbolic act of having an office of international affairs in Indian institutions attractive enough?

Is the UGC regulations allowing foreign universities to establish campuses in India with freedom (that Indian universities themselves don’t have) going to arrest the outflow of Indian students?

Is the current levels of autonomy to deserving Indian higher education institutions adequate for the herculean and competitive tasks that lie ahead of them?

Closing 2023 with these questions with a hope that 2024 shall offer the guaranteed answers as its not mission impossible for rising Bharat.

The writer is Vice-Chancellor & TATA Sons Chair Professor of Mgmt at SASTRA University Views expressed are personal

comment COMMENT NOW