Guidelines for foreign higher education in India

As the population of needing higher education in India expands, the government has issued guidelines for branch or satellite programs of foreign universities. Among the requirements are a "top 500" ranking and comparability of programs from home to satellite. The "providers will be free to set their own tuition fees, define student selection criteria and appoint faculty." The guidelines will be reviewed in a consultive process and then approved in the coming weeks.

Some educators are already raising questions about academic freedom, the mantra of faculty related to other partnering institutions in the Middle East and Asia. The question is if the guidelines will address the colonialist impact of content and pedagogy that comes with many Western institutions and if partnering institutions are willing to serve the needs of India as a growing economy and culture.