UK university sets up office in Mumbai

To strengthen academic ties with India, University of Edinburgh set up it's office in Mumbai's Bandra-Kurla Complex on Monday.

The university is planning to increase research collaborations with premier institutes in India, but also has decided to introduce 15 scholarships for Indian students at the masters' level. The university is for the first time starting a programme on South Asia and International Development.

Professor Stephen Hillier, the vice-principal (international) at the university, said, "The office at Mumbai will act as an academic outreach centre. We are looking at partnering with Indian institutions for research in global issues, like climate changes, population health, economic development, etc." The university delegation has a couple of workshops and lectures scheduled in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.

In addition to the new introductions, the university is also instituting 15 scholarships — called the Principal's Indian Masters Scholarships — available in 2011-2012 to Indian students for masters' level study. Each scholarship will be worth £3,000 and will be tenable for one academic year.

The university is also introducing a masters' programmes on South Asia and International Development, which will start from September. The course will prepare students to work in development areas in Indian sub-continent. According to officials, South Asia's development is one of the important political, economic and social issues.