University of Surrey to launch India campus in Gujarat's GIFT City by 2026-27

The University of Surrey, England, is set to open its India campus in Gujarat’s GIFT City by 2026-27, offering initial programs in artificial intelligence, finance, and cybersecurity, said Vice Chancellor Gaoqing Max Lu.

“We are ranked number one in the UK as far as programs in AI are concerned… The programs we offer will be relevant for local needs (of India). There will be options to complete programs along with semester exchange opportunities (in the UK). As for faculty, there will be a mix (of teachers from India and teachers from the UK campus),” Professor Lu said on the occasion of a recent higher education conference in Goa.

Since the Union government loosened restrictions on foreign universities' admission and permitted them to distribute their earnings to their parent educational institutions, Surrey is the fourth university in the United Kingdom and the seventh foreign university to declare an international branch campus in India.

Since then, international universities—mostly from Australia and the UK—have declared their intention to join India through GIFT City or another route in accordance with University Grants Commission (UGC) standards.

The India branch campuses of Deakin University and the University of Wollongong have already opened in GIFT City.

According to Professor Lu, a recent visit to GIFT City by a university group led to the decision to establish a branch campus in India.

“My colleagues…had a productive meeting. Global University Systems (GUS) will provide us strategic support here with getting regulatory approval in India before we set up a campus and with ancillary services once we start operations,” he said.

He added that financial help and scholarships will be offered by the institution in India and that the tuition fees levied by the Indian campus will differ from those charged by the UK campus.

“We rank 11th in student experience in the UK (according to the National Student Survey 2024) and 12th in the world for work placements (by the QS World Employability Rankings 2020). Our curriculum here (in India) will be practice-based so that students secure adequate work experience,” Professor Lu said.

GIFT City permits foreign universities full ownership of their Indian branch campuses, along with the ability to repatriate profits to their parent institutions.