UK sees rise in Indian students, boosts research ties: UCL President

University College London sees a 19-26% surge in Indian student enrolments for academic year 2025-26, focusing on partnerships and scholarships instead of a foreign campus

University College London (UCL) said it has recorded a 19 per cent and 26 per cent rise in undergraduate and postgraduate students from India for academic year 2025-26, indicating a preference for the UK over the US at a time when Indian students are facing visa uncertainties in US-based institutions.

 

Calling India one of UCL’s most important international partners, Michael Spence, president and provost at UCL, told Business Standard in an email interview that they have seen a bump in enrolment of new Indian students due to strong outreach programmes.

 

Spence added that the trend is expected to continue given the strength of its academic collaborations, scholarship programmes and ongoing outreach. 

“Initiatives like the India Excellence Scholarships and UCL India Summer School reinforce our commitment to making the institute accessible to talented students from across the country,” he said.

 

Spence added that UCL will prioritise institution-level collaborations rather than a foreign campus. This comes at a time when at least nine United Kingdom (UK)-based universities have announced receiving approvals to set up campuses in India. 

Highlighting that UCL’s focus would remain on providing high-quality education and meaningful international experiences, Spence said the institute’s current strategy prioritises partnership-led engagement rather than the establishment of an overseas campus. 

 

As part of its local collaborations, UCL will be working with premier Indian institutes, with its joint funding schemes with IIT Delhi and AIIMS having already supported a total of 63 projects, covering themes like obesity, non-communicable diseases and energy.

 

Spence said these are not short-term projects, but strategic alliances designed to tackle some of the most pressing challenges at the intersection of health, technology and engineering.

 

“By investing in deeper partnerships with Indian institutions and expanding access opportunities, we aim to ensure that this positive trajectory continues in a way that benefits students, researchers and society as a whole,” he added.

 

Apart from this, the institute will look to explore frontier technologies such as quantum computing, sensing and materials.

 

Spence said UCL is working closely with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Raman Research Institute and IIT Bombay to align with India’s National Quantum Mission. “This will open pathways for joint research, advanced training, and commercialisation in quantum-enabled solutions,” he added.