[Answered] Examine the role of internationalising higher education in developing ‘global-ready graduates’ to curb academic migration. Evaluate how this strategy can elevate the quality of post-secondary research and ensure a more meaningful contribution to India’s socio-economic development.

Introduction

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, over 13.8 lakh Indian students studied abroad in 2025, reflecting intensifying academic migration. UNESCO notes student mobility has doubled since 2000, underscoring the urgency of systemic reform.

Academic Migration and Structural Push Factors

1. Quality Differential and Research Ecosystem Gap: A major driver of outward mobility is perceived quality asymmetry—limited global rankings presence, inadequate research infrastructure, and low Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD) at ~0.7% of GDP compared to OECD averages above 2.5%.
2. Employability and Global Credential Signalling: Degrees from institutions in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Germany provide global labour market signalling advantages, reinforced by frameworks like the Washington Accord in engineering mobility.
3. Capital Flight and Household Indebtedness: Estimates suggest billions of dollars annually flow out as tuition and living expenses, often financed through high-value education loans, creating private financial strain and macroeconomic leakage. Internationalisation of higher education thus becomes a strategic intervention to address both quality and perception gaps.

Internationalisation as a Tool to Develop ‘Global-Ready Graduates’

1. Internationalisation at Home (NEP 2020 Vision): The National Education Policy 2020 emphasises embedding global perspectives within domestic curricula—credit transfers, interdisciplinary modules, and Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)—ensuring international exposure without physical migration.
2. Strategic Partnerships and Transnational Education (TNE): Mechanisms such as joint degrees, twinning programmes, and offshore campuses enable dual certification. The entry of foreign universities in GIFT City under UGC regulations reduces the push factor for outbound migration.
3. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ACE Model): The American Council on Education’s comprehensive internationalisation framework stresses institutional transformation through DEI, agility, and data-driven evaluation—ensuring internationalisation is systemic, not symbolic.
4. Intercultural and Digital Competencies: Global-ready graduates possess intercultural communication skills, digital fluency, and transnational problem-solving capacities—critical in a globalised knowledge economy defined by cross-border value chains.

Elevating Research Quality and Innovation Capacity

1. Collaborative Research Ecosystems: The establishment of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation aims to integrate global co-funding and interdisciplinary Grand Challenge research in AI, climate science, and biotechnology.
2. Academia–Industry–Government Triple Helix: Drawing from Sweden’s science park model (e.g., Lindholmen Science Park), integrating universities with innovation clusters enhances translational research and technology commercialisation.
3. Benchmarking and Competition Effects: The presence of global institutions compels domestic universities to upgrade governance, faculty recruitment standards, citation impact, and research ethics compliance—fostering systemic quality improvement.
4. Knowledge Diplomacy and Soft Power: Through initiatives like Study in India and ICCR scholarships, India can attract students from the Global South, transforming brain drain into brain circulation and strengthening geopolitical partnerships.

Socio-Economic Contribution: From Brain Drain to Brain Gain

1. Innovation-Led Growth and Start-up Ecosystems: Internationalised universities act as incubation hubs. India’s start-up ecosystem—third largest globally—benefits from globally trained graduates who catalyse deep-tech ventures.
2. Human Capital Formation and Demographic Dividend: With a median age of 28, aligning higher education with global standards ensures productive absorption of India’s youthful workforce, reducing structural unemployment.
3. Regional Equity and Inclusive Access: Digital internationalisation via Open and Distance Learning (ODL) platforms ensures rural and state universities integrate into global networks, preventing metropolitan concentration of excellence.

Critical Evaluation and Challenges

1. Commercialisation and Equity Concerns: Unchecked entry of foreign institutions may exacerbate fee inflation and undermine constitutional commitments to social justice and reservation policies.
2. Regulatory and Intellectual Property Complexities: Cross-border research collaborations require robust IP frameworks and GDPR-compliant data-sharing agreements.
3. Infrastructure and Faculty Constraints: Internationalisation demands faculty development, research funding expansion, and governance reforms—without which reforms risk superficiality.

Conclusion

As President Dr. S. Radhakrishnan observed, universities shape a nation’s moral and intellectual destiny. Internationalising Indian higher education can convert migration pressures into transformative ‘brain gain’ for a Viksit Bharat.