Scotland’s Academic Crown Lands in Mumbai: Aberdeen University’s India Debut

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The University of Aberdeen was the first Scottish university to be accredited to establish a branch campus in India, a UK-India education relations milestone. The official Letter of Intent (LoI) was formally handed over at an event in Mumbai on June 14, 2025, in the presence of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, as part of Maharashtra's ambitious "EduCity" project in Navi Mumbai.

Key Highlights

Historic First: The University of Aberdeen has emerged as Scotland's first university to receive Indian government approval to set up a campus in the nation, operations to start by 2026.
Mumbai Campus: The campus will be located within Navi Mumbai, in India's first International Education City, at a strategic site near the new Navi Mumbai International Airport for global connectivity.
Academic Programs: The first phase will involve undergraduate and postgraduate studies in computing and data science, business management, economics, artificial intelligence, and an MBA. Expansion in the future will be in mathematics, international business management, public health, film studies, psychology, and information systems.
Collaborative Vision: The campus will augment the strength of Indian students, facilitate collaborative research, and facilitate faculty and student mobility, taking advantage of Aberdeen's research capabilities and India's innovation pipeline.
Part of an International Wave: Aberdeen is accompanied by four other leading international institutions—University of York, University of Western Australia, Illinois Institute of Technology, and Istituto Europeo di Design—to receive Letters of Intent to set up in Maharashtra, transforming Mumbai into a new international education hub.
NEP 2020 Alignment: The program is aligned with India's National Education Policy 2020 and accords with the internationalisation of higher education and research.
Student Advantage: Indian students will have access to international world-class curricula and research facilities locally, lessening the necessity of studying abroad for quality education.

This success not only enhances Scotland-India relations but also positions Maharashtra as a global higher education leader with a promising future for students and research scholars.

Source: Business Standard, Times of India, Indian Express, NDTV, Elets Online.