Internationalization of Higher Education in India

Vidya Rajiv Yeravdekar, PhD, is the Principal Director of Symbiosis Society, which encompasses the Symbiosis schools and the institutions under the Symbiosis International University. A dream of her father, Padma Bhushan Dr S. B. Mujumdar, of creating ‘a home away from home’ for international students, Symbiosis today, has transformed itself into a multidisciplinary, multinational, multicultural International University having students from all states of India and international students from 85 different countries. The University has institutes under seven faculties viz. Management, Law, Humanities and Social Sciences, Health and Biomedical Sciences, Computer Studies, Engineering, Media Communication and Design. Dr Yeravdekar holds a postgraduate degree in Medicine, a degree in Law, and a PhD in “Internationalization of  Higher Education in India.” To promote international understanding through quality education, she has brought in innovative approaches at Symbiosis International University through international collaborations with some of the top universities in the world. Dr Yeravdekar has successfully influenced policy regulations for promoting innovative approaches to higher education in India through her appointments on various governmental bodies. She has been a member of University Grants Commission (UGC), Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). She is also a member of the governing boards of several organizations such as Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, Swarnim Gujarat Sports University, Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University. Apart from being a member of the State Knowledge Advisory Board of Higher Education, Government of Andhra Pradesh, and the Task Team of Arts Management Strategy for Karnataka, she is also a member of many corporate bodies such as Mahratta Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Confederation of India Industry (CII), and not-for-profit organizations such as HK Firodiya Foundation, India International Centre (IIC), Pune International Centre (PIC), and Pune Citizens Police Foundation. Dr Vidya has been appointed as Director on the Board of RITES Limited under Ministry of Railways, Government of India. She has presented papers at various National and International Conferences and has numerous research publications to her credit. Dr Vidya’s hard work has won her numerous awards and accolades and she is now focussed on making Symbiosis International University benchmarked amongst one of the best Universities in Asia. Gauri Tiwari is Research Associate at Symbiosis Society, Pune. She got her Bachelor’s degree from Lady Shri Ram College and her Master’s degree from the University of Essex, UK. She received training in applied writing from University of California, Berkeley, and was appointed the Project Manager for the Ontario College Student Engagement Survey by the Canadian Government’s Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities. She has taught at many community colleges in the US, including those within the Eastern Iowa Community College District, Iowa, and the Black Hawk College, Illinois. She has also worked at the Adult Education Program, which was funded by the State of Illinois in the US.

Foreword by Dr Hans de Wit
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
The Indian Higher Education System
Globalization and Internationalization
Cross-Border Higher Education: A Constantly Evolving International Student Market
Regulations and Reforms to Promote Internationalization
Internationalization in a Comparative Context
International Student Mobility: Old and New Patterns
India’s “Soft Power” and Internationalization
Internationalization of Higher Education in India: The Way Forward
Index