A high-level delegation from Johns Hopkins University (JHU), Maryland, met with India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on November 17, 2024, in New Delhi to explore the possibility of establishing an offshore campus in India. The 12-member delegation was led by JHU’s President Ronald J. Daniels and included officials from the Gupta Klinsky India Institute (GKII), a unit of JHU focused on strengthening ties with Indian partners through research, education, and policy engagement.
The meeting, attended by India’s Higher Education Secretary K. Sanjay Murthy and senior officials from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of External Affairs, emphasized enhancing academic and research partnerships between JHU and India’s top Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Discussions focused on collaborative opportunities to promote innovation and entrepreneurship among students from both nations, according to a statement from the education ministry.
Minister Pradhan highlighted the significant impact of the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) in fostering international academic partnerships and modernizing India’s education sector. “The NEP 2020 has opened up transformative opportunities for academic collaborations, benefiting India’s education system,” Pradhan stated, commending JHU’s efforts to build strong partnerships with Indian HEIs.
JHU’s delegation expressed interest in developing dual and joint degree programs, promoting two-way mobility for students and faculty, and advancing research collaborations in emerging fields such as data science, artificial intelligence, and futuristic technologies. The ministry noted that the discussions included establishing an offshore JHU campus in India to further support educational and research synergies.
The visit by President Daniels and the delegation underscores the importance of growing India-US educational ties. During their multi-city tour of India, the JHU delegation will visit various universities and engage with government officials and academic leaders to identify areas for future collaboration.
Notable members of the delegation included Fritz W. Schroeder, Senior Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations; Alexander Triantis, Dean of the Carey Business School; and Judd Walson, Chair of the Department of International Health at the Bloomberg School. The team also featured Amita Gupta, Co-Founder of GKII, and Indian-origin faculty like Mathuram Santosham, Professor of Paediatrics and International Health, and Chirag Parikh, Director of the Division of Nephrology.
The discussions signal a potential milestone in India’s higher education landscape, offering pathways for academic enrichment and global learning experiences that align with the goals of NEP 2020.
