Mutual Recognition of Qualifications to be addressed by the new UK-India Enhanced Trade Partnership
By Tara Panjwani
It was very encouraging to see the critical issue of Mutual Recognition of Qualifications (MRQ) raised as one of the main trade barriers to be addressed by the new Enhanced Trade Partnership during the virtual meeting yesterday between PM Johnson and PM Modi. This shared commitment was further reinforced in the Joint Statement as well as in the ‘2030 Roadmap for India-UK Future Relations’ agreed by the Governments which clearly stated that, “As part of a joint effort to expand cooperation between UK and Indian universities, Mutual Recognition of Qualifications would be agreed on by both countries before the end of 2021.”
Increased cooperation between British and Indian universities was also the theme underpinning the new UK India Global Innovation Partnership which was launched yesterday to support the transfer of inclusive Indian innovations to select developing countries. Here the focus was on crucial research in areas like health, emerging technologies and climate science as well as on concluding the good work of the UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI).
Mutual Recognition of Qualifications to strengthen linkages between British and Indian universities is a pivotal reform that we at the UKIBC have been campaigning for since 2019 as set out in our report titled ‘Higher Education Collaboration: Futureproofing the UK India Partnership.’ This report collates the findings of a survey of leading UK universities keen to engage more effectively with India. More than 70 percent of the respondents chose the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) as the most important UK Indian education policy reform – one that would be transformational in deepening economic links and strengthening bilateral dialogues between the two countries.
The MRA continues to be a top priority for UK universities and features significantly in India’s New Education Policy – exactly why the decision to highlight it as a key market access barrier is welcome news indeed.
Building mutually effective higher education collaboration between the UK and India will enable students to seamlessly transition between the two countries, improve the skills-base, cement institutional partnerships, catalyse greater research collaboration and increase investment and trade flows, ultimately resulting in more jobs and prosperity in both countries. Indeed, being able to share students, staff, knowledge, and best practice not only results in better education for students but brings our societies closer together, strengthening the living bridge that binds the UK and India.
In our experience, mutual recognition continues to be the single most desired reform from both UK and Indian universities and is one of the most important steps that can be taken by both Governments to future proof the UK-India partnership.
The UKIBC are working towards this policy reform in collaboration with the British Council, Indian Ministry of Education (MHRD) and the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).
