Plans for Newcastle University to establish a campus in India are still being explored, 18 months after the proposals first emerged.
The Russell Group university has confirmed it remains in the early stages of examining opportunities to expand its presence in India, despite the plans having previously drawn criticism from unions at a time when the institution was making millions of pounds in cuts.
In January 2025, Newcastle University Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Chris Day revealed the university was considering establishing a campus in India, indicating at the time it was a question of “when” rather than “if”.
Now, minutes from a meeting of the university’s Global Committee, held on 29 January this year, show work on the proposals has continued.
The committee approved a focus on “refining the geographical, disciplinary, and delivery model” ahead of any potential tender.
The minutes also offer an indication of what courses could form part of any future operation in India.
They state: “Business Analytics is currently the strongest recruiter of Indian students to the UK campus and that digital/AI components are increasingly expected by Indian students and should be factored into programme design.”
However, the university has yet to confirm where a potential campus could be based, when it might open or what form it would ultimately take.
Asked for an update on the proposals, a Newcastle University spokesperson said: “We are in the early stages of exploring new education partnerships in India.
“We are keeping staff informed of our plans and how they will help to strengthen our future as one of the world’s top universities.”
Newcastle University already has an international presence, including operations in Singapore and Malaysia.
But the prospect of further overseas expansion proved controversial when it emerged in January 2025, coming as the university was facing around £30m in cuts and the prospect of job losses.
The University and College Union (UCU) strongly criticised the plans at the time, questioning how the university could consider investing in an overseas expansion while warning staff of possible compulsory redundancies.
Professor Matt Perry, chair of Newcastle University’s UCU branch, said in January 2025: “What is particularly galling is that the University is threatening its staff with compulsory redundancies on financial grounds.
“Staff will be horrified to hear that the University is embarking on such a project in the middle of threatening staff with redundancies.”
The financial dispute subsequently led to industrial action by academics at the university.
Four months of strike action eventually came to an end on 27 June, 2025, after the dispute was settled.
More than a year on from that settlement, however, the university’s ambitions in India appear to remain on the table, with discussions now focusing on where and how any future education partnership could operate.
