The University of Liverpool has become the second foreign university to be issued a Letter of Intent under the University Grants Commission (Setting Up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India) Regulations, 2023.

Expected to start its academic session for 2025-26, the University will open its university campus in Bengaluru, offering courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

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Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan handed over the LoI to University officials during a handover ceremony held here on Monday. Three important MoUs were also signed today to explore future collaborative opportunities with companies and organisations including the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), AstraZeneca Pharma India Limited, YouWeCan, and Dream11, a statement from the Ministry of Education stated.

As part of its initial set up, the University will offer programs in Business Management, Accounting and Finance, Computer Science, and Biomedical Sciences. Notably, it will also introduce a program in Game Design, a unique offering for a UK university campus in India to offer this innovative subject. The new campus will also create enriching global exchange opportunities, providing UK-based students with an exciting new destination for international study.

The Bengaluru campus will create a research-intensive environment. Important fundamental, applied and industry-driven research will be based on the Bengaluru campus, providing solutions to a range of global and local challenges and needs.

Addressing the gathering, the education minister said the LoI reaffirms India’s emergence as a trusted partner in global higher education. “It is yet another milestone in India’s journey of deepening academic partnership with leading global universities—an aspiration firmly embedded in the transformative vision of the National Education Policy 2020,” he said adding that the implementation of NEP 2020 in letter and spirit is the key to actualise this ambition.

Pradhan also urged focus on areas like R&D and innovations and expressed his pleasure that Liverpool University is going to focus on STEM-related research leading to innovation. He said that it is important to create a new generation of global citizens. “The innovation centre in India will be mutually beneficial for both the university and society, ” he added. He highlighted that the University of Liverpool is the 4th foreign university to publicly announce its presence in India. By this academic year, 15 foreign universities will be coming to India, especially in STEMB,” he added.

Dr. Vineet Joshi, Interim Chair, UGC and Secretary Department of Higher Education in his address, said that the Letter of Intent is not just a ceremonial gesture, but it reflects a broader and deeper transformation underway in India’s higher education system—one that is driven by strategic reform, international engagement, and a strong policy foundation.

He also mentioned that NEP 2020 has rolled out targeted reforms to make Indian education more inclusive, globally competitive, and future-ready. Rooted in NEP 2020’s transformative agenda, internationalization has become a core priority—emphasizing global connectivity, high standards, and institutional flexibility, he added.