The University of Liverpool, part of the UK’s Russell Group, has received formal approval (letter of intent under the UGC (Setting up and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India) Regulations, 2023) from the University Grants Commission (UGC) to open the first foreign university campus in Bengaluru. The announcement was made at an event attended by Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi on May 26.
Scheduled to welcome its inaugural cohort of undergraduate and postgraduate students in August 2026, the University of Liverpool, Bengaluru will initially 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.
Asper the statement issued by the university; the Bengaluru campus will create the research-intensive environment befitting of a Russell Group university. “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,” it said.
Indian students will also have access to a stellar global mobility scheme, providing important opportunities for academic, professional and personal development both in Liverpool and across the world, and international perspective needed to succeed in today’s interconnected world.
Professor Tim Jones, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool, said, “Opening a campus in the State of Karnataka and Bengaluru feels like the next natural step, building on the fantastic partnerships and collaborations we already enjoy there. We look forward to providing talented students with access to an exceptional learning experience and a range of fantastic opportunities to develop their skills and employability. We are also committed to embedding a strong research culture to the benefit of industry, the region and the wider world.”
Speaking on the occasion Education Minister Pradhan outlined India’s vision of expanding its higher education for increasing country’s GER by allowing reputed foreign university to open campuses as recommended by the NEP 2020. “By end of this year, we may see 50 FHEIs coming to India,” he said while welcoming the new university in anticipation of India getting a truly global university. University of Liverpool is the 4th foreign university to set its foot on India after Univ of Southampton, Deakins Univ and University of Wollongong announced their campuses in past two years after enabling regulations were announced.
The British High Commissioner to India Lindy Cameron said ” The UK and India are working together to inspire, empower and connect the next generation of leaders and changemakers.”
Alison Barrett MBE, Country Director India, British Council said: “The University of Liverpool’s decision to open the first UK university campus in Bengaluru marks a major step forward in the UK-India education partnership. It demonstrates a shared vision for expanding access to world-class education and driving research collaboration that addresses global challenges. This development supports the goals of India’s National Education Policy 2020, which emphasises the internationalisation of higher education. It will help strengthen academic ties, encourage cross-cultural exchange, and open up transformative opportunities for students in both countries.”
The University of Liverpool already has strong links with Bengaluru and the wider State of Karnataka, including a long-standing research partnership with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences. The impact of this over 20-year partnership includes informing World Health Organisation vaccine guidelines for Japanese Encephalitis, saving more than 200,000 lives. Further important collaborations in Karnataka include the Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru and companies such as Hindustan Unilever. The Hindustan Unilever relationship builds on a long-term partnership between the University and UK Unilever, who jointly established the Materials Innovation Factory, a world-class centre of materials chemistry expertise and facilities with one of the highest global concentrations of materials science robotics.
Beyond Bengaluru, Delhi University is one of a number of important partners alongside the All India Institute for Medical Sciences, where only last year the University launched an initiative to tackle head and neck cancer.
University of Liverpool senior leaders also signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to explore future collaborative opportunities with companies and organisations including the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), AstraZeneca Pharma India Limited, Wipro Limited, YouWeCan, and Dream11.
Global engagement and partnerships are a key focus of the University’s Strategy 2031 and the University, and the City of Liverpool, are recognised globally for successfully delivering innovative international partnerships. Xi’an Jiaotong Liverpool University (XJTLU), which was established in 2006 through a partnership between Xi’an Jiaotong University and the University of Liverpool, has grown rapidly to become the largest international joint venture university in China and perhaps the most successful anywhere in the world.
