India’s first foreign university to offer blended courses, recruit faculty from beyond IITs

The institute is also planning to recruit faculties from across colleges, not just the premier Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Indian Institute of Management (IIM).

The Australia-based-based University of Wollongong (UOW), which is slated to become one of the first foreign universities to have an International Branch Campus (IBC) in India, is planning to replicate its Australian model by offering blended learning of both online and offline courses.

Explaining the teaching methods of different programmes in India, Patricia M Davidson, Vice Chancellor (VC) and President at the University of Wollongong, said, “As in Australia, UOW aims to provide a dynamic learning experience by offering a blend of offline and online resources. Our courses are designed to engage students through interactive online platforms, supplemented by in-person sessions, workshops, and hands-on experiences.”

He added that the plan is to provide opportunities for students to engage in a variety of scaffolded, purposefully designed, and learner-centred work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences within their degree.

WIL at UOW refers to activities that integrate real-world work practices with academic learning. These experiences can occur in physical or simulated workplaces, in-person or remotely, and in classroom settings. They encompass practicums, placements, internships, service learning, industry projects, workplace simulations, and professional activities.

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The institute is also planning to recruit faculties from across colleges, not just the premier Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Indian Institute of Management (IIM).

“While we will consider candidates from India's premier institutions like IITs and IIMs, our recruitment process is not limited to these institutions. We will prioritise hiring educators who bring a combination of academic excellence and industry experience to the table,” Davidson told Moneycontrol.

In May 2023, UOW received in-principle approval to establish an IBC in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), Gandhinagar, after a roundtable meeting that included Professor Davidson and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The campus is scheduled to start by July 2024.

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The university will set the student fees at 50 percent of those incurred by international students studying at UOW’s Australian campus. This will be supplemented by merit scholarships, which will include students who have demonstrated excellence in academia, leadership, community, and sport. The university will also offer scholarships to students from economically weaker sections.