The University of Surrey will open a world-class International Branch Campus in GIFT City, Gujarat, India. On the fringes of today’s QS India Summit 2025 in Goa, Professor GQ Max Lu, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Surrey, and Dr Sharad Mehra, Regional CEO – Asia and Australia, Global University Systems (GUS) Asia Pacific, launched the joint venture.
According to the International Branch Campus Regulations, which are in place to establish GIFT City as an Indian hub for international higher education providers, the project, which is in an advanced stage of pre-delivery, is subject to regulatory approval from Gujarat’s International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA).
“We are proud and excited to be part of the GIFT City story, where we’ll combine India’s strengths in the global financial sector with the University of Surrey’s academic and teaching competencies in business, finance, and computer science,” stated Professor GQ Max Lu, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Surrey.
The University of Surrey’s teaching and research prowess in business, international finance, computer science, cyber-security, and other fields in line with GIFT City’s strategic vision will be combined with GGS India’s established capabilities as a strategic partner for higher education providers to deliver the new India campus.
Staff from the University of Surrey will oversee and deliver all academic and instructional assurance.
GGS and the University of Surrey are collaborating closely with representatives of the British Council and the British High Commission in India. In addition to strengthening ties between the two nations, the project is in line with the Indian government’s goals of increasing educational access and developing into a worldwide knowledge giant. In order to promote higher growth for both nations, the UK government has stated its desire for cooperation across a variety of scientific goals and opportunities.
“The partnership supports India’s higher education objectives, including enhancing global competitiveness, providing top-notch education locally, and supporting the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020’s emphasis on internationalisation,” stated Dr. Sharad Mehra, Regional CEO-Asia & Australia, Global University Systems (GUS).
