Speaking at the NDTV LearnNXT Conclave 2026, Professor Eloise Phillips, Academic Provost and Associate Vice-President (International) University of Southampton Delhi said students at the Delhi campus receive the same quality of education as those studying at the university's campuses in the UK and Malaysia, while responding to a question on how foreign universities operating in India can maintain academic rigour and deliver an authentic international learning experience.
University of Southampton became the first foreign university to open a campus in India under the National Education Policy (NEP). The new campus was inaugurated in Gurugram on July 16, 2025. The United Kingdom continues to remain a preferred destination for Indian students, with nearly 1.7 lakh Indians studying in UK institutions during the 2023-24 academic year. India and the UK also share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, established in 2021, covering cooperation in trade, defence, energy, education and people-to-people ties.
"Our academic modules are exactly the same. The same programmes we deliver in the UK are being delivered in Delhi as well," she said.
Phillips added that the university follows strict assessment and moderation standards to ensure consistency across campuses. "In some cases, assessments are conducted at exactly the same time as in the UK. Our evaluations go through rigorous moderation processes by UK colleagues and external examiners, ensuring academic standards remain aligned across all campuses," she said.
She further noted that faculty recruitment and training processes are also designed to maintain the same teaching standards globally. "All our staff undergo rigorous recruitment and induction processes. Faculty members also have access to postgraduate certification programmes in higher education, and we are ensuring the same standards here in Delhi," she added.
Highlighting the global recognition of the qualification, Phillips said, "Degrees, certificates and transcripts are exactly the same as the UK ones and are produced by UK teams. That level of rigour and governance is what gives students a globally recognised qualification that can take them anywhere in the world."
Speaking about campus infrastructure, she said the Delhi campus is being equipped with facilities similar to those available in the UK, including Bloomberg terminals for students and a new advanced computing lab that is set to open soon.
