Leeds Beckett marks 20 years in India with prestigious partnerships and alumni celebration events
| Leeds Beckett University (LBU) has marked 20 years in India with a series of prestigious partnerships and celebration events in Delhi, Ahmedabad, Pune, Chennai and Coimbatore. |
| Reflecting the growth of LBU’s global alumni community, recruitment from Indian has increased from 100 students in 2004 when the university’s South Asia office opened in Delhi, to a student intake of 2000 in the 2023/24 academic year.
Joe Rossiter, Leeds Beckett’s director of international recruitment and partnerships, said: “In 2004 it was unusual for UK universities to have an office in India. The inauguration of the South Asia office marked our commitment to the country, with a vision to establish a long-term, sustainable and deeply rooted commitment. Over the last 20 years and today, this can be seen through our support for students, partners and alumni; and through the network of academic and experiential learning partners we have cultivated across the country, from Delhi to Gujarat, Maharashtra to Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.” The benefits of these partnerships go beyond recruitment, with enduring connections forged in the 20-year period. These include staff development, conference and course development; volunteering experiences for UK students at major Indian sporting events including the 2010 Commonwealth Games and Mumbai Marathon; and work experience with Indian NGOs. The visit to India has developed the relationship further, with three new partnership agreements established. These collaborations with Bennett University, part of the Times of India group, in Uttar Pradesh; and Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu will include joint academic programmes and research initiatives; opportunities for staff development and exchanges; and the chance for students to study overseas for a semester. A partnership agreement with GLS, Ahmedabad will lead to the development of pathway programmes for undergraduate courses in international business management and computer science. GLS students will study the first year of their LBU degree at the GLS campus in Ahmedabad, and come to Leeds for the second and third years study. Leeds Beckett has extended its South Asia recruitment and support network into Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh through its Delhi office. The successful LBU offshore programme in Nepal started in 2015, giving Nepalese students the opportunity to study LBU degrees in business, computing and hospitality in their home country, which now has a significant alumni community. Celebrating the Indian LBU alumni community also formed part of the recent visit, with a networking event hosted by the British Council in Delhi and in partnership with the UK government Global Talent Network. This UK Department for Business and Trade programme is an international community of professionals working in key science and technology sectors with aspirations to build international careers in the UK. |
