The University of Virginia has inaugurated a new partnership with Jindal Global University (JGU) – one of India’s leading private universities located near New Delhi – to provide a significant new platform for student and scholar exchange, joint research on topics of global importance such as democracy and environmental sustainability, and a general expansion of UVA’s engagement in India. 

UVA Provost Ian Baucom and JGU Vice Chancellor Raj Kumar signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) committing to the partnership during Kumar’s visit to Charlottesville during the week of November 14 with five of JGU Deans and other senior staff.  The document will serve as a foundation for more agreements between UVA and JGU schools and institutes to support student exchanges, joint research and symposia, and other collaborative activities. 

Baucom said that JGU emerged as an attractive partner because of our common values of public service, academic freedom, and strong interdisciplinarity in preparing our students to be productive members of society.   “Jindal’s commitment to building a strong liberal arts core and focus on combining its students’ academic achievement with practical experience is particularly noteworthy and will offer our students and scholars rich opportunities,” he said.   

Launched in 2009, JGU has swiftly developed into one of India’s consistently top-ranked institutions with 10,000 students, a highly internationalized faculty with a 1:9 ratio to students, and a substantial budget for further growth. Under the leadership of Kumar, a Rhodes Scholar and Harvard Law alumnus, the university has grown into 12 schools with faculties dedicated to law, business, liberal arts/humanities, media studies/communications, public policy, international relations, and public health/human development. 

The Indian government’s new National Education Policy (NEP) promises to liberalize Indian education system removing the obstacles to international engagement, including a substantial easing of barriers to the work of international universities within India. JGU is one of 14 “institutions of eminence” that the Indian government has identified as particularly prestigious universities that enjoy special autonomy and privileges enabling them to play leading roles in shaping Indian higher education.

UVA’s Vice Provost for Global Affairs Stephen Mull said that the time is ripe for expanded U.S. engagement with Indian higher education, which will be vital for universities like UVA that want to have a global impact.  “The country is the world’s biggest democracy with a population bigger than the U.S., Europe and Latin America combined,” he said adding that India has brilliant students, scholars and entrepreneurs who want to partner on some of the world’s biggest challenges.  Since 2019, the number of new Indian graduate and professional students studying in the United States has skyrocketed by 430%, clearly indicating vast potential for higher Indian enrollments here at UVA.”