Academic Collaborations

The National Education Policy 2020 endeavours to revamp important aspects of the education structure, its regulation and governance to create a new system that is aligned with the aspirational goals of 21st-century education and promote India as a global study destination. Teaching-learning and research collaborations, faculty-student exchanges, and credit transfer arrangements with high-ranked foreign higher educational institutions are being facilitated. SIU aspires to expand its horizons for academic enrichment with foreign higher educational institutions through collaborative arrangements to create opportunities for staff and students. This has also opened the doors for new learning experiences through collaborative programs such as twinning, dual degree, joint degree and pathway programs. Under the collaborative programs initiative, SIU is working with universities that feature in the top 1000 of Times Higher Education or QS World University ranking. Symbiosis Centre for International Education (SCIE), in order to facilitate such collaborations, functions as a single point of contact and is responsible for:

(a) liaising with international universities;

(b) supporting SIU constituent institutes to initiate discussions with foreign partners, initiate internal approval processes and support in launching collaborative programs;

(c) addressing matters related to SIU students proceeding abroad to Foreign Higher Educational Institutions under collaborative arrangements;

(d) maintaining records and disseminating information related to international collaborations.

Following are the types of collaborative programs offered at SIU

A. Progression Arrangements

Progression arrangements refer to collaboration with a partner university where students upon completion of the degree program at SIU apply for higher degree programs at the partner university. Progression will be based on the predetermined entry requirements mutually agreed upon and outlined in the MoU or agreement between both universities.

B. Pathway Programs

Pathway programs are an arrangement where students complete a major portion of their academic requirements of a lower degree program at SIU, then proceed to the partner university to complete their program requirements and enter into a higher degree. The credits earned will be integrated into SIU’s lower-level degree through Credit Transfer towards completion and award of the degree certificate.

C. Dual Degree Programs

Dual degree program is jointly designed and offered by SIU and collaborating Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in the same disciplines/subject areas and in the same level. The degrees for such programmes are conferred by SIU and Foreign Higher Educational Institutions, separately and simultaneously, upon completion of degree requirements of both the institutions.

D. Joint Degree Programs

Joint degree program is where the curriculum is designed jointly by SIU and the collaborating Foreign Higher Educational Institution and, upon completion of the programme, the Degree is awarded by SIU and the collaborating Foreign Higher Educational Institution with a single Certificate.