New Delhi: Despite selling 100 per cent of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) business in India to IDP — an education firm based out of Australia — the British Council will keep on increasing its engagements in both school and higher education segments in India.
Both in terms of knowledge sharing and employability, India and the UK have collaborated on several higher education projects to ensure graduates are well equipped to take on the market challenges.
According to director-India, British Council, Barbara Wickham OBE, both countries are committed to achieving mutual recognition of academic qualifications, starting with one-year master’s degrees with a joint task force mandated to lead this.
“Education and research are strong pillars of the India-UK relationship. The UK-India Education Research Initiative (UKIERI) is India’s largest bilateral education partnership and aims to internationalize higher education institutions in India and the UK and to promote institutional and individual excellence in educational practice, research, and employability,” Wickham was quoted as saying in an email by Mint on Sunday.
The British Council is also collaborating with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in developing a competency-based assessment framework. The consultation with in-country and UK experts are underway.
It may be recalled that recently the British Council sold the IELTS business in India to leading Australian education service firm IDP. The company with a sizable business in India will acquire the India IELTS business for £130 million.
British Council’s IELTS is one of the most popular English language tests for study and migration across the world.
“Under the terms of the agreement, IDP will acquire 100% of British Council’s India IELTS business and British Council employees working on IELTS in India will become part of the IDP team,” IDP said in a joint statement.
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