UCL has announced a new scholarship scheme to enable 100 of India's brightest students to study in the UK at one of the world's leading universities, as well as its first ever Summer School for pre-university students in the country.
The UCL India Excellence Scholarships will support Indian students with an outstanding academic record to pursue full-time Master's degree studies at UCL.
Thirty-three scholarships will be available for the 2024-25 academic year, awarded to exceptional students who have, or are on track to achieve, a first-class degree. A further 67 scholarships will be awarded during the following two years.
As part of the UCL India Excellence Scholarships, which is UCL's most extensive Indian scheme to date, prospective Master's students in any discipline can receive £5,000 towards their studies.
UCL has also revealed plans for its first ever Summer School in India, based at the state-of-the-art campus of The British School in New Delhi, to give pre-university Indian students a taste of what it's like to study at a world-leading UK university.
UCL President and Provost, Dr Michael Spence, said: "We are delighted to be able to offer these new and diverse opportunities that both illustrate our ongoing commitment to Indian students and strengthen our connection with India. Indian students are vital members of UCL's global community and we are dedicated to providing more resources and support to help the very best of them share their knowledge and expertise with us in the UK."
UCL announced the new opportunities at a reception event at the British High Commission residence in New Delhi on 20 November 2023.
Deputy High Commissioner Christina Scott said: "I'm delighted that many of India's brightest young people recognise the value of studying at a world class institution such as UCL. The relationships they'll build will deepen the links between India and the UK to everyone's benefit."
The inaugural UCL India Summer School will take place from 10-14 June 2024 and will feature five leading UCL professors delivering modules to 50 students in years 10 and 11, working in small groups.
With an interdisciplinary curriculum on offer, students will learn more about UCL's forward-thinking approach to research, teaching and future employment. This builds on UCL's 'Grand Challenges' model of academic inquiry, a groundbreaking cross-disciplinary initiative designed to develop solutions to global problems.
UCL Vice-President (External Engagement), Kirsty Walker, and Vanita Uppal OBE, Director, The British School New Delhi signed an agreement officially launching the initiative at a ceremony in India on 21 November 2023.
The academic programme for the Summer School is being organised by Dr Michael Collins, an associate professor of history at UCL's London campus.
Dr Collins said: "We're so looking forward to sharing with Indian students a taste of how UCL's academic excellence and interdisciplinary approach to teaching and research creates real-world impact."
The Summer School will enable participants to learn more about what it's like to study at UCL and provide insight into the UK higher education system.
The British School New Delhi has long-established links with UK higher education institutions and was awarded Best British International School in the world in 2018. With students from 66 nationalities, it provides a student-centred education in a safe, stimulating, and multicultural environment.
Vanita Uppal OBE, Director, The British School New Delhi said: "The British School New Delhi is delighted to partner with UCL to host its first ever summer school in India. As two like-minded, value driven institutions we see this as an amazing opportunity to provide access to cutting edge UCL pedagogy and learning skills to students in India, helping to prepare future ready global citizens of the world."
UCL is England's third oldest university and was created for the specific purpose of teaching students from all backgrounds and religious faiths. It enjoys strong connections and a long history with India, stretching back as far as the nineteenth-century. Notable Indian students include the Nobel Prize-winning Bengali poet and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore, Romesh Chunder Dutt, former President of the Indian National Congress, and Baroness Shreela Flather, who became the first Asian woman to receive a UK peerage.
Consistently ranked among the world's top ten universities, UCL has 30 Nobel Laureates, a community of more than 50,000 students from 150 countries and over 16,000 staff. It was ranked The Times and Sunday Times University of the Year 2024.
- The India Excellence Scholarships are open for applications now. The deadline for applications will be 5pm UK time, 29 February 2024.
- Applications for the UCL India Summer School will open on 1 December 2023. A limited number of full scholarship places are available.
