University Of Surrey To Open Campus In GIFT City
Share

The University of Surrey has unveiled the development of its highly acclaimed International Branch Campus in GIFT City, Gujarat, India, a leading transnational education group: GUS Global Services (GGS). Professor GQ Max Lu, President and Vice Chancellor, University of Surrey, in conjunction with Sharad Mehra, CEO GUS Asia Pacific, announced this momentous collaboration at the recently held QS India Summit 2025 in Goa.
The proposed campus at GIFT City will concentrate on teaching and research excellence in the key disciplines, including business, international finance, computer science, and cyber-security. In his words, “This new initiative is an exemplary example of British educational excellence and its rising trend in the world educational arena. He underscored the importance of transnational education, particularly at a time when the world has become more and more integrated and globalized. This campus will bring high-quality educational offerings of the University of Surrey to India, thus supporting the agendas of skills development and growth of both India and the United Kingdom.
The collaboration of the University of Surrey with GUS Global Services is part of a wider strategy to make access to world-class education for Indian students available without requiring them to leave the country. This partnership comes in line with India’s vision for higher education and development, especially its stress on improving the global competitiveness of the country along with internationalization. Sharad Mehra added that the initiative would be highly transformative for the Indian students, as the campus would provide a unique opportunity to access top-level education locally that would further open up their scope in a highly competitive global job market. It would contribute toward some of the aims expressed in the India National Education Policy 2020, such as strengthening collaborations from international platforms that are used for upgrading education standards within India.
A large focus area for this project would be offering learning opportunities abroad for the students. It is crucial because students, having international experience, can acquire and build relevant competencies needed in a globally becoming economy. By bringing together the University of Surrey’s renowned academic expertise with the local knowledge and experience of GUS, the IBC aims to create an educational environment that is both globally competitive and locally relevant. This means that students will not only have access to cutting-edge research and teaching in high-demand fields like international finance, business, computer science, and cyber-security but will also be well-positioned to contribute to the growing sectors in India and beyond.
Aaron Etingen, executive chairman and CEO of GUS, also underlined the broader implications of this partnership. He described the alliance as a significant milestone in the realm of transnational education. By putting together international know-how at the University of Surrey with the local knowledge at GUS, this campus at GIFT City will open new routes for students and empower communities through better quality access to education. Etingen also commended the work done by the British High Commission and the British Council in India for supporting the initiative. This collaboration further strengthens the robust educational and scientific collaborations between India and the United Kingdom, which are perceived as essential to developing bilateral relations and promoting knowledge exchange.
Educational diplomacy between the British High Commission and the British Council’s involvement in this project is critical in strengthening international relations. This partnership between the University of Surrey and GUS fits into the UK government’s vision of transforming lives through education, ensuring that the benefits of high-quality education are available not only to British students but also to international learners. Through this project, both countries aim to make significant strides in their shared goal of enhancing global knowledge, innovation, and competitiveness.
GIFT City is being touted as a potential hub for international finance and technology in India; the new campus would fit perfectly here. An up-and-coming major hub of global finance, technology, and innovation, this city is the epitome of the kind of environment that the University of Surrey needs to expand in. This campus presence would strengthen GIFT City as a powerful place of learning and technological development while making significant contributions toward building a more skillful and agile workforce capable of adapting to the emerging world economy.
On the whole, this new University of Surrey campus at GIFT City represents one bold step into the transnational education horizon. It offers Indian students the chance to get world-class education in areas that are vital for the continued growth and development of the country. Besides, the collaboration exemplifies the growing importance of international partnerships in shaping the future of education and preparing students for success in a globalized world. The campus will become a beacon of excellence in education, research, and innovation to help pave the way for a new generation of leaders and professionals in India and around the world.