III Spain-India Forum: Spain-India Cooperation in Higher Education

The Spain-India Forum marked the starting point for a new era of academic and cultural exchange between the two nations, with the aim of expanding and consolidating the existing flow.

The third session of the Spain-India Forum, titled "Cooperation between higher education institutions from India and Spain: challenges and future perspectives", brought together renowned experts and leaders in the field of education to discuss in depth this essential facet of bilateral collaboration.

Archana Thakur, Joint Secretary of the University Grants Commission (UGC), inaugurated the session emphasizing the significance of the internationalization of the university systems of India and Spain. She underscored the importance of teacher exchanges between the two countries and anticipated a promising future for bilateral educational cooperation. Fátima Terol, Deputy Head of Internationalisation of Higher Education at the Spanish Service for the Internationalization of Education (SEPIE), opened the session not only with introductory remarks on the Spanish university system and its international vocation, but also on the importance of collaboration with India in this regard.

Fátima Terol herself moderated a panel formed by Javier Parrondo, Director General of Casa Asia, who shared his vision on how institutions can play a crucial role as cultural and academic bridges, fostering a deeper understanding between India and Spain; Amarendra Pani, Deputy Director & Head, Research Division at the Association of Indian Universities, who offered a reflection on the broad Indian university system, highlighting the potential for greater exchange between the two nations; Akhil Bhardwaj, Director of the Office of International Affairs and Global Initiatives at OP Jindal Global University, who highlighted the network of collaborations between his university and academic institutions in Spain, while conveying the interest in further expanding it, and Jesús Soto, Academic Director of Mobility at the University of Seville, who shared his experiences in managing academic mobility, highlighting the enormous opportunities provided by educational cooperation between Spain and India.

The session concluded with an open dialogue with the audience, which allowed for the exploration of specific challenges and the generation of ideas for furthering educational collaboration between the two nations. In this session, it became clear that educational collaboration between India and Spain is a fundamental pillar for building a shared future. Current challenges are seen as opportunities to strengthen ties and open new doors towards deeper cooperation.

This event not only provided a detailed overview of the current situation, but also sowed the seeds for fruitful cooperation in the field of higher education, ushering in a new era of academic and cultural exchange between the two nations.

Executive Summary III Spain-India Forum