The Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) has seen remarkable progress with its ‘Study in Kerala’ initiative, aimed at positioning the State as a prominent destination for higher education.
Council vice-chairperson Rajan Gurukkal said that the ongoing internationalisation efforts have already begun to show encouraging results. Universities have been witnessing a notable increase in the number of foreign students seeking admission for various academic programmes.
This growing trend of internationalisation has also led to the establishment of academic tie-ups between Kerala’s higher education institutions and prestigious foreign universities. A significant milestone was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between KSHEC and the University of Michigan-Flint. This agreement opens the door to student exchange programmes and short-term academic visits, Prof. Gurukkal pointed out, adding that discussions are under way with several other international universities for similar partnerships.
He also stated that experts like Sapna Thwaite and Zachariah Mathew from University of Michigan-Flint, and Matthew A. Witenstein from University of Dayton, participated in a recent quality enhancement workshop organised to meet globally benchmark standards.
“KSHEC has been instrumental in guiding colleges and universities in the State to explore similar international partnerships. The council’s dedicated unit for internationalisation, led by Eldho Mathew, is working closely with national and international bodies to promote Kerala’s educational offerings to the global audience.
One such example is the council’s collaboration with the ‘Study in India’ programme, a national forum for internationalisation of higher education. Currently, 29 colleges and seven universities from Kerala are part of the forum, Prof. Gurukkal pointed out.
The council is also building ties with international organisations like the World Bank and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which will bring in expert knowledge to further enhance Kerala’s education system.
Council member secretary Rajan Varughese said the ongoing efforts will be bolstered with the release of KSHEC’s new mobile and web application called Scholar Connect. The app will link scholars from Kerala who live abroad with higher education institutions in the State. These scholars, acting as ambassadors, will play a pivotal role in bringing in short-term international students and long-term academic collaborations.
Published – July 02, 2025 08:38 pm IST
