March of foreign universities sparks a battle for top faculty

A wave of foreign universities set to wash over India has triggered a scramble for top-tier faculty, boosting salaries and exposing the scarcity of academic talent.

- Mansi Verma & Devina Sengupta

Meanwhile, top Indian institutions are fighting to retain their own top teachers.

Universities of Southampton, Liverpool, York, Aberdeen and Queen's University Belfast from the UK, Italy's Istituto Europeo di Design and US-based Illinois Institute of Technology are in line to enter India next year, apart from a clutch of Australian universities. The institutions are primarily scouting New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Gujarat's GIFT City to open their campuses.

Typically, universities hire for academic and non-academic roles. While the former covers teachers, vice-provosts, vice-presidents and deans, the latter includes vice-chancellors.

A senior faculty member at one of the top five Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) said foreign universities are offering top dollar for the best talent. "The global universities are looking at second-rung management colleges and offering more than ₹1.5-2 crore for the positions of director and vice-chancellor. The faculty is getting around ₹50 lakh," the professor said.

Talent shortage

The surge of foreign universities comes after the National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020 greenlit their entry. According to KPMG estimates, about 500,000-800,000 university teachers would be needed over the next decade to meet NEP's expansion targets. A recruiter for universities said principals of international schools have been approached with offers of a 15-30% pay hike. As new entrants and incumbents vie for rankings and accreditations, demand has soared.