The MoU will facilitate easier student mobility between the two nations and foster stronger institutional collaboration

India and the UK have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Mutual Recognition of Academic Qualifications.

Senior secondary school and pre-university certificates from India would be regarded as acceptable for admission to the UK for further education. The Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate degrees earned in India and the UK will likewise be regarded as being equal.

The MoU will facilitate easier student mobility between the two nations; foster stronger institutional collaboration; and expand the range of academic and research cooperation between the higher education institutions of the two nations, the Ministry of Education said on Thursday.

This is part of the steps being taken by the Indian government to facilitate
greater international collaboration with countries abroad to facilitate Internationalization of education, which is one of the key areas of focus under the NEP 2020, the Ministry of Education pointed out.

The signing of this Memorandum of Understanding marks a turning point in India-UK educational relations, the ministry added.

On behalf of their respective countries, K Sanjay Murthy, Secretary (Higher Education), Ministry of Education, Government of India, and James Bowler, Permanent Secretary, Department of International Trade, United Kingdom (UK), signed the MoU.

The two sides also signed a MoU on maritime education qualification will pave the way for the two governments to mutually recognize the certificates of maritime education and training, competency and endorsements of seafarers issued by each other.

The MoU will prove beneficial for employment of seafarers of both the countries and would make them eligible for employment on ships of either party. India being a seafarer supplying nation with large pool of trained seafarers, it is expected to be significantly benefitted by the MoU.

India and the UK also signed a Framework Agreement on Healthcare Workforce.

These agreements are part of the commitments made by both parties under the 'Enhanced Trade Partnership' (ETP) launched by the Prime Ministers of both countries on May 4, 2021 to unleash the trade potential of the partnership by doubling trade by 2030 and reducing market barriers to trade in key sectors.

Given that education is a key tenet of this strategy, the two parties decided to advance education by accepting a mutual recognition of educational qualifications in consideration of India's National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020).