- Aston University is collaborating with India’s Symbiosis International University
- The new programme will allow students to earn a degree with both an Indian and a UK qualification
- Undergraduates will study in both Dubai and Birmingham, UK.
Aston University, UK is collaborating with India’s Symbiosis International University to offer undergraduate dual degrees based in Dubai and Birmingham.
The first programme, launching in September 2025, will allow students to earn a degree with both a UK qualification and a qualification from Dubai, studying at Symbiosis International University’s (SIU) new Dubai campus for two years, followed by two years at Aston University in Birmingham. The 2025 QS World University rankings placed SIU, which in India is classed as a ‘deemed’ institution, as the second highest-ranked private university in India.
The course will be SIU’s first international partnership in Dubai. Professor Aleks Subic, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Aston University and the Pro-Chancellor of Symbiosis International University, Dr Vidya Yeravdekar, co-signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday 14 November.
Speaking at the event, Professor Subic said “I am delighted to further strengthen our two universities’ partnership across our campuses in the UK and Dubai. This strategic development will pave the way for our joint academic programmes delivery and represents a critical juncture of our internationalisation and cooperation.
“It will also equip students with a global perspective on their studies and help them develop the competitive skills which are essential for success in today’s market.
“As well as creating new opportunities for both of our institutions, this new initiative sees us realising our ambition of extending our reach, scale by diversifying our academic portfolio and growing our student communities through international partnerships.”
The launch event was presided over by Professor Dr S B Mujumdar, founder, president and chancellor of SIU, Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahyan minister of tolerance and coexistence, United Arab Emirates and Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar the Indian government’s external affairs minister.
Students successfully completing the undergraduate dual degree programme will be awarded a BBA degree by SIU and a BSc Business and Management degree by Aston University. The course will take four years to complete, and the first cohort will start in June 2025.
In June 2024, the two universities signed an initial agreement to form a strategic partnership to collaborate on a wide range of projects and activities in India, the UK and Dubai. The areas of planned collaborations include teaching, research, executive education, joint conferences and sharing of good practice.
- Notes to editors
About Aston University
For over a century, Aston University’s enduring purpose has been to make our world a better place through education, research and innovation, by enabling our students to succeed in work and life, and by supporting our communities to thrive economically, socially and culturally.
Aston University’s history has been intertwined with the history of Birmingham, a remarkable city that once was the heartland of the Industrial Revolution and the manufacturing powerhouse of the world.
Born out of the First Industrial Revolution, Aston University has a proud and distinct heritage dating back to our formation as the School of Metallurgy in 1875, the first UK College of Technology in 1951, gaining university status by Royal Charter in 1966, and becoming The Guardian University of the Year in 2020.
Building on our outstanding past, we are now defining our place and role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (and beyond) within a rapidly changing world.
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