Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], September 1 (ANI): The Telangana Rising delegation, led by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy along with IT and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu, scored major wins toward transforming Hyderabad into India's first and largest global knowledge hub following their tour to the United Kingdom and the United States from August 19 to 29, official sources said on Tuesday.
The delegation also comprised Santha Kumari, Vice Chairperson of MCR HRD Institute; K Ramakrishna Rao, Advisor to the CM and Ex-officio Special Chief Secretary; and N Sridhar, Principal Secretary to the CMO.
Hyderabad, already a powerhouse in software, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, and manufacturing, as well as an emerging hub for defence and aerospace, is set to be transformed into a global knowledge centre with the entry of prominent American Ivy League institutions alongside top educational entities from Europe and Asia.
In a post on social media platform X, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy shared the development, stating: "I wish to share my sense of pride and happiness with the people of Telangana especially youth, that our vision to create a Global Knowledge Hub in Hyderabad has been endorsed, supported and will be partnered with world's greatest educational institutions. My biggest passion and contribution to youth will be skills, sports and education, making them highly qualified for any global challenge. University of London, UK, and North-Eastern University, Boston, USA, are going to set up offshore campuses in Hyderabad. Harvard University, and some of its schools, are keenly intent on offering select programs and courses in our state."
He further added, "Our meetings with Oxford University, Cambridge University, SOAS(London), Imperial College, London Business School (LBS), London School of Economics have all yielded positive outcomes. Similarly our meetings with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and several other Ivy League and American schools have been positive and our youth will all be able to get education from such global institutions of excellence right here in Hyderabad. Educational courses, certification programs, shared research, setting up centres of excellence, offering programs for professionals of different walks of life, our pioneering efforts will make Hyderabad a global educational powerhouse."
As part of the initiative, Northeastern University (Boston) and the University of London--a federation of 17 independent schools in England--will establish their first offshore campuses in India in Hyderabad.
Following discussions with the delegation, the London School of Economics (LSE) and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) agreed to send teams to explore establishing offshore schools, supporting industry interaction, improving pedagogical methods and classroom interaction models, and stationing faculty in Hyderabad.
Additionally, Harvard University expressed intent to initiate short-term executive education programmes for senior government and corporate officials at the MCR HRD Institute in Hyderabad.
The delegation also held discussions with representatives, senior faculty members, and administrators from Oxford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, London Business School, Cambridge University, and Imperial College London.
Reviewing the trip's outcome during an official meeting, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy issued directions on the way forward, instructing officials to oversee the realisation of the global knowledge hub vision. He tasked officials with bringing international academic institutions to Hyderabad through strategic collaborations or offshore campuses to offer certification programmes and degree courses.
"I am happy and proud to share with the four crore people of Telangana that our vision to transform Telangana into a USD 3 trillion economy by 2047, with an intermediate goal of USD 1 trillion by 2034, has received a major boost with the conclusion of agreements, memorandums of agreement, and letters of intent with some of the best institutions in the world. We will bring top-tier educational offerings to the youth and children of Telangana and the entire country," Revanth Reddy said.
The Chief Minister encouraged students and young professionals to utilise these opportunities to build global careers and contribute to the state's growth.
Officials who visited the US briefed the Chief Minister on discussions with teams from Northeastern University and Virginia Tech University, adding that further agreements will follow.
Revanth Reddy, who holds the state education portfolio, has prioritised education, skills, and sports. The state administration has initiated reforms across nursery, primary, secondary, skilling, and sports education, backed by investments in public school infrastructure, Young India Integrated Residential Schools, Young India Physical Education and Sports University, polytechnics, and the conversion of ITIs into Advanced Technology Centres (ATCs).
IT and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu, who led talks with the London Business School, stated: "Historically, Hyderabad has grown in the knowledge economy--across software, pharma, life sciences, research, and GCCs--due to skilled manpower trained by our engineering colleges, business schools, medical colleges, and universities. With the creation of a global knowledge hub, the state will see exponential growth and an influx of GCCs and enterprises. Our skills university, ATCs, and polytechnics will also ensure a skilled workforce to support manufacturing."
Commenting on the plans, Santhi Kumari said, "We will begin classes, particularly short-term and executive programmes, at the MCR HRD Institute campus. Classrooms are being redeveloped to meet international standards. Professionals from government, public sector units, and private sectors across Hyderabad and India will soon be able to access educational programmes from these institutions locally."
Outlining the expansion plan, Ramakrishna Rao noted that the global knowledge hub will initially operate with facilities at the MCR HRD campus before expanding to the proposed Bharat Future City.
The Chief Minister also instructed officials to incorporate a dedicated track on global educational institutions and sports facilities at the upcoming Invest Telangana Global Summit, scheduled for December 7 to 9. (ANI)
Telangana rising: Hyderabad to host offshore campuses of University of London, Northeastern University
