The Association of Indian Universities has reached an agreement with Crue Universidades Españolas, a confederation of Spanish universities, to foster collaboration between higher education institutions in India and Spain. A group of 26 vice chancellors from Indian universities gathered with their Spanish counterparts at the signing ceremony at the University of Valladolid last week to encourage joint research initiatives and support faculty and student exchange programs.  

“On the first day of the visit, the delegates visited The Autonomous University of Barcelona and the University of Barcelona and exchanged ideas in collaboration with many Spanish Universities who were invited for the interaction said Dr. Pankaj Mittal, secretary general, AIU. “The one-to-one meetings between the universities from India and Spain was very fruitful.”

The visit was organised by SEPIE, the national agency overseeing the Erasmus+ program in Spain, in collaboration with AIU, The Pie News reports.

New opportunities for Indian students

The Indian Ambassador to Spain, Dinesh Patnaik, spoke at a networking session for Indian and Spanish universities at Universidad Autonoma de Madrid on 10th July to celebrate the collaboration between the two countries.

“New strides in educational partnership! Historic agreement signed between @CrueUniversidad and @AIUIndia for cooperation between universities of India and Spain. Will create new opportunities for Indian students!” the Embassy of India said in a statement on social media site, X.

As of 2022, approximately 1,400 Indian students are estimated to be studying for their higher education in Spain, according to data from the Ministry of External Affairs. The collaboration between Spain and India reflects a strengthening relationship between India and EU countries, with many academics and students eager to engage in research and education in the region.