International Institute for Higher Education Research & Capacity Building

From Director's Desk

Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar
Founding Vice Chancellor
O.P. Jindal Global (Institution of Eminence Deemed To Be University)
LL.B. (Delhi), B.C.L. (Oxford), LL.M. (Harvard), S.J.D. (Hong Kong)

I welcome you to the website of the International Institute for Higher Education Research & Capacity Building (IIHEd) at O.P. Jindal Global (Institution of Eminence Deemed To Be University).  

Established in 2015, IIHEd is an independent research institute within JGU focused on pursuing research and capacity building initiatives on different aspects of higher education in India and beyond. The vision of IIHEd is to contribute towards institution building for nation-building. The establishment of IIHEd reflects the growth and development of JGU as a leading research-oriented global university in India that is contributing to promoting excellence in higher education in all its dimensions.  

The last two decades have witnessed extraordinary changes in university systems around the world. India needs to take into account these developments and how they are affecting and impacting the nature of higher education across the globe. The higher education system in India, including university governance, needs to consider some critical reforms and policy initiatives.  

We believe the future Indian universities will depend on our ability to create and nurture transformational institutions that will inspire young minds with the spirit of inquiry and instil in them the flames of imagination. These institutions could only fulfil this broader promise in all its essence if they have the foundational basis on five equally important principles: academic freedom, intellectual engagement, social responsibility, institutional accountability, and participatory governance. 

To advance and promote these principles, IIHEd conducts research and offers advice on diverse aspects of higher education with a strong focus on curriculum development; pedagogical innovations; faculty recruitment-engagement-development-retention; knowledge creation systems; promotion of scholarship and building research capacities; developing international collaborations; benchmarking and assessments of institutions; and on providing institutional support on law, policy and regulations relating to higher education. 

Since its establishment, IIHEd has organized several physical and virtual conferences, seminars, workshops, and training programs for diverse stakeholders. Its faculty and fellows have published many journal articles, book chapters, edited books, newspaper articles, policy papers, and reports on diverse issues concerning Indian and global higher education. 

Over the past decade, JGU has created a record in terms of its commitment to research and teaching excellence. JGU has been ranked as India’s Number 1 Private University for three years in a row by the prestigious QS World University Rankings 2023. JGU has been recognised among the Top 150 universities globally under the age of 50 years by the QS Young University Rankings. JGU has also been recognised in the Top 500 Universities as per the QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022. 

JGU has over 11,000 students from 70+ countries and 1100+ faculty members from 50 countries. We have collaborated with over 430+ leading institutions in 75+ countries to bring international learning experiences to the Indian higher education 

system. 

In 2020, our University has also been recognized by the Indian government as an Institution of Eminence (IoE). This is evidence of our growing reputation for high-quality teaching and research. As a research institute committed to promoting excellence in higher education, IIHEd faculty and fellows have steered reform initiatives that have ushered national and global recognition.