India invites Spanish universities to set up campuses as higher education talks deepen

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan connected Friday (February 20, 2026) welcomed starring Spanish universities to acceptable up campuses successful India, arsenic the 2 countries deepened world engagement astatine the India-Spain Conference connected Higher Education successful New Delhi.

Addressing the closing ceremony, Mr. Pradhan said “open, acceptable and welcoming” to planetary world collaborations. Ambassador of Spain to India Juan Antonio March Pujol said discussions betwixt the 2 countries had already started connected associated research, mobility of module and students, and enactment for start-ups.

Follow-up gathering successful Spain

Mr. Pujol said that the deliberations are expected to “mature successful 2026”, indicating that a akin gathering could beryllium hosted successful Spain aboriginal this year, perchance starring to the signing of Memoranda of Understanding and agreements.

The two-day league coincided with the India AI Impact Summit, with the Education Minister saying that democracies indispensable pb successful shaping liable innovation with respect to Artificial Intelligence, adding that “India and Spain are committed to doing precisely that”.

Forward-looking conference

Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi said that deliberations astatine the league were “focused and forward-looking, reaffirming that acquisition remains cardinal to India–Spain engagement”.

According to an Education Ministry statement, implicit 30 rectors and elder world leaders representing the Conference of Rectors of Spanish Universities (CRUE) participated successful the conference, on with representatives from astir 70 Indian higher acquisition institutions.

CRUE president prof Eva Alcón said the league marked “not a conclusion, but the opening of a agelong and meaningful partnership”, adding that the anticipation is to enactment to execute “shared goals” of “advance equitable entree to higher education, sustainable improvement and planetary health”, which would necessitate “balancing section priorities with a planetary vision”.