Indian Consul General Shatrughna Sinha in dialogue with BayIND

Indian Consul General Shatrughna Sinha visits BayIND at Hof University

At the beginning of the year, Shatrughna Sinha, the Indian Consul General from Munich, the Bavarian-Indian Centre for Business and Universities (BayIND) and representatives from Hof University of Applied Sciences met. The meeting focused on key issues of international cooperation, particularly in the context of India’s New Education Policy (NEP). This reform aims to modernise India’s education system by fostering interdisciplinarity and practical training while enhancing its international orientation—areas that are highly relevant to BayIND’s mission.

The Consul General was welcomed by Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Jürgen Lehmann, Chairman of the Board of Directors of BayIND and President of Hof University, and Ms. Wiebke Dörfler, Managing Director of BayIND. They were joined by professors from Hof University and Ms. Susanne Krause, Head of the International Office. Discussions focused on expanding partnerships with India, particularly in the field of higher education and fostering bilateral exchange programmes.

BayIND: a key facilitator of international exchange

BayIND plays a key role in strengthening cooperation between Bavaria and India. In addition to providing counselling for Indian students, the centre offers a robust network that benefits both Bavarian and Indian partner institutions. This was a key focus of the discussions during the visit. Together with the Consul General, the opportunities and challenges for Indian students at German universities, particularly in bachelor’s programmes, were examined. The aim is to remove barriers and improve access.

The importance of BayIND was recently reaffirmed by the German government’s Skilled Worker Strategy for India. This strategy paper highlights both BayIND and Hof University as exemplary models of successful cooperation between Germany and India.

“Our strength lies in combining openness to the world with strong regional roots. This synergy enables us to build bridges between cultures and promote mutually beneficial international exchange”, emphasised Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Lehmann.

BayIND will continue to play a central role in promoting relations between Bavaria and India—serving as a platform for dialogue, exchange, and cooperation.