UPES, a multi-disciplinary university, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The University of Law (ULaw), one of the UK’s longest-established and most prestigious legal institutions, to launch a Centre of Excellence (CoE) at UPES.
The collaboration aims to advance education opportunities and research activities. Research will form a critical pillar of this collaboration, with a special emphasis on AI and Ethics. The CoE will also facilitate Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses, satellite centers, and a start-up incubator to nurture innovation and entrepreneurship among students and faculty.
Additionally, the partnership includes faculty exchange, fostering an enriching exchange of knowledge and teaching practices. On the mobility of students from all the levels confirmed, “Mobility will be at all levels certainly at the undergraduate level,” Prof. Peter Crisp, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of ULaw said. “it’s very straightforward to do in the second semester of year two because it’s more flexible,” he added.
Prof. Crisp announced the launch of a semester abroad program under which UPES students can undertake a semester or potentially a full year of study in England, depending on the program and modules they wish to pursue, and vice versa. He also confirmed the possibility of student mobility at the postgraduate level.
The partnership will also introduce student mobility programs, featuring a rigorous curriculum designed to provide students with international academic exposure. A structured assessment and certification process will further enhance the scholarly value of the program, which will be co-delivered by expert faculty from both ULaw and UPES.
Short-term and long-term objectives
The collaboration between the University of England and UPES is set to yield both short-term and long-term benefits, with each institution gaining from the other throughout the partnership. A short-term benefit includes maintaining the collaborative relationship and expanding operations through improved coordination between the academic institutions.
Dr. Abhishek Sinha, Dean, UPES School of Law and Head, Department of Internationality, UPES, stated, “Collaborative research will yield both short-term and long-term benefits because research cannot happen overnight.” He added, “Student and faculty mobility will also be both short-term and long-term, as we will quickly begin exchanging students and faculty.”
On the short-term objective, Prof. Peter Crisp stated, “Well, I think the short term is to continue our existing work with UPES, as we’ve already collaborated for the past four years.” He highlighted that the objective will be to increase student and faculty exchange.
He shares the enthusiasm for the UPES incubation experience. “It’s about learning from UPES and sharing the experience of the UPES incubation,” and translating the runway programs into a collaborative experience.
Research on AI
On producing research on AI and ethics, with a vacuum on AI policy globally in different jurisdictions, Prof. Crisp hopes that the research produced in a collaboration between two leading universities, one here in India and one in England will produce outputs that have a global impact.
Dr. Abhishek Sinha draws a comparative study of the research produced which increased five times from the time period of 2020, to 2025, he said, “In 2020, if you look at our research output, it was just 500 papers in Scopus and Web of Sciences. If you look at 2024, close to 2500.”
He added, “We are highly cited research papers. So it’s not that the quantity has increased and quality has taken a dip.”
Regarding the initiatives UPES undertook to be a trendsetter in legal education, he highlighted that these initiatives stem from a commitment and conviction to provide every possible exposure to their students.
With the objective of impacting lives, he stated, “Whatever is required, we believe it is critical for impacting the lives of both students and faculty members.”
Incubation Experience
The CoE is set to launch a start-up incubator to nurture innovation and entrepreneurship among students and faculty, building upon the existing “Runway,” UPES’s incubation initiative, which is currently incubating more than 100 startups.
Dr. Abhishek Sinha stated, “We, as a university, also invest in all these start-ups.” He clarified, however, that the MoU signed between the universities will aim to focus on best practices, specifically sharing best practices on incubation, and that the University of Law will not be investing through the incubation program. “But we may jointly develop a start-up, and joint projects can be undertaken,” he hoped.
Speaking on the collaboration, Prof. Peter Crisp said, “We are thrilled to partner with UPES to extend ULaw’s 148-year legacy of legal excellence to India. This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to nurturing career-ready legal professionals equipped to succeed in an increasingly complex and tech-driven world. Together, we aim to foster innovation in legal education, particularly in emerging areas such as AI, and set new standards in training and research.”
Dr. Abhishek Sinha, Dean said, “Partnerships with renowned global universities like ULaw, align with our vision of creating the ‘University of Tomorrow’. The establishment of the CoE will enhance academic excellence, addressing the critical need for professionals equipped to navigate emerging challenges like AI’s ethical implications. Together, we’re bridging the gap between education and real-world demands.”
ULaw’s practice-based approach, combined with UPES’ innovative vision, will create a platform for students to develop market-ready skills. This strategic alliance between UPES and ULaw reinforces their commitment to addressing the evolving needs of education & research and preparing students for the challenges of the future.
The MoU was signed on April 9, 2025.
