Whole world looking to India for education innovations: Peter Phillips, CEO, Cambridge University Press and Assessment

The rapid transformation of industries driven by technology and evolving business practices has created a critical skills gap, says Peter Phillips, chief executive at Cambridge University Press and Assessment (CUPA). He says India, where half the population is under 25, can fill this gap with its vast pool of talent. In an exclusive interview with ET’s Neil Ghai during his visit to India, Phillips talks about what and how CUPA is trying to bridge this gap. Edited excerpts:

How do you see India’s role evolving as both a provider of talent and a market for advanced assessments and certifications?
Cambridge University Press & Assessment works in more than 170 countries, but our presence and depth of collaboration in India is particularly significant. We are working with more than 4,000 schools, 500,000 learners, 500 universities and partners like Swayam, NSDC, the British Council and CBSE in India.


The whole world is looking to India right now for education innovations. Half of India’s population is under 25, providing a vast pool of talent ready to enter the global workforce. This is of course a place of rapid economic growth, a dynamic education landscape and a hyperconnected global talent hub.

The potential is thrilling.

A total of 2.5 million was the number of Cambridge results in GCSEs, IGCSEs, A levels and vocational qualifications delivered to students around the world in August 2023 alone.

More than 76,000 entries were made for the March 2024 exam series in India, an increase of 17% from last year. Cambridge IGCSE had over 56,000 entries, up 17% on last year. Cambridge International AS & A Level had over 18,400 entries, an increase of 18% on last year.

How are you aligning advanced courses in areas like GenAI, big data and climate sustainability with industry demand and assessment standards? What kind of uptake have you seen from India specifically in these fields, and how are you measuring success?
As skills evolve rapidly, it’s essential for working professionals to continually upgrade their abilities to remain competitive in a swiftly changing job market.

The rapid transformation of industries driven by technology and evolving business practices has created a critical skills gap. This skill gap has led organisations to struggle to find talent that meets their needs.

To bridge this gap, we have designed several advanced online programmes for working professionals, focusing on innovative subjects that align with evolving industry demands.

In terms of your open-access research initiative, what impact are you seeing on Indian researchers and institutions due to these agreements?
Cambridge University Press plans to publish most of its research articles open access by 2025, with transformative agreements with over 55 Indian universities in place to facilitate this transition. This is a critical step in raising the profile and impact of Indian research globally.

To be an innovation-driven economy, strengthening research capabilities plays a key role.

Publishing open access helps to advance discovery by allowing anyone, anywhere to find, read and benefit from research. Open-access research typically has 3.5x more usage and 1.6x higher citation rates versus non-open access research. Indian research published open access will have greater global visibility, profile and impact.

Cambridge's commitment to open access promises to be a game-changer for STEM research in India. By enabling wider dissemination and access to scientific knowledge, the initiative empowers Indian researchers to engage with global knowledge networks, fostering a more dynamic and inclusive research ecosystem. This, in turn, will drive innovation and development across STEM fields in India.