Kolkata, Jan 20 (PTI) Kolkata-based TCG Crest University, a research-focused deemed university backed by The Chatterjee Group (TCG), on Tuesday announced plans for global expansion with proposed bases in the UK, Japan and the US, while also scaling up its presence across southern, western and northern India in the coming years.
Chancellor Purnendu Chatterjee said the intent is to position TCG Crest as a new-age global research university that bridges the gap between traditional universities, which often struggle to innovate at scale, and corporate research institutions that are largely driven by profit motives.
“We want to create a global research university that sits between the two — where deep and meaningful research can be carried out at scale without being constrained by legacy systems or short-term commercial pressures,” said Chatterjee, also the TCG Group Chairman.
Established in 2020, TCG Crest is a Section 8 not-for-profit institution that operates on a research-first model. Unlike conventional universities, it began with PhD programmes before introducing master’s courses and was built around five to six specialised research centres, following a reverse education model that prioritises advanced research over undergraduate teaching.
As part of its overseas expansion, the university is targeting a launch in the UK by 2026, with an initial focus on artificial intelligence for healthcare. Chatterjee said healthcare was chosen due to its scale and impact, with scope to later expand into other frontier areas such as quantum technologies.
TCG Group President Jeremy Ranjan Ghose said the university aims to increase the number of PhD scholars to 1,000 over time from around 150 currently based in Kolkata.
Research areas currently focused by TCG Crest include affordable batteries, quantum computing, food and agriculture, AI and Machine Learning, and healthcare (like cancer).
Officials said the global expansion would enable greater international collaboration and a larger pool of researchers, while Kolkata would continue to remain the central hub of the university’s operations.
For the UK operations, the university is moving towards a tripartite funding model, with one-third of long-term funding expected from the TCG strategy group, one-third from other philanthropists, and the remaining one-third from government-funded research institutions.
In India, TCG Crest plans to extend its footprint beyond eastern India and establish centres in other regions as part of its long-term growth strategy.
Chatterjee said the expansion would be organic and talent-driven rather than guided by rigid investment targets. “Our growth will depend on our ability to attract senior and mid-career researchers. The quality of people we bring in will determine the pace and scale of expansion,” he said.
The university currently has five schools covering interdisciplinary areas such as mathematical and natural sciences, health, environment and sustainability, humanities & social sciences.
Mentor Malabika Sarkar said specialised master’s programmes would begin in 2026. “We will not offer traditional MSc programmes like biology or physics. Instead, we will focus on specialised courses such as MSc in neuroscience,” she said.
Undergraduate programmes are planned for the future but will be redesigned to align with evolving academic and research needs, Sarkar added. PTI BSM NN
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