About

The IIHS (Institution Deemed to be) University, approved by the UGC, is launching in 2025 with a set of transformative new academic degree programmes—four Master’s programmes and a Doctoral Programme—centred around urban research and practice.

As India undergoes the largest rural-to-urban transition in human history, urbanisation is fundamentally reshaping its economy, society, culture, and environment. Recognising this defining moment, the University is premised on the need to transform the current nature of urban education, one of the most important drivers for India’s national development and sustainable global futures. It addresses this transition by:

• Undertaking interdisciplinary teaching and applied research to help build new national and global knowledge; and
• Training a new generation of urban practitioners through the delivery of a set of transformative interdisciplinary academic degree programmes.

Aligned with the vision and approach of the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, the University takes the process of urbanisation as the core of a new interdisciplinary knowledge paradigm, by incorporating teaching and applied research into a continuous learning ecosystem.

This unique, inclusive, and interdisciplinary University is rooted in the plurality of cultures, languages and scholarship of India and the Global South, while drawing from comparative lessons learnt across the world. It stands out for its interdisciplinary approach to teaching and research, globally benchmarked curricula and innovative pedagogical methods.

The University builds on the strong foundation laid by IIHS in creating India-centric knowledge and applied research on various aspects of India’s urbanisation, aimed at the equitable, sustainable, and efficient transformation of Indian settlements.

The University is organised around five Schools, each addressing deep challenges that require systemic responses.