But the issue of starting a UoP campus in Dubai did not end there and soon became a veritable battlefield, aided in no small part by Jadhav’s strong remarks against private institutes in the city that are also setting up shop in Dubai. He said it was these institutes that were raising obstacles in the way of UoP’s objective. Incidentally, Bharati Vidyapeeth and Symbiosis are the only other Pune institutes in the city that are opening branches in Dubai. Meanwhile, state Education Minister Dilip Walse-Patil took issue with the fact that Jadhav went straight to the CM instead of contacting him first. Significantly, Walse-Patil has not been visible at any functions of UoP from the time Jadhav took over as vice-chancellor.

On the other hand, TASMAC started its London campus smoothly. When asked whether the management institute had obtained permission from the MHRD or the UGC, the answer of a senior officer was to the point. “We have gone through the FDI route, which doesn’t require these permissions. All you need is to be ‘street smart’.”

But even as some universities await their turn to make a mark abroad, Pune itself continues to enjoy its reputation as a global education hub. Many foreign universities are looking at the city as a potential resource centre for getting quality students for their postgraduate courses. Incidentally, The January visit of French President Nicolas Sarkozy to India proved fruitful for Pune as the head office of ‘n+I’ — a consortium of 75 French engineering colleges — shifted its base from Delhi to Pune.