A key objective of the work done at HEIRA has been to establish links with and impact the decision-making processes that influence higher education. With this objective, the programme has been part of several activities and consultations on policy inputs for the sector. Dr. Tejaswini Niranjana, Lead Researcher at HEIRA, was part of two teams that drafted policy notes for the 12^th Five Year Plan. These included the National Mission on Quality Higher Education in the Indian Languages and Community Engagement in Higher Education.

HEIRA also organized a Policy Dialogue in 2011 between key Indian and British stakeholders in higher education, co-hosted with the British Council, in partnership with the Centre for Contemporary Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. The dialogue focussed on case studies of innovation and generating a consensus regarding the importance of evidence-based policy-making in this sector. In partnership with the Karnataka Knowledge Commission, HEIRA is developing a map of best practices in the state’s higher education system.