Category: Education

The Educational Testing Service (ETS) announced on May 30, 2023, that the TOEFL iBT test has been approved by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for use in Canada’s Student Direct Stream (SDS). Students can start sending their TOEFL iBT scores beginning August 10, 2023. “This is available to legal residents in Antigua and Barbuda; Brazil; China; Colombia; Costa Rica; India; Morocco; Pakistan; Peru; Philippines; Senegal; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Trinidad and Tobago; and Vietnam,” the statement by ETS read.

The announcement comes after the ETS in April 2023 announced new changes to the test format. According to the press statement, SDS is an expedited study permit processing program for international students from 14 countries who seek to enrol in Canada’s postsecondary designated learning institutions. Earlier, only an English-language testing option was authorized for the SDS route. The expansion will now let the test takers choose a test that best suits them.

Rohit Sharma, senior vice president of Global Higher Education and Workskills at ETS, said, “We are thrilled to be unlocking more opportunities for students to access one of the world’s most desirable study abroad destinations.”

“Not only will the addition of TOEFL benefit the hundreds of thousands of students who take advantage of the SDS route each year, but institutions can feel confident knowing that they can access a wider pool of applicants who can demonstrate their skills with the premier test of English-language proficiency,” Sharma added.

TOEFL iBT is accepted by all Canadian universities. The announcement comes after the ETS in April 2023 announced new changes to the test format, introducing shortened duration, simplified registration and increased score transparency. The test score is accepted by over 12,000 institutions from over 160 countries worldwide for admissions.

Two Australian universities, Federation University in Victoria and Western Sydney University in New South Wales, have recently announced bans on students from certain Indian states, citing concerns regarding a rise in fraudulent visa applications. The Department of Home Affairs in Australia has deemed one in four applications as “fraudulent” or “non-genuine.” The universities have instructed education agents to disregard applications from states such as Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Federation University stated that it has observed a significant increase in the proportion of visa applications being refused from some Indian regions, and it is clear that there is a trend emerging. Meanwhile, Western Sydney University mentioned that the regions within India that had been identified as presenting the highest attrition risk are Punjab, Haryana, and Gujarat, and due to the urgency of this matter, the university has decided to pause recruitment from these regions in India, effective immediately.

Several renowned educational institutions in Australia have tightened their scrutiny regarding Indian students’ applications due to concerns surrounding a considerable number of applicants who appear to have ulterior motives centered around employment prospects in Australia instead of pursuing their intended studies. Emails obtained from Victoria University, Edith Cowan University, the University of Wollongong, Torrens University, as well as agents affiliated with Southern Cross University, suggest that there has been a noticeable tightening of scrutiny on these Indian students’ applications.

In February, Edith Cowan University in Perth implemented a comprehensive prohibition on accepting applicants from the Indian states of Punjab and Haryana. Subsequently, in March, Victoria University further tightened its restrictions on student applications, extending to eight Indian states, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.

Experts state that changing visa regulations and higher scrutiny on visa applications have made it more challenging for Indian students to study in Australia and, as a result, the number of Indian students has declined. According to the Australian government, the number of student visa applications from India fell from around 60,000 in financial year 2018-19 to around 42,000 in 2020. Moreover, Australia’s dependency on the Indian student market has also declined in recent years due to a rise in the number of Chinese students studying in Australia.

The Australian government’s tightened visa regulations follow the country’s concerns over the potential of foreign interference. Australian politicians have been uneasy about China’s influence over the student body in the country. Chinese students comprise the largest overseas student cohort in Australia, with more than 165,000 Chinese students enrolled in Australian schools and universities in 2019.

Australian universities are taking steps to tighten scrutiny on Indian students’ visa applications, given concerns surrounding fraudulent applications, employment prospects within the country, and a decrease in the number of Indian students studying in Australia due to changing visa regulations. The Australian government has been uneasy about Chinese influence on the student body in the country, making it more challenging for Indian students to study in the country also.

Indian universities have not been featured among the top 400 universities across the world, according to Central World University Ranking (CWUR) 2023 data that ranks global universities. The data that covers 2000 top universities and has listed 64 universities from India, 314 from China, 114 from Japan, and 332 from the United States.

The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A) is the leading Indian institute to feature in the list occupying 419th position. It was followed by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi (607th), University of Delhi (621st), IIT Kharagpur (721st), Panjab University (759th), and IIT Kanpur (823rd).

“In the global top 2000, 33 universities from India improved from last year, with 31 falling down the rankings,” CWUR said. It credited the decline to research performance, amid intensified global competition from well-funded institutions.

American universities bagged eight positions among the top ten in the world. Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of Chicago, and Yale University.

“The Center for World University Rankings grades universities on four factors without relying on surveys and university data submissions: education (25%), employability (25%), faculty (10%), and research (40%). This year, 62 million outcome-based data points were analyzed for the rankings,” a news release mentioned.

In an extraordinary demonstration of public diplomacy and relationship building, the internationally ranked University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia has named a lecture hall after an Assam-born alumnus – the late Annada Gohain, who had gone to the university in 1955 under the Colombo Plan and stayed on to complete her Master’s degree, becoming the first woman to do so from the University’s prestigious School of Chemical Engineering. Passionately interested in food technology, Annada returned to Assam after her studies and worked in the Agriculture Department of the Assam government and was closely involved with food processing. She retired as Additional Director (Agriculture) from the department. She died at the age of 81 in 2011.

Annada came from a distinguished family of educators and intellectuals in Guwahati. She, herself, played a pioneering role in establishing the food canning industry in Assam and is widely regarded as a trailblazer.

Naming the lecture hall after Annada is an extraordinary gesture. This stellar recognition is part of the university’s project of honouring women, gender equality, and multiculturalism. It reflects the university’s vision of embedding values in the pursuit of excellence in education.

The recognition is particularly interesting because, in comparative terms, the number of students going abroad for higher studies from India’s northeastern states has been relatively small. Many migrate to other cities in India for their studies, as there are few good quality educational institutions in the northeast. This has been the case for multiple reasons, especially poor connectivity, and security concerns. Much of this has now dramatically changed. It is time to establish strong and high-quality learning centres in these states. Such initiatives would radically transform the region’s landscape.

This extraordinary recognition of an Indian student also reflects the university’s strategic focus on India. The rapidly growing interest in the Group of Eight universities in Australia, such as the University of New South Wales, as a preferred destination for high-achieving students, would receive a significant boost because of initiatives of this nature, which demonstrate how universities have come to appreciate the need to remember their alumni for reasons other than to seek financial donations from them. This unique gesture of the university will stand out as an example of how relationship-building is integral to a long-term international education strategy.

Educational dimension to ties

Last month, discussions between  Australian Education Minister Jason Clare and Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan further consolidated efforts at collaborative education and research. India’s New Education Policy establishes the primacy the government attaches to the role of education in achieving its developmental aspirations. Collaboration with like-minded international partners would help transform lives for the better, which is, in fact, the purpose of education.

Next month Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Sydney for the Quad Summit and would also hold bilateral discussions with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who was in New Delhi barely a month ago, reflecting the rapidly growing strategic partnership. At the bilateral meeting, education and research are likely to feature as a topic of discussion. Taking advantage of the pathbreaking research in Australian universities, especially in areas of critical interest to India, would further strengthen the bilateral framework.

Several areas come to mind, such as cyber security and critical technologies, space research, geospatial engineering, quantum computing, semiconductors and microchips, disease control and public health, climate change and sustainable development, water, and clean technology, to name a few.

India-Australia relations are only set to grow stronger. Shared concerns will only accelerate the process. But the robustness of a relationship requires that it is multi-faceted and not unidimensional. Education and research can emerge as the key vertical in this regard.

(The author is a former diplomat with a keen interest in international education. He was recently appointed to the Order of Australia. Views are personal.) Read more at: https://www.southasiamonitor.org/spotlight/australian-universitys-recognition-indian-alumnus-reflection-growing-educational-link

More Indian students are now proceeding to the UK for higher studies than any other country, including China according to the British High Commissioner to India, Alex Ellis . He was speaking at a public lecture on ‘India-UK Relations’, at O.P. Jindal Global University in Haryana.

“The degree of human connection between our two countries is extraordinary, yet there is potential to take the India-UK relationship to a deeper and profound level,” Ellis said stressing on the need to develop stronger people-to-people connect. “It is the human level that is more important. I’d like to get more British people coming to India to understand the reality of India.”

During his first visit to the University, the High Commissioner also addressed students of international affairs, law and other disciplines, giving them a diplomatic and strategic overview of the relationship between the world’s two important democracies.

Alluding to the trade relations between the two countries, the High Commissioner said negotiations for a free trade agreement were going on and it’s important to look at not only the economic value it provides but also the strategic value.

Speaking of the different areas of cooperation, Ellis emphasized, “Together, as nations we will try to deal with some of the biggest problems the world faces, especially climate change! We have already demonstrated how well we have cooperated in the research and production of Covishield vaccine during the pandemic.”

The High Commissioner added that India is also number one in different kinds of visas on which Indians are travelling to the UK and also referred to India becoming the third country in the world from where illegal migrants cross the British channel on boats.

Professor Dr C. Raj Kumar, founding vice chancellor, of O.P. Jindal Global University welcomed the High Commissioner. In his address he said, “Among the post-colonial relationships of the world, the India-UK relationship is one of the most defining relationships of the last 35 years. Education plays a very significant role as this relationship transcends the usual boundaries of strategy, security, trade, investment and more.”

Indiaspora and Agastya International Foundation celebrated esteemed mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on Thursday, April 20, 2023. The day began with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil a bronze bust of Ramanujan that was donated to MIT by the Agastya International Foundation.

“Indian mathematicians have left an indelible legacy over the centuries, having developed some of the earliest mathematical concepts such as the decimal system, zero, and algebra,” said Indiaspora founder MR Rangaswami.

Indiaspora’s Executive Director, Sanjeev Joshipura, Indiaspora founder MR Rangaswami, renowned philanthropist Dr. Desh Deshpande, Padma Vibushan Dr. Vasudev Aatre,  Head of the MIT Math Department Professor Michel Goemans, Indiaspora Board Member Professor Priya Natarajan, and Indiapsora friend Professor Ranu Boppana spoke briefly in the morning session acknowledging Ramanujan’s unparalleled stature, the importance of education, vital educational experiences and supportive institutions.  There was a tour of the “South Asia and the Institute: Transformative Connections” exhibit. The campus events wrapped up with a screening of the movie The Man Who Knew Infinity, a biopic about Ramanujan’s life.

There was a reception in the evening at The Royal Sonesta Hotel for Boston area Indiaspora community leaders. The inspiring session included a fireside chat with leading CEOs Reshma Kewalramani, MD FASN, and Niren Chaudhary  and a panel with academics Priya Natarajan,  Sunil Kumar (Tufts), Tarun Khanna  and Sunand Bhattacharya.

The Tamil Nadu-born Ramanujan — who was only 32 when he died in 1920 — grew up in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, in a one-room house he shared with five other family members. He had no formal education, and developed his theorems from his own discoveries. No one in his village or his state could understand his work; thus, the young mathematician started writing to professors at various colleges in England.

Sir Francis Spring, a civil engineer who worked in Madras, is credited with discovering Ramanujan, a clerk in his office. Spring sent the young mathematician’s work to GH Hardy at Cambridge University.

“He proved more theorems in one day than many of us do in one year,” the luminary Princeton mathematician Manjul Bhargava said, during a preview of a film based on Ramanujan’s life “The Man Who Knew Infinity.”

In 2010, the Agastya Foundation donated a bust to Cambridge University to memorialize Ramanujan at his alma mater. The Agastya Foundation has also gifted a bust of Ramanujan to TIFR’s Centre for Applicable Mathematics in Bangalore, and the Indian Institute of Technology – Madras, with the aim of inspiring and sparking creativity amongst young Indians.

Indian-American academician Radha Pyati has been named the next chancellor and dean of Penn State Berks, effective July 1, 2023. She will succeed former chancellor George Grant Jr.,according to Penn State Press.

An award-winning environmentalist and a leader in STEM education, Pyati is presently dean of the college of sciences and mathematics at West Chester University (WCU). Under her leadership, the College of Sciences and Mathematics raised over US$3.4 mn for scholarships, faculty support and STEM programming, and planned the US$130 mn Science and Engineering Complex.

Lauding Dr Pyati’s appointment, Kelly Austen, vice president for Commonwealth Campuses and executive chancellor of Penn State, said “She has a proven track record of success as an educator and academic leader. The faculty, staff and students at Penn State Berks will benefit from her experienced leadership. She deeply understands the essential mission of our Commonwealth Campuses, and shares these values of the University — all have which have made her the right person to lead Penn State Berks.”

Pyati has championed efforts to increase the diversity of faculty and students in her college and led several major environmental research projects in the Lower St. Johns River Basin.

Reacting to the news, Pyati commented, “I met some wonderful students, faculty and staff during my visit, and I can’t wait to work with them. Elevating student outcomes and the growth of Penn State Berks is an inspiring mission to me.”

Before WCU, Pyati worked at the University of Colorado, and the University of North Florida. Most recently, she was a Fulbright Specialist at the University of ĐàNẵng in Vietnam. An accomplished researcher and City of Jacksonville Environmental Protections Board Award of Merit recipient, she has authored many papers, book chapters, and reports in chemistry and environmental science and participated in over thirty research projects as a principal investigator.

The Ascend Foundation aims to increase recognition of pan-Asian leadership through initiatives like the 5-Point Action Agenda, the Ascend Impact Fund, and other research, education, volunteerism and advocacy efforts.

Indian-origin business leaders from diverse sectors were honoured for their resiliency and success during times of economic uncertainty by The Ascend Foundation during their A-List Award Gala at the Plaza Hotel in New York City on April 3, 2023.

The list of 30 honorees includes the chief health officer of Elevance Health Dr Shantanu Agrawal, executive leader in the workplace investing business for Fidelity Investments Sangeeta Moorjani, chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer of Deloitte, Kavitha Prabhakar, chief operating officer of Citi Anand Selvakesari, vice chair of EY Americas Consulting Raj Sharma and president and chief executive officer of Perkin Elmer Prahlad Singh.

Baltimore resident and Cambridge alumnus, Dr Agrawal is passionate about improving health outcomes and reducing disparities and serves on numerous boards and committees that deepen his commitment to advancing health, his profile reads.

India-born, Moorjani is known for approaching business strategy, fresh perspective and innovative thinking to meet the need of business. She received her bachelor of commerce degree in 1988 and her MBA in marketing in 1990, both from the University of Pune in India.

A woman in technology, and champion for social change, Prabhakar spearheaded the release of Deloitte’s DEI Transparency Report, first issued in 2020, and is credited for setting a new standard for racial, ethnic, and gender data transparency and accountability.

Having begun his career at Citi India in 1991,  Selvakesari has over 30 years of experience in consumer banking, wealth management and commercial banking, across multiple markets globally.

In his role with EY Americas Consulting, Sharma leads 25,000 consultants across the Americas service line, according to the company. He holds a Master of Science degree in Computer Information Systems from the University of Miami and a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer Science from the Birla Institute of Technology, India.

Singh held various leadership roles in different companies. Northeastern University alumnus, Singh earned a doctoral degree in chemistry from the University of Missouri-Columbia. His research work has resulted in several issued patents and publications in peer-reviewed journals, according to his profile.

Founded in 2005, Ascend is the first and largest global network advancing API professionals in the workplace. Ascend’s 60+ chapters partner with global organizations to cultivate and empower API talent as they rise to their full potential.

Xavier University School of Medicine has announced the opening of Xavier University School of Veterinary Medicine. Xavier University School of Veterinary Medicine will begin with the inaugural class in Fall 2023.

The Xavier University School of Veterinary Medicine program is a four-year program for students who will receive their Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree. The program is divided into two phases – for the first three years (nine semesters), students will be located in Aruba completing their preclinical semesters. During the student’s final year (three semesters) in the program, they will attend clinical training at one of our internationally approved training facilities and complete the NAVLE exam to be eligible to practice in the USA.

“We are excited to announce the opening of Xavier University School of Veterinary Medicine in September 2023,” said Ravishankar Bhooplapur, President of Xavier University School of Medicine. “The mission of Xavier University School of Veterinary Medicine is to prepare veterinary physicians to practice veterinary medicine of the highest standard, and the opening of our new veterinary school will provide students with a quality veterinary education at an affordable price.”

“The curriculum for Xavier’s DVM program is an integrative approach that enables students to understand the science, gain experience in practice, and receive clinical skills instruction beginning from their first semester,” added Dr. Arun Dubey, Chief Academic Officer. “We are thrilled to welcome our first set of veterinary students in the fall!”

Students will be able to live at Xavier’s new academic campus in Aruba. This all-inclusive housing option ensures that students have a safe and supportive environment during their medical school journey.

In addition, construction is in progress for a new $70-million academic campus in Aruba that is set to open in Fall 2024. This new academic area of campus will include a theater-style auditorium, state-of-the-art classrooms and labs, research facilities, seminar rooms, a new library, study areas for individuals, small groups, and large groups, student lounges, and a walk-in clinic. Inaugural class of September 2023 will receive 50% tuition scholarships.

The US Supreme Court is set to consider in two pending cases whether the country’s colleges may continue to use race as a factor in student admissions.

The decision may change the future of affirmative action policy, introduced to redress historic discrimination, in higher education, reports Xinhua news agency.

A study released on March 28 by Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce warns that racial and ethnic diversity on university campuses could decline even if the institutions give more weight to factors, such as the socio-economic class of applicants.

“Without race-conscious admissions, the role selective colleges play in creating equal opportunity in our society is likely to diminish,” said Zack Mabel, co-author of the study.

According to the study titled “Race-Conscious Affirmative Action: What’s Next”, colleges would have to “fundamentally alter their admissions practices” to achieve diversity, particularly among Blacks, Hispanics and Indigenous students, if the Supreme Court bans affirmative action in college admissions.

According to the study, an alternative admissions process that includes socio-economic status would achieve a high level of racial and ethnic diversity if colleges eliminate preferences for legacy applicants, student athletes, those with ties to donors and other such factors that mostly benefit White, affluent applicants.

About 60 per cent of top US colleges consider race as a factor in admissions, according to 2015 estimates.

In addition, schools would have to expand their recruitment of high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds for a class-based alternative to produce a similar outcome to race-conscious admissions, the study found.

In 2022, the court heard two cases that had arguments challenging affirmative action admission policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina that use race and ethnicity among other factors.

In the case at Harvard University, the group named Students for Fair Admissions accused the school of holding Asian-American students to a higher educational standard than it did African-American or Hispanic students.

According to experts, if the Supreme Court rules against the colleges, the landscape of college admissions would change drastically, and many schools fear losing what they have gained in diversity over the years. (IANS)

Indian-origin Lakshmi Balachandra, an associate professor of entrepreneurship at Babson College’s Wellesley Business School, Massachusetts filed a gender discrimination lawsuit in the US District Court in Boston against the institution.

According to a Boston Globe report the lawsuit alleges that Balachandra was subjected to gender and racial discrimination at the institution. “Babson favours white and male faculty and predominantly reserves awards and privileges for them,” the complaint filed in the court reads.

Lakshmi Balachandra alleged she lost career opportunities and faced economic losses, emotional distress, and harm to her reputation because of mistreatment and administrators’ failure to investigate her concerns, The Boston Globe newspaper reported on February 27.

Lakshmi Balachandra joined Babson’s faculty in 2012 and earned tenure in 2019. In her lawsuit, she called out Andrew Corbett, a professor and former chair of the college’s entrepreneurship division, as the “primary direct perpetrators of the discriminatory work environment.”

According to the complaint filed in US District Court in Boston dated February 27, Lakshmi Balachandra alleged that Corbett, who oversaw teaching assignments, class scheduling, and annual reviews, only allowed her to teach required courses in entrepreneurship despite her requests to teach electives – even though she had taught such classes previously at MIT Sloan School of Management and Harvard Business School.

“Babson favours white and male faculty and predominantly reserves awards and privileges for them,” Lakshmi Balachandra’s complaint alleged. According to the complaint, despite her research record, expressed interest, and service to the college, she was denied numerous leadership positions and opportunities for more time to conduct research and write.

“Such privileges are routinely given to white male faculty in the entrepreneurship division,” the complaint read. Lakshmi Balachandra’s attorney, Monica Shah, said that the professor has also filed a charge of discrimination with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination.

Meanwhile, Babson College has responded that it takes concerns or complaints seriously and has well-established protocols and resources in place to thoroughly investigate and address them.

“The college is home to a diverse global community where equity and inclusion are valued and incorporated across every facet of campus, and where discrimination of any kind is not tolerated,” a spokesperson of Babson College was quoted as saying. Lakshmi Balachandra, who is currently on leave for a fellowship at the National Science Foundation, is seeking unspecified damages, the report added.

The Madhya Pradesh government will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) under the State’s Innovation Medical Knowledge Sharing Mission.

The decision was taken by the State’s Medical Education Minister Vishwas Kailash Sarang, following a discussion on mutual exchange in the field of medical education and research with doctors of the AAPI on the second day of the Pravasi Bharatiya Sammelan.

“MoU with the prestigious organization of doctors in America will develop new dimensions in the field of medical education and research. It will help in capacity building and training of medical students and doctors of the state. It will also help in technical cooperation in the establishment of the center of excellence for medical subject expertise,” Sarang said.

He added that AAPI will also conduct online lectures and workshops for medical students and doctors. ACS Medical Education Mohammad Suleman, president of AAPI delegation Dr Ravi Kolli, Dr Manoj Jain, Dr Prakash Satwani, Dr. sampat Shivangi, Dr Leena Gupta, Dr Vijay Maurya, Dr Pramit, Dr Sudhakar Jonnalagadda, Dr Satheesh Kathula and other dignitaries were present at the meeting.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has made an appeal to Tamils all over the world to renew their links with their villages and schools through the virtual pavilion introduced by the State government and contribute to the development of government schools.

“Even if you live in one corner of the world, your roots in Tamil Nadu and in your native place should be strengthened. It is an opportunity to pay back to the soil that nurtured you. Our children will emerge victorious and develop your organizations, villages, and corporate houses,” he said while launching the Namma School Foundation of the School Education Department in Chennai.

Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin has launched a ‘Namma School Foundation’ initiative to improve the infrastructure of state government-run schools. Notably, Stalin donated ₹5 lakh on his own for this purpose. “The funds will be judiciously used…in a transparent manner for the future of the children,” Stalin said, urging the Tamil diaspora worldwide to donate towards the cause.

Education is wealth that cannot be snatched by anyone, he said and asserted that the DMK government was creating such an asset for posterity. The Chief Minister appealed to philanthropists to contribute for the development of the schools.

“Every rupee given for the noble cause will be spent for the development of the schools, teachers, and students. The funds will be judiciously used and in a transparent manner for the future of the children,” the Chief Minister said and urged Tamils across the world to re-establish their links with their villages and schools through a virtual pavilion introduced by the State government and thereby contribute.

Venu Srinivasan, chairman emeritus of TVS company, is the chairperson of the foundation. Chess grandmaster Viswanathan Anand is its ambassador.

The Chief Minister facilitated actor Sivakumar, who along with his classmates, adopted a government school in Sulur.

Namma school portal and school virtual pavilion were also launched by the Chief Minister on the occasion.

Recalling the role played by the DMK leader K Anbazhagan on the occasion of his birth centenary today, Stalin said as Education Minister, Anbazhagan had made contribution to the field. “Today we named the Commissionerate of school education building at Nungambakkam here after Anbazhagan and launched the Namma School Foundation of the school education department coinciding with thes birth anniversary,” the Chief Minister said.

The foundation aims at bringing together communities and individuals who want to give back; corporates who wish to invest in and groom a new and aspiring generation to make government schools aspirational for all socio-economic classes thus delivering on the promise of equitable quality education.

The funds would be used to develop health and hygiene, nutrition, pedagogy, promote sports and culture, co-curricular activities and upskilling to equip the learners to face and triumph over the challenges of an increasingly modernised and transforming world.

Fewer than half of the students who applied early to college this fall submitted standardized test scores, according to an analysis by the nonprofit that publishes the Common Application. 

The data point could mark a watershed moment in admissions, college advisers say, when a pandemic pause in SAT and ACT testing requirements evolved into something more permanent. 

Just three years ago, 78 percent of applicants included test scores in their early Common App submissions, a round of admissions that ends Nov. 1.  

The share of applicants reporting SAT or ACT scores plunged in 2020, as COVID-19 shuttered testing sites and drove hundreds of colleges to adopt “test-optional” admissions.  

Many observers expected the testing requirement to return as restrictions lifted. It hasn’t. 

“We’ve actually seen an increase in the share of colleges on the Common App that don’t require a test score,” said Preston Magouirk, senior manager of research and analytics at Common App. 

More than 1,800 colleges are “test-optional” this year, including most elite public and private campuses, according to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, or FairTest.  

Common App data shows that only 4 percent of colleges require test scores for applications this fall, down from 55 percent in pre-pandemic 2019. The group includes a handful of technical universities and Florida’s state university system.  

Any number of schools could revert to requiring test scores. But admissions experts don’t believe they will.  

“I think it’s harder to go back,” said Jed Applerouth, founder of Applerouth Tutoring Services in Atlanta. “When you go test-optional, you have the freedom to build the class you want to build.” 

The test-optional movement began at Bowdoin College in Maine in 1970 and spread through academia, gaining traction in the 2000s amid concerns about equity. 

Not until the coronavirus pandemic, though, did a majority of applicants exercise the option to omit test scores from their Common Application requirements.  

College admission panels used to count on SAT and ACT scores as a way to compare students across schools. Sorting applicants by GPA or academic rigor can be tricky: An A in honors geometry may not mean the same thing from one school to another. 

The test-optional push follows relentless criticism that college-entrance exams favor the affluent, who can afford pricey test-prep classes, effectively paying for a higher score.  

A few colleges have rejected standardized tests altogether. California’s public university system, the nation’s largest, no longer accepts them. Elsewhere, most institutions have embraced the test-optional option.  

Experts see little downside. By accepting test scores but not requiring them, a selective college often finds that its SAT and ACT averages go up, because students with lower scores don’t submit them. 

Admission consultants say test-optional policies free an institution to enroll more economically disadvantaged students, or more affluent “full-pay” students, whose parents cover the full cost of attendance, all without regard to test scores.  

“If they want, they can increase diversity,” Applerouth said. “If they want, they can increase full-pay. Why would you give that up?” 

The leaders of FairTest and other equity advocates cheer the test-optional trend.  

“Any time spent preparing for the SAT or ACT is time spent not reading a novel, time not spent playing the guitar,” said Harry Feder, executive director of FairTest. “I think it’s a waste of kids’ energy and time.” 

For applicants, however, the test-optional era brings a host of new complexities.  

Applicants now face more decisions on the pros and cons of submitting scores to individual colleges. The choice can trigger a deep dive into a school’s test-score profile, admission statistics and philosophies on testing. 

“It’s a combination of multivariable calculus and reading tea leaves,” said Wendie Lubic, a partner in The College Lady, a Washington, D.C., consultancy.  

As a general rule, admission consultants encourage applicants to submit scores that fall near the SAT or ACT average for the target school: the higher, the better.  

College leaders promise to give every student a fair shake, test scores or no.  

“When we say we’re test-optional, we really mean we’re test-optional and don’t think twice when a student doesn’t submit test scores as part of their application,” said Jeff Allen, vice president for admission and financial aid at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota.  

Macalester officials decided to go test-optional shortly before the pandemic descended. A slim majority of Macalester applicants did not submit scores last fall, a quotient that suggests they accept the school’s pledge not to penalize the score-less.  

Yet, admission statistics suggest some other schools prefer applicants who post scores. 

Lubic, the consultant, cites Boston College. The school’s overall admission rate is 17 percent. Boston College is test-optional. Its website promises that students who do not submit scores will “receive full consideration” in admissions. But school policy also notes, somewhat ominously, that those who do not send scores “will have one less credential to be considered by the Admission Committee.” 

To Lubic, the numbers speak for themselves. For the current academic year, Boston College admitted 25 percent of applicants with test scores and 10 percent of those without. 

The University of Virginia provides another case study. In the last round of admissions, students without test scores made up 42 percent of applicants but only 26 percent of admissions. 

“Amherst, Barnard, Boston College, Boston University, you can see that they actively prefer scores,” Lubic said. “They have actually told people what the admit rate is for students who submit scores, and what the admit rate is for students who don’t submit scores.” The second number, she said, is invariably lower. 

“Right now, we’re in the middle of a swamp,” she said. “Nothing is confirmed.” 

Jessica, a mother in Richmond, Va., helped her daughter through the college admissions process last year. The daughter had a 4.8 weighted GPA and a 1390 SAT score. The family chose to submit scores to some schools but not to others, depending on each institution’s SAT average and apparent preference. 

The daughter gained admission to several colleges whose admission committees never saw her scores, including the honors program at the University of South Carolina, where she ultimately enrolled. The University of Virginia did see her scores — and put her on its waitlist. 

“That was a shocker,” said Jessica, who withheld her last name to discuss what remains a sensitive topic in her family.  

During the pandemic, when some students lacked access to testing, hundreds of colleges pledged to treat applicants the same with or without test scores.  

“That pledge has now expired,” Applerouth said.  

In a post-COVID world, he said, test-optional means a college considers an application complete without test scores. It does not necessarily mean the application is on equal footing with the others. 

“Academic rigor is optional,” Applerouth said. “Submitting robust AP scores is optional. Being student body president is optional. But optional does not mean without impact.” 

The retreat from required testing, especially in California, has lowered the stakes for students who take the tests. More than 1.7 million high school students in the class of 2022 took the SAT, up from 1.5 million in 2021, but down from 2.2 million in 2020, according to test publisher the College Board.  

On the future of standardized testing, “I think California will continue to drive a lot of the discussion,” said Jon Boeckenstedt, vice provost for enrollment management at Oregon State University.  

California’s university system dropped standardized tests from admissions in 2021, a dramatic step affecting several of the nation’s most prestigious public campuses. 

“I know College Board continues to campaign quietly in the state to get the public universities to reinstate the tests,” Boeckenstedt said. “And if they do, that would be a game changer.” 

Sethuraman, class of 1992, said he is indebted to the institution for shaping his professional life. ITS Pilani alumnus Raghu Sethuraman and his spouse, Aparna Thyagarajan, co-founder of Shobitam, a Seattle-based apparel brand have donated US$1,22,380 for women entrepreneurship at the institute.

According to an official statement, the amount will be used to develop a “Shobitam Centre for Women Entrepreneurship” (SCWE), which will strengthen startup ventures of women students across the BITS campuses. Additionally, the donation will also fund two scholarships each year for talented women leaders from the centre.

SCWE will also conduct events and programs to encourage entrepreneurial spirit in women, provide seed capital for promising ventures, access to cutting edge technology of industry experts and hands-on coaching  from a diverse set of stakeholders.

A graduate of the 1992 batch, Sethuraman currently serves as the chairman of the board, Shobitam and general manager at Azure, Microsoft. “I am indebted to BITS Pilani, an institution which has played a key role in shaping me personally and professionally. And it gives me great pleasure to be part of this unique initiative to create SCWE in collaboration with BITS, Pilani,” he said.

“Entrepreneurship is a mindset where the centre will create a conducive environment for women’s entrepreneurship to succeed with gender equality, build institutional capacity and develop  tools with support services for women entrepreneurs. SCWE will be a legacy builder, one that will have a lasting impact on the future generations,” he added.

BITS Pilani is a reputed institute in India well known for its entrepreneurial culture. The Alumni  is credited for founding 10 unicorns in India, including Swiggy, Groww, Eruditus, Ofbusiness, Bigbasket and more.

The Indian School of Business (ISB) in partnership with the Consulate General of India in New York hosted the concluding Indian School of Business @20 global event on November 18, 2022. Mr. Randhir Jaiswal, Consul General of India in New York spoke about the various phases seen in the growth of the Indian education system and the strong knowledge partnerships between India and USA. Professor Madan Pillutla, Dean, ISB shared a state of the School report.

Rajat Gupta, ISB’s Founding Chairman spoke of the challenges faced in the initial years and the support of various governments in moulding the course of ISB’s growth. Members of the ISB Board, Mr. Girish Reddy and Mr. Purnendu Chatterjee expressed ISB’s pride in its alumni and exhorted them to give back to the School in every way possible.

Established in 2001 with a vision to be a world-class, research-driven management education institution that creates leaders, the Indian School of Business (ISB) has come a long way in its two-decade journey. Throughout its journey, ISB has won numerous recognitions, launched several successful programs, and became an acknowledged leader in management research in the country. Many of its 13500 plus alumni now lead global companies and manageflourishing start-ups. ISB has 1000 plus alumni presence in the US.

Celebrating this milestone, ISB through a series of global and domestic events brought together various stakeholders who have played a role in ISB’s success. As India celebrates 75 years of Independence, ISB has partnered with the Consulate General of India, New York, USA to organize a celebratory event under the aegis of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.

A new program at the University of Calgary allows students from India to obtain Canadian and Indian law degrees. The India-Canada dual law degree program, with the University of Calgary partnering with India’s Jindal Global University, has five students enrolled this year. Ian Holloway, the dean of the law faculty at the University of Calgary, says that the new program “is an amazing opportunity, for both the students from India and the law students here in Canada, to broaden their horizons.” This program is part of 10 MoUs that Jindal Global has signed with universities in six countries, including Italy, Peru, Taiwan, the UK and the US.

Ian Holloway, the dean of the law faculty at the U of C, chuckles at the worry the Jindal students have expressed about winter in Alberta. “I was talking to one of the students last week, asking ‘Hey, how is it going?’ The answer was, ‘People are very friendly but it’s very cold.’ And I was thinking to myself ‘What are they going to think when it takes them an hour to get to class during a snowstorm when it usually takes 20 minutes.’”

Still, Holloway says that the new program at the U of C “is an amazing opportunity, for both the students from India and the law students here in Canada, to broaden their horizons.” He adds: “It’s going to help both groups have a broader perspective on the world. Canadians think of themselves as cosmopolitan because of its multi-cultural nature of things,” but “sometimes there is a certain degree of parochialism that can exist.”

For the university, the dual-degree program adds yet another layer to putting the university on a global scale, says Holloway. It already receives students from all over the world but having a program that offers a law degree that can be used in two countries, such as this one, “puts our law school on a path to increase our global presence.”

The program at the University of Calgary is part of 10 memorandums of understanding that Jindal Global has recently signed with top universities in six countries. They include Italy, Peru, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States. These partnerships are among the newest 40 collaborations Jindal Global entered during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since its founding in 2009, it has partnered with 250 law schools and universities worldwide.

Holloway says that the Jindal Global joint degree program at U of C dates to late 2019, just before COVID-19 cases increased exponentially worldwide. Holloway says the law school in Calgary already had a joint degree program in energy law with the University of Houston law school, and Jindal Global thought it would be a good candidate for starting a similar program for its students wanting to study in Canada.

The conservative-majority Supreme Court on Monday appeared skeptical of affirmative action in higher education during arguments over race-conscious admissions policies at two prestigious universities.

Over nearly five hours of oral argument, the justices posed sharp questions over admissions programs at the University of North Carolina (UNC) and Harvard University that consider the race of applicants — as one of many criteria — in order to achieve student body diversity.

The court’s majority appeared receptive to arguments by the conservative challengers, Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), who argued that the schools had impermissibly weighed race in admissions decisions.

“What is your response to the simple argument that college admissions are a zero-sum game?” Justice Samuel Alito asked an attorney for a group of students backing race-conscious admissions. “And if you give a plus to a person who … falls within the category of underrepresented minority but not to somebody else, you’re disadvantaging the latter student?”

The cases heard Monday tee up the prospect that decades of affirmative action precedent could be overturned by the 6-3 conservative majority court, which last court term showed an extraordinary new willingness to scrap past rulings.

A key question heading into Monday’s arguments was how the affirmative action challenge would land with former President Trump’s three nominees — Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett — none of whom have ruled on the issue as appellate judges. Those justices on Monday appeared to lean in favor of the conservative challengers, though it wasn’t clear how broadly the court’s newest members might be willing to rule.

The court’s three most senior conservatives — Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas and Alito — each of whom had opposed racial preferences in prior cases, seemed similarly wary of the colleges’ arguments.

Some of the conservative justices at times seemed to be searching for a way to rule on relatively narrower grounds, for instance by heightening the requirements on schools to explore race-neutral means to reach their diversity goals. Some justices questioned whether eliminating admissions preferences for the children of alumni, donors or other connected applicants might be a step in this direction.

“Suppose the university could achieve, race-neutrally, all of its diversity objectives, if it just eliminated those preferences. Would strict scrutiny require it to do so?” Gorsuch asked, posing a hypothetical question to an attorney representing UNC.

Later, Kavanaugh asked a similar question about whether universities should be required to make these sort of “sacrifices” as part of their pursuit of race-neutral alternatives.

The schools, for their part, contend that that they have explored such approaches — and continue to do so — but that no workable, race-neutral options are available

The court’s three liberals, for their part, leaned in favor of the schools’ use of race-conscious admissions. Among them was Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the nation’s first female African American justice, who participated in the UNC case but recused from the Harvard dispute due to her recent role as a member of Harvard’s board of overseers.

During a colloquy with the lawyer for SFFA, Jackson pushed back against the notion that schools should be allowed to consider a range of applicants’ identity markers — like if they have veteran status or if they are disabled — but not race.

“What I’m worried about is that the rule that you’re advocating, that in the context of a holistic review process, a university can take into account and value all of the other background and personal characteristics of other applicants, but they can’t value race,” she said to lawyer Patrick Strawbridge.

“What I’m worried about is that that seems to me to have the potential of causing more of an equal protection problem than it’s actually solving,” Jackson said, referring to the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.

SFFA, in its argument, urged the court to overrule its landmark 2003 decision in Grutter v. Bollinger, which permits colleges to diversify their student populations by using race as one part of a holistic assessment of individual applicants.

The argument highlights a central concern in the cases: the degree to which the use of racial classifications to benefit minorities is compatible with the Equal Protection Clause in the UNC dispute, and with federal civil rights law in the case of Harvard.

SFFA argues that any purported educational benefits that come from student body diversity — a claim which it has called “nebulous” — does not justify breaking with the principle of equal protection.

Lawyers representing UNC and Harvard, student groups and the Biden administration, at turns, emphasized the real-world benefits of racial diversity on campus, from reducing stereotyping to enhancing cross-cultural engagement.

“The evidence and findings in this case confirm what this Court has long recognized: that a university student body comprising a multiplicity of backgrounds, experiences and interests vitally benefits our nation,” lawyer Seth Waxman argued on behalf of Harvard. “Stereotypes are broken down, prejudice is reduced and critical thinking and problem solving skills are improved.”

In its suit against Harvard, SFFA made an additional claim: that the school’s admissions policy discriminates against Asian Americans. The group argued that Harvard’s subjective “personal ratings” scores have tended toward negative racial stereotypes, with the effect of making it harder for Asian Americans to be admitted compared to white applicants.

Waxman at times appeared to struggle with the issue under tough questioning from Alito and Roberts. After Waxman conceded that race is sometimes determinative in admissions decisions, the chief justice pounced.

“Okay, so we’re talking about race as a determining factor in admission to Harvard,” Roberts said. “Race for some highly qualified applicants can be the determinative factor, just as being an oboe player in a year in which the Harvard-Radcliffe orchestra needs an oboe player will be the tip,” Waxman replied.

“Yeah. We did not fight a civil war about oboe players,” Roberts said. “We did fight a civil war to eliminate racial discrimination, and that’s why it’s a matter of considerable concern. And I think it’s important for you to establish whether or not granting a credit based solely on skin color is based on a stereotype when you say this brings diversity of viewpoint.”

SFFA in both lawsuits suffered defeat in the lower courts, where judges rejected its arguments based on Grutter and related cases, prompting their appeal to the Supreme Court. Decisions in the cases — SFFA v. UNC and SFFA v. Harvard — are expected by this summer. (Courtesy: The Hill)

(RNS) — Two California State University professors are suing their employer — the largest public university system in the United States — as they try to prevent officials from enforcing a new caste discrimination policy that they say singles out students and staff who are Indian and Hindu.

Professors Sunil Kumar and Praveen Sinha claim the new policy “seeks to define the Hindu religion as including ‘caste’ and an alleged oppressive and discriminatory caste system as foundational religious tenets,” according to the complaint filed Monday (Oct. 17) in California federal court. That’s an “inaccurate depiction of the Hindu religion,” they claim, adding that the First Amendment forbids the state and the university system from “defining the contours of Hinduism (or any religion).”

According to a CSU spokesperson, the decision to add caste to its anti-discrimination policy “reflects the university’s commitment to inclusivity and respect.” CSU reportedly arrived at the decision following a long multi-campus effort to shed light on the issue of caste discrimination.

he Hindu American Foundation (HAF), which is aiding the professors’ legal representation, said the university is misrepresenting the caste system as a tenet of Hindu belief. 

HAF Executive Director Suhag Shukla and Managing Director Samir Kalra claim the policy is “unconstitutional” because it reportedly violates the First Amendment’s Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses as well as the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses.

Kumar and Sinha filed their complaint at a California federal court to stop the university from enforcing the updated policy.

“We fully and vehemently oppose all forms of prejudice and discrimination,” Kumar said in a statement. “But CSU’s Interim Policy singles out all Indian origin and Hindu staff and students solely because we are Indian and Hindu. This by its very definition is discrimination and a denial of our basic civil rights.”

Meridian International Center will offer a paid summer enrichment and mentorship program in 2023 in an effort to expand access to global education opportunities and international affairs careers to community college, transfer, and non-traditional students.

The Community College Global Affairs Fellowship (CCGAF) is a brand-new initiative held in partnership with Global Community College Transfers and Community Colleges for International Development (CCID) through the generous support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The CCGAF is the only program of its kind and will achieve a sustained multiplier effect, as students who engage in the program will present their experiences at their home campuses and return to the program as mentors for cohorts to follow. It will provide evidence-based skill-building, mentorship, one-on-one coaching, and ongoing access to networks and support that these students and professionals need to grow in their work, advance to higher levels of leadership, and become decision-makers on the world stage. Additionally, CCGAF will build upon the success of Global Community College Transfers’ community college and transfer student mentorship program, advance CCID’s work-building pathways to global careers at community colleges, and leverage Meridian’s experience developing leadership and diplomatic training for emerging leaders around the world.

Background: Research shows that despite many community colleges having the capacity to deliver high-quality training for students and employers, the schools and their students face unique systemic and institutional barriers to equipping students for their careers. Targeted and intensive support programs tailored to community college students’ specific needs will improve educational and employment outcomes (Advising Student Supports at Community Colleges, Teacher’s College Columbia University, April 2021). 

Yet, no national mentorship and experiential education programs are currently dedicated to community college, transfer, and non-traditional students pursuing global education and foreign affairs careers. Furthermore, the consensus among diplomatic leaders is that future foreign policymaking decisions will be more effective through a concentrated effort to invest in and strengthen the American international affairs workforce to better reflect American society’s diversity. America’s community colleges are a tremendous source to build this talent ecosystem.

This announcement was launched during the 11th Annual Meridian Global Leadership Summit on October 21, 2022. For event updates, visit summit.meridian.org or follow #MeridianSummit on social media.

For more information about the Community College Global Affairs Fellowship and the application process, please contact Meridian’s Vice President of Diplomatic Engagement Frank Justice at [email protected] and Meridian’s Diplomatic Engagement Associate Vishva Bhatt at [email protected].

The 2022 Booker Prize was given to The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, written by Sri Lanka’s Shehan Karunatilaka. The annual award, which was given Monday evening in London, is for a work of fiction written in English and published in the U.K. and Ireland.

The panel of judges hailed Karunatilaka’s novel as “a searing, mordantly funny satire set amid the murderous mayhem of a Sri Lanka beset by civil war.”

Karunatilaka is one of Sri Lanka’s foremost authors; his first novel, 2011’s Chinaman, was quickly marked as the arrival of a significant literary force. His work has also been published in Rolling Stone, GQ and National Geographic. 

The five other shortlisted nominees for the 2022 Booker Prize were Glory, by NoViolet Bulawayo of Zimbabwe; The Trees, by American novelist Percival Everett; Treacle Walker, by English novelist Alan Garner; Small Things Like These, by Irish author Claire Keegan; and Oh William!, by American novelist Elizabeth Strout.

The Booker Prize includes a £50,000 (over $56,000) award to the winner, as well as £2,500 (about $2800) awarded to each of the six shortlisted authors.

The organization also gives a separate honor, called the International Booker Prize, to a work of fiction translated into English. The 2022 award was made in June to the novel Tomb of Sand by the Indian novelist Geetanjali Shree, which was translated into English by Daisy Rockwell.

The O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) has established new and meaningful partnerships with 10 leading universities in the US as part of working towards its mission to provide global education opportunities to its students.

JGU has signed new MoUs with the San Jose State University; University of Houston; Penn State Dickinson School of Law; Central Washington University; Pace University; Fordham University; University of Oregon; Clark University; Washington State University; and the Ohio State University

These innovative and path-breaking new collaborations will give JGU students opportunities to study with the leading universities of the world, participate in student exchange programmes, study abroad courses and for dual degree qualifications.

They will also have access to world-class faculty members while studying at JGU and partner universities in the US.

Students will be able to develop intercultural learning experience, while gaining a global perspective during the study period and get opportunities to improve employability skills and enhance chances to follow higher education pursuits overseas. These international education opportunities will be available for students of law, business, finance, liberal arts, journalism and many other disciplines.

The Founding Vice Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University, Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, said: “The MoUs that have been signed with the 10 leading universities of the US underscores JGU’s commitment to fulfil the vision of the National Education Policy 2020 and to provide global education opportunities to the students of JGU under the framework of our status as an ‘Institution of Eminence’.

“International collaborations allow JGU students to develop a world view with an exchange of knowledge and ideas along with a multi-cultural understanding. Student and academic mobility lead to mutual benefit for both institutions and strengthen educational connections.

“These partnerships also have the potential to make an impact on curriculum development, collaborative teaching programmes and research networks. The partnerships with renowned universities in the US will provide transformative learning opportunities for our students.”

JGU has a wide network of partner universities in the US which has further expanded with the addition of these top-class Universities catering to the aspirations of JGU’s students for higher education in the US with a holistic international experience.

These new collaborations are in addition to the existing 360+ partnerships across 67 countries in the world creating diverse opportunities for intercultural learning through internationalization.

Professor (Dr.) Mohan Kumar, Dean, Office of International Affairs & Global Initiatives, JGU, said: “JGU has had long standing cooperation with some of the leading universities in the US. Some of the key strategic partnerships of JGU are with American universities.

“JGU hopes to strengthen and consolidate these partnerships in the future with the wide-ranging opportunities for our students to study with leading universities and institutions in the US. Our students are keen to engage with global universities in their pursuit of study abroad programmes, student exchange programmes and dual degree offerings.” (IANS)

US asks its citizens to exercise ‘increased caution’ while visiting India

In its latest India Travel Advisory, the United States has asked its citizens to “exercise increased caution in India due to crime and terrorism”.

The US State Department in the travel advisory issued on October 5 has put India at Level 2, which denotes “Exercise Increased Caution”.

The advisory asked its citizens not to travel to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (except the eastern Ladakh region and its capital, Leh) due to terrorism and civil unrest, and within 10 km of the India-Pakistan border due to potential armed conflicts.

“Indian authorities report that rape is one of the fastest growing crimes in India. Violent crime, such as sexual assault, has occurred at tourist sites and in other locations,” the advisory added.

“Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and government facilities,” the US State Department said.

The US government has limited ability to provide emergency services to its citizens in rural areas from eastern Maharashtra and northern Telangana through western West Bengal as the US government employees must obtain special authorisation to travel to these areas. (IANS)

The Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), Bhubaneswar, Orissa, won the prestigious UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize 2022 for its outstanding literacy program. KISS is considered the largest institute for the indigenous students in the world, according to a PRNewswire release. The award was presented Sept. 8, 2022, at a global award ceremony hosted by UNESCO in Côte d’Ivoire on Sept. 8 and 9, to celebrate International Literacy Day.

A non-profit established in 1992-93 by well-known educationist Dr Achyuta Samanta to empower the indigenous population through education, KISS is a fully free residential educational institution that provides holistic education, comprehensive skilling and sports empowerment.

“I thank UNESCO for recognizing our efforts and social innovations in the field of education, literacy and indigenous empowerment. In my childhood, I struggled to get proper education and now I put all my life and soul to provide holistic education to millions at margins,” Dr. Samanta said in his message.

The India-based Institute is credited with adopting “innovative pedagogies as learning tools and bringing about a perceptible change in the socio-economic lives of the indigenous population through education,” the press release said.

The UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize is sponsored by the Government of the Republic of Korea and recognizes contributions to mother language-based literacy development. KISS has received the award in the category of ‘Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education programme’. The award carries an endowment of US$ 20,000, a medal and a diploma. KISS is a constituent of the KIIT Group of Institutions.

Every year, the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes focus on a specific theme. This year, the spotlight was on Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces. KISS is the fifth institute from India and the first from Odisha to receive this international prize. It is also the third among the non-profit NGOs and first indigenous based organisation to be conferred with this award.

According to the press release, KISS has transformed the lives of 70,000 indigenous children (30,000 children pursuing education and 40,000 alumni) directly and about 700,000 lives in the indigenous communities indirectly.

The Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), Bhubaneswar, Orissa, won the prestigious UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize 2022 for its outstanding literacy program. KISS is considered the largest institute for the indigenous students in the world, according to a PRNewswire release. The award was presented Sept. 8, 2022, at a global award ceremony hosted by UNESCO in Côte d’Ivoire on Sept. 8 and 9, to celebrate International Literacy Day.

A non-profit established in 1992-93 by well-known educationist Dr Achyuta Samanta to empower the indigenous population through education, KISS is a fully free residential educational institution that provides holistic education, comprehensive skilling and sports empowerment.

“I thank UNESCO for recognizing our efforts and social innovations in the field of education, literacy and indigenous empowerment. In my childhood, I struggled to get proper education and now I put all my life and soul to provide holistic education to millions at margins,” Dr. Samanta said in his message.

The India-based Institute is credited with adopting “innovative pedagogies as learning tools and bringing about a perceptible change in the socio-economic lives of the indigenous population through education,” the press release said.

The UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize is sponsored by the Government of the Republic of Korea and recognizes contributions to mother language-based literacy development. KISS has received the award in the category of ‘Mother Tongue Based Multilingual Education programme’. The award carries an endowment of US$ 20,000, a medal and a diploma. KISS is a constituent of the KIIT Group of Institutions.

Every year, the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes focus on a specific theme. This year, the spotlight was on Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces. KISS is the fifth institute from India and the first from Odisha to receive this international prize. It is also the third among the non-profit NGOs and first indigenous based organisation to be conferred with this award.

According to the press release, KISS has transformed the lives of 70,000 indigenous children (30,000 children pursuing education and 40,000 alumni) directly and about 700,000 lives in the indigenous communities indirectly.

During his recent trip to California India’s ambassador to the United States, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, met with Chancellor Carol Christ and Dean Ann Harrison of University of California, Berkeley. He also met with Prof Solomon Darwin, director of the Garwood Center for Corporate Innovation and the executive director of the Center for Growth Markets at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr Christ’s office told indica, “Ambassador Sandhu had a brief meeting with the chancellor on India’s educational policy, internationalization of higher education, and academic exchange between India and the US.” Later, Sandhu met with the faculty and leadership of the Haas School of Business to learn about their India-focused initiatives.

Prof Darwin, who hosted the ambassador, told indica, “We have signed a memorandum of understanding with the NITI Aayog in 2020, and the discussion was based on three main things they are doing in India.” The NITI Aayog is the Indian government’s top think tank and is the chief advisor to the Prime Minister on policy matters.

Prof Darwin and Ambassador Sandhu discussed strategies to help make India a manufacturing hub on par with China. The second project is to educate 600 million young people on digital devices and bringing India online for last mile connectivity to provide access to global markets.

“We also talked about the Smart village movement and building a scalable model so that they can sustain themselves,” said Prof. Darwin.

He said the Smart Village project is an ongoing effort with over 40 companies collaborating. In 2020 and also this year, Prof Darwin said, three-day meetings in New Delhi were attended by 28 companies. These interactions were held at Rashtrapati Bhawan and Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.

“Forty US-based companies have signed up to help make India a manufacturing hub,” he said. “You can’t manufacture in India unless the entire ecosystem comes together. For example, if you need a chip company in India you also need Dell to assemble and build a laptop. You need companies that make minerals. In short, you need an ecosystem. Our meeting at Rashtrapati Bhawan was about this.”

One of India’s biggest IT projects is to educate more than half a million youths to code in order to help them get meaningful jobs in the sector. Prof. Darwin said a whole system is available on the Cloud. “If you want to learn to code, opportunities with Khan academy, Salesforce, Dell, Amazon and similar companies exist. They not only teach, but also give a certificate if students pass the exam. It’s free.”

He added, “Many Indian kids can’t afford to pay fees to learn coding, but if they can learn to code from these outlets, they can work for Silicon Valley companies.”

Prof Darwin indicated that role of Haas Business School will be like an orchestra conductor. “We will bring resources together. We are non-political and non-commercial. UC Berkeley is a not-for-profit institution, and we are focused on societal, environmental, and people problems. This the reason that The NTI Aayog decided to work with us.”

When indica asked him about his experience of working with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, Prof Darwin indicated that he is not get anyone’s personal philosophy, but “in terms of action the government is good.” He said the Modi government is doing to right thing working with UC Berkeley. “We are only concerned with moving things forward.”

He gave an example of how India wants to build a chip manufacturing ecosystem and that this will take anywhere between five to 10 years. “To attract capital, India needs to have the right policy. And you can only attract capital when there is trust in the system.”

Trust is a major topic Prof Darwin has touched upon in his book, ‘Resetting the Jewel in the Crown: A Roadmap for Rebuilding India’. “If you don’t have trust, no one is going to invest in your country. For example, the 40 companies that Haas is working with have said they are willing to trust but India needs to demonstrate that.”

To be sure, according to data provided by India’s ministry of commerce and industry, Singapore (27.01%) and the US (17.94%) have emerged as top two nations with FDI equity flows into India in FY2021-22, followed by Mauritius (15.98%), the Netherlands (7.86%) and Switzerland (7.31%). FDI equity inflow in the manufacturing sectors increased 76% in FY 2021-22 ($21.34 billion) as compared to FY2020-21 ($12.09 billion).

“If Modi government can protect foreign investment in India, companies will come,” Prof. Solomon said. “It is about establishing trust and facilitating the ease of doing business. Since 2016, six automakers have left India. The country needs to learn from that to reduce barriers to entry and improve ease of doing business in India.”

The head chef at Cambs Bangladeshi and Indian diner won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the English Curry Awards.

The English Curry Awards are meant to celebrate amazing restaurants across the UK. Miftaur Rahman Choudhury was in attendance at this year’s event because his restaurant, Lalbagh, was short listed for their Restaurant of the Year Award. He was shocked when he won the Lifetime Achievement Award, which he did not even know that he was nominated for. “When they came to lifetime achievement award I was munching and when I heard my name I was absolutely shocked, and overwhelmed with joy,” he said. (Courtesy: Indica News)

The Education Department opened investigations into Harvard and Yale as part of a continuing review that has found U.S. universities failed to report at least $6.5 billion in foreign funding from countries such as China and Saudi Arabia, according to department materials viewed by The Wall Street Journal.

The investigations into the Ivy League schools are the latest in a clash between U.S. universities and a coalition of federal officials including law enforcement, research funders such as the National Institutes of Health and Defense and Energy Departments, and a bipartisan group in Congress that has raised concerns about the reliance of higher-education institutions on foreign money, particularly from China.

A Harvard spokesman said the university is working on a response. A Yale spokeswoman didn’t immediately have a comment.

The Education Department described higher-education institutions in the U.S., in a document viewed by the Journal, as “multi-billion dollar, multi-national enterprises using opaque foundations, foreign campuses, and other sophisticated legal structures to generate revenue.”

Officials accused schools of actively soliciting money from foreign governments, companies and nationals known to be hostile to the U.S. and potentially in search of opportunities to steal research and “spread propaganda benefitting foreign governments,” according to the document.

In addition, while the department said it has found foreign money generally flows to the country’s richest universities, “such money apparently does not reduce or otherwise offset American students’ tuition costs,” the document said.

U.S. officials say China uses a variety of means to target academia, including government-funded talent recruitment programs such as the Thousand Talents Plan. The arrest last month of the chairman of Harvard’s chemistry department on federal charges of lying about receiving millions of dollars in Chinese funding through the program while the U.S. shelled out more than $15 million to fund his research group catapulted the issue into the spotlight.

In a letter to Harvard dated Feb. 11 and posted on the Education Department website, officials cited the recent Justice Department case and asked the school to disclose records of gifts or contracts involving the governments of China, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Iran. It also requested records regarding telecommunications giants Huawei Technologies Co. and ZTE Corp. of China; the Kaspersky Lab and Skolkovo Foundation of Russia; and the Alavi Foundation of Iran, among others.

The Education Department said Yale had failed to disclose at least $375 million dollars in foreign funding after filing no reports from 2014-17, according to a document viewed by the Journal. The department, in a Feb. 11 letter to the university, sought records regarding contributions from Saudi Arabia, China and its telecom giants, Peking University’s Yenching Academy, the National University of Singapore, Qatar and others. It also asked the university to detail foreign funding of Yale Law School’s Paul Tsai China Center and the new Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs.

If the schools refuse to disclose the information, the Education Department can refer the matter to the Justice Department, which could pursue civil or criminal actions.

Deakin University, Australia, has announced its Research Scholarships Program 2023, which offers 100% tuition fee waiver to twenty high-achieving Indian students for the full duration of their onshore higher degree by research studies at the university. Among the top 1% universities for global research impact and a 100% Excellence in Research Australia (ERA), Deakin University remains committed to partnering with India and giving back to Indian students to open a world of opportunity with a research scholarship.

The scholarship recipients will receive a 100% tuition fee waiver and an annual stipend of up to INR 15 lacs for full-time, on-campus study for up to three years. Additionally, students will also be eligible to receive a one-time relocation allowance of up to INR 1.5 lacs and health insurance cover for the duration of their student visa. Through these scholarships, students will be able to re-imagine their careers, connect with industry, and create an impact alongside world-leading researchers at Victoria’s number one university for overall employment.

Deakin’s strategic research and innovation centers help to solve global challenges guided by the five impact themes of advancing society and culture, building safe and secure communities, improving health and wellbeing, enabling a sustainable world, and designing smarter technologies. With a diverse range of research areas, close links with industry, and first-class facilities, Deakin’s research create a real-world, far-reaching impact. In recent times, Deakin’s Recycling and Renewable Energy Commercialization Hub (REACH), Australia’s largest recycling and clean energy advanced manufacturing ecosystem, was awarded a $50 million Australian government Trailblazer Universities Program grant to facilitate research that will play a crucial role in driving Australia’s green manufacturing revolution.

Professor Julie Owens, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research, Deakin University, said, “At Deakin, we focus on promoting research that will have a positive impact on our local and global communities. Through the Research Scholarships Program, we will provide passionate students with the opportunity to focus on making an original and significant contribution in their chosen area of research.”

Professor Bas Baskaran, Pro Vice – Chancellor International Research Partnerships, Deakin University, added, “We have had deep connections with India for almost three decades and our collaborations with eminent institutes in the region have led to exceptional innovation and research over the years. In recognition of India’s 75th year of Independence and 28 years of Deakin University’s presence and engagement in India, Deakin’s Research Scholarships Program aim to provide Indian students with an opportunity to study with our vibrant research community in Australia and pursue meaningful research that can provide solutions to global challenges.” .

Applications for the scholarship are open for students meeting the below eligibility criteria:

• A Master’s degree with at least two-thirds of the degree comprising a thesis graded at 80% and above
• A Master’s degree by coursework or graduate diploma, which includes a research project or thesis of 10,000 to 20,000 words, and 80% and above standard and research methodology units
• Relevant postgraduate research experience
• Independently refereed journal articles, publications, or conference papers
• Professional reporting or prior learning
• Research-related awards or prizes
• IELTS/TOEFL scores are mandatory

About Deakin University

Established in 1974, Deakin University successfully combines excellence in teaching, research and effective partnerships with industry and government to deliver high quality courses and undertake research that makes a difference to the domestic and international communities it serves.

Deakin’s South Asia operations commenced in 1994 at New Delhi, India, making it one of the first overseas education providers to establish operations in this region. Across India, Deakin engages with the government, industry, and academia to share its vibrant culture of education and research.

The last date to submit the application is 15^th October 2022. For more information about Deakin University Research Scholarships Program 2023, please visit https://deakinuniversity.in/research/.  You can also email [email protected] or call the Deakin South Asia Office, New Delhi at +91-(0)11-26544766.

The Higher Education Foundation recently held its Visioning Workshop, 2022 in Washington DC in the presence of education leaders and academicians from India and the Indian Diaspora in the USA. 

A brainchild of Rahul Karad, executive president of MIT World Peace University, Pune, the foundation aims to bring together higher educators and researchers of Indian origin to organize the World’s largest multidisciplinary convention for strategizing and transforming Higher Education in India and beyond. 

The Higher Education Foundation is envisaged to be an association of Indian universities, AICTE, UGC and NAAC, and USA’s NSF, with eminent education leaders and academicians from India and the Indian Diaspora in the USA.

The foundation desires to create a unique platform to bring together Higher Educators and Researchers of Indian origin and wishes to organize the World’s Largest Multidisciplinary Convention for Strategizing and Transforming Higher Education in India and beyond.

In the opening address, Dr. Suresh Garimella, President of University of Vermont, expressed hope and opportunity among the group for collaboration and progress and said, “Hundreds of millions of students must be upskilled in India and the quality of education of India is uneven and variable. Indian research, in my opinion, is primarily supported by the government while the US has a more robust system. We have to keep in mind the differences of the systems in the two countries as we discuss how to partner, there is a lot of experimentation and innovation needed. The greatest thing about the US education system are the Land-Grant acts and I am thinking, is there a version of it that can be applied in India?”

He laid emphasis on the primary function of the meeting which was partnership. He added, “As we consider opportunity today and remain cognisant to the necessary scale, the matter of achieving quality at that scale is a daunting challenge. Here’s where a truly effective deployment of distance education, in my opinion, may provide some answers, both for continuing in professional education and also for full-scale degrees.”

According to him, “India could do this better than any other country if you implement it well. We are here to spend a day to fundamentally seek to find ways of improving the quality of education and the excellence of research. We envision this discussion is directed towards planning a broad and inclusive platform where real issues are targeted, complimenting government efforts, where available and forging new ones, where needed.”

By means of the foundation, the platform will facilitate an intense and ongoing interaction between the eminent academicians and thought leaders of Indian origin in the US and academic and scientific leadership of India. Through the discussions, they can continue to work on the principle of osmosis to enrich and transform the Indian Higher Education System by drawing on the best practices in education in the US and vice versa.

The workshop had noted panelists, 18 Indians and 10 from the USA, and they discussed innovative partnerships, entrepreneurship and commercialization, the research ecosystem and pedagogical innovations in higher education.

The panel, through discussions, explored the possible partnerships that can be implemented at scale in areas of undergraduate studies, study abroad or PHD programs, early-career faculty development, networked centers and others.

Opportunities for India-US collaboration on innovative ideas and business opportunities were also discussed along with the needs and support required by the research ecosystem. Need for innovation in teaching modalities was also talked about at length.

 Ambassador of India to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, said, “Within the large canvas of India-US partnership, the knowledge space has limitless potential. As the world faces multiple challenges including health care, clean energy, climate change, supply chain issues cyber threats etc. India and the United States have unique synergies, combining Indian talent and US technology that can address them.”

He pointed out the efforts made by US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to develop government partnership and emphasized on the higher education opportunity for the two nations. “Today’s spirit is for innovativeness. Anything where we can come together, create new avenues in which our institutions can connect, we’ll be happy to do that,” he added.

The Higher Education Foundation will facilitate collaborations with foreign universities, educationists and regulators abroad to gain insights about improving our educational environment. The aim is to enhance and impart knowledge through the process of deliberations, invited talks, research and thought leadership.

 Executive President of MIT World Peace University, Pune, Shri. Rahul Karad expressed his wish to make the use of the Indian diaspora for transformation of Indian higher education and said, “Institutions in the US allow students to flourish and grow and the research is also strong. We want to look at the governance of the institutions and the policy issues. I’m sure we are going to have concrete and outcome-based discussions here.”

He added, “Usually such collaborations happen only between premier institutions but with this project, we want to penetrate deeper with opportunities to collaborate for tier 2 and 3 universities as well.”

The program aligns with the objective of Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas of the Government of India and expects to build the most comprehensive database of global academicians of Indian origin.

NSF Director Dr. Sethuraman Panchnathan laid emphasis on multilateral partnerships for finding the best solutions to global challenges. He said, “There are three pillars to an innovative partnership – advancing frontiers of research into the future to meet the speed and scale requirements, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity and securing global leadership.”

Rising 31 places in a year, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru has emerged as the highest ranked Indian institute in the 2023 edition of the QS World University rankings, pushing IIT-Bombay to the second position, followed by IIT-Delhi.

The report shows that India’s presence in the top 500 category is also IIT-driven. Apart from IISc, eight IITs (Delhi, Bombay, Madras, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Roorkee, Guwahati, Indore) are ranked among the top 500 globally.

The total number of Indian institutes among the top 1,000 globally has risen to 27 from 22.  Apart from IISc at 155, IIT-Bombay (IIT-B) and IIT-Delhi (IIT-D), which have risen five and 11 places to rank 172 and 174 respectively, are the only other Indian institutes in the global league of top 200, in continuation of a trend since 2017. The total number of Indian institutes among the top 1,000 globally has risen to 27 from 22.

Speaking to the media, QS spokesperson William Barbieri attributed the remarkable rise of IISc, which is one of the eight public Institutes of Eminence (IoE), to improvement across four out of six parameters based on which the rankings are prepared.

These parameters are — academic reputation (AR), employer reputation (ER), faculty-student ratio (FSR), citations per faculty (CpF), international faculty ratio and international students ratio.

Barbieri said: “IISc has had an exceptional year across QS indicators. Remarkably, its strongest performing metric, Citations per Faculty, in which it is the world leader, has not changed year-on-year and it remains at the top of the table. It is the improvements across QS’s other criteria to which it owes its impressive performance. IISc achieves gains in 4/6 metrics, most notably, it has drastically expanded its number of International Faculty. However, significant improvements in Academic and Employer Reputation alongside teaching capacity have all combined to propel IISc to the peak of India’s educational hierarchy.”

Among the eight public IoEs, five (IISc, IIT-B, IIT-D, IIT-Madras and IIT-Kharagpur) improved their rankings, while the University of Delhi and University of Hyderabad slipped from band 501-510 to 521-530 and 651-700 to 751-800, respectively.

According to the CpF indicator of Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), which is a London-based higher education analytics firm, when universities are adjusted for faculty size, IISc Bengaluru is the world’s top research university, achieving a perfect score of 100/100 for this metric. “Furthermore, IISc Bengaluru is the fastest rising South Asian university among the QS World University Rankings top-200,” said a QS statement.

Overall, Indian education institutes, 41 of which made it to the rankings, have performed poorly across many key metrics. For instance, 30 out of 41 ranked universities have suffered declines in the FSR indicator, with only four recording improvements.

“However, on an encouraging note, now two Indian universities rank among the top 250 for Faculty/Student Ratio, compared to none in previous editions. The highest performing in this metric is Savitribai Phule Pune University (225 th for FSR) and O.P. Jindal Global University (235 th for FSR), followed by IISc Bengaluru (276 th for FSR),” QS noted.

Globally, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was declared the best university for the 11th straight year. The second place went to the University of Cambridge, followed by Stanford University. China has 28 universities among the top 500, including six in the top 100 with Peking University getting rank 12 and Tsinghua University placed 14th.

Notably, all the IITs, barring one, which feature in the rankings have improved their standing. In fact, IIT-Indore made the highest-ranking debut in the list, securing the 396th slot globally, while IIT-BHU made its maiden appearance in the 651-700 band.

The report shows that India’s presence in the top 500 category is also IIT-driven. Apart from IISc, eight IITs (Delhi, Bombay, Madras, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Roorkee, Guwahati, Indore) are ranked among the top 500 globally. No other Indian university, public or private, has found a place in this category, five years into the launch of the Institute of Eminence scheme.

One of the objectives of the IoE scheme was to help ten public and as many private Indian higher education institutions break into the top 500 of reputed rankings such as QS within a decade, and in the top 100 “over time”. The scheme continues to languish in the absence of an empowered expert committee which is meant to drive it.

Among the eight public IoEs, five (IISc, IIT-B, IIT-D, IIT-Madras and IIT-Kharagpur) improved their rankings, while the University of Delhi and University of Hyderabad slipped from band 501-510 to 521-530 and 651-700 to 751-800, respectively.
Banaras Hindu University, the only other public IoE, has been ranked outside the top 1,000, in the 1,001-1,200 band.

Also, one of the three private IoEs, OP Jindal Global University, with a rank in the 651-700 band, is the highest-ranked private university in the country, according to QS. The other two private IoEs — Manipal Academy of Higher Education and BITS-Pilani — were placed in the 751-800 and 1,001-1,200 bands, respectively, same as last year.

The report was prepared on the basis of responses from 1,51,000 academics and 99,000 employers across the world.

Ben Sowter, QS Senior Vice President, said: “This edition of the QS World University Rankings reflects the excellent work that several Indian universities are doing to improve their research footprint, with positive consequences for their reputation on the global stage. Conversely, our dataset also suggests that the Indian higher education sector still struggles to provide adequate teaching capacity.”

O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) has emerged as India’s No. 1 Private University for the third year in a row, according to the QS World University Rankings 2023 that was released in New York.

London-based Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) has ranked a total of 41 institutions from India this year, including seven new entrants.

JGU has retained its No. 1 position among the Indian private universities despite the rise in the number of ranked institutions. For the 2023 edition, QS analysed a total of 2,462 institutions and ranked 1,422 institutions in the world. JGU is ranked in the 651-700 band this year, making it the only private university from India, which has found a place among the world’s top 700 universities.

JGU is also India’s No. 1 ranked university with a focus solely on social sciences, arts and humanities, as per the influential QS World University Rankings 2023. Out of the 41 institutions which have beeed from India, 11 are IITs.

Remarkably, JGU is also the only Indian non-STEM and non-Medicine university to have found a place in the QS World University Rankings 2023.

. JGU is India’s No. 1 ranked university with a focus solely on social sciences, arts and humanities.

. JGU is the only Indian non-STEM and non-Medicine university to have found a place in the QS World University Rankings 2023.

. Globally, JGU has been ranked in the 651-700 band of the QS World University Rankings 2023.

. This is the third year in a row that JGU has been the highest ranked Indian private university in the QS World University Rankings.

. In faculty-student ratio, JGU is the second highest-ranked university from India.

. In international faculty ratio, JGU is the third highest-ranked university from India.

. JGU is ranked among the top 250 universities in the world in faculty-student ratio.

. JGU is ranked among the top 450 universities in the world in employer reputation.

Reacting to the performance of Indian universities in the QS World University Rankings 2023, the Founding Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University and its benefactor, Naveen Jindal, said, “It is a remarkable day for Indian higher education as the QS World University Rankings 2023 have shown that the numbers of Indian institutions which have found a place in the global rankings have grown.

“Out of the 41 institutions from India which have been ranked this year, seven are new entrants. It indicates a conscious effort by Indian higher education institutions to improve the quality of teaching and research to a level that matches global standards. If this trend continues, Indian universities will soon bring greater glory to the nation through global recognition.”

Speaking of JGU’s accomplishment, Jindal remarked, “To be recognised as India’s No. 1 private university for the third year in a row by the prestigious QS World University Rankings is quite an achievement for JGU. The fact that a non-STEM and non-Medicine university has emerged as India’s top private university year after year proves that the study of humanities and social sciences has tremendous relevance for employment generation as well as for creation of knowledge needed for solving the complex problems that the world faces today.

“I wish to congratulate the Vice Chancellor, faculty, and staff of JGU for their commitment to making world-class education in India possible for our students.”

Welcoming this exciting development, Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice-Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University said, “The QS World University Rankings provide millions of students around the world with a benchmark for choosing higher education institutions.

“To be featured among the top 700 best universities around the world in this prestigious list that covers 100 locations and over 40,000 universities in the world is a matter of tremendous significance for JGU as the university has emerged as a top destination for world-class education in India within just 12 years since its founding. The fact that JGU has maintained its position as the No. 1 Private University in India for three years in a row amid the extremely challenging circumstances of the devastating global pandemic exhibits the resilience of the university’s strong foundations designed to foster academic excellence and create exciting new opportunities for our students”.

“JGU has improved its global rankings this year on the back of its excellent faculty-student ratio, employer reputation and international faculty ratio. The performance of JGU in the QS Global University Rankings 2023 underlines the importance of providing a global learning experience that caters to the aspirations of today’s youth. Internationalisation has at the very core of JGU’s mission to create open spaces for research, dialogue and innovation through interdisciplinary education and hands-on learning.

“It is this mission that has driven JGU to hire full-time faculty members from over 40 countries and collaborate with over 350 leading institutions spread across 65 countries around the world. We remain committed to further increasing international collaborations and improving the quality of teaching, research and learning outcomes,” Professor Raj Kumar said.

For the QS World University Rankings, universities are evaluated on the basis of academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty-student ratio, citations per faculty, international faculty ratio and international students ratio. QS analysed 151,000 responses from academics around the world and 99,000 responses from employers worldwide for this year’s rankings. In faculty-student ratio, JGU, which received a score of 63, is the second highest-ranked university from India. In international faculty ratio, JGU, which received a score of 22.6, is the third highest-ranked university from India. In employer reputation, JGU scored higher than 31 of the 41 institutions ranked from India.

Providing a closer analysis of the rankings, Professor Arjya Majumdar, Dean, Office of Rankings, Benchmarking and Institutional Transformation (ORBIT), O.P. Jindal Global University observed, “As per the QS World University Rankings 2023, JGU is ranked among the top 250 universities in the world in faculty-student ratio, among the top 450 universities in the world in employer reputation, and among the top 550 universities in the world in international faculty ratio.

“Overall, JGU ranked higher than such internationally acclaimed universities as the City University of New York, University of South Carolina, University of Bradford, Kagoshima University, University of Westminster and Beijing University of Technology, among others. The results show that JGU is now in the same league as some of the leading international universities, including Drexel University (US), University of Plymouth (UK), University of Southern Queensland (Australia), University of Manitoba (Canada), Kumamoto University (Japan), Abu Dhabi University (UAE), Chongqing University (China), Coventry University (UK) and Istanbul Technical University (Turkey), among others. This is a significant development for India and for JGU as it demonstrates what a young university in India can achieve in a relatively short span of time with the right combination of ideas, people and resources.”

In the QS World University Rankings 2023, 16 of the 20 institutions selected for granting “Institution of Eminence” (IoE) status by the Government of India have found a place. These include 4 IITs, Indian Institute of Science, Delhi University, Anna University, University of Hyderabad, Jadavpur University, Banaras Hindu University, O.P. Jindal Global University, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, BITS Pilani, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Vellore EnvironmeInstitute of Technology (VIT) and Jamia Hamdard. Out of those 16 institutions, 7 institutions, including O.P. Jindal Global University, moved up in the rankings, 4 went down and 5 remained in the same positions as last year.

Commenting on the accomplishment, Professor Dabiru Sridhar Patnaik, Registrar, JGU, said, “As only those universities which shine on teaching and research quality make it to the QS World University Rankings, being recognised as one of the world’s Top 700 universities by QS puts JGU in a distinguished league of internationally acclaimed universities. The high employer reputation score of JGU also signifies that the university has been successful in providing our students with the necessary preparations needed for securing gainful employment.

Moreover, it underlines that the graduates produced by JGU have been competent, innovative and effective. What makes JGU an incredible institution that it is today is the spirit of public service with which it functions. We remain committed to
continue this tradition of institutional excellence in the coming years and decades.”

“Osmania University Alumni of Chicago” is organizing “Foundation Day  Celebrations of Osmania University” on June 14th, 2022- Tuesday, 6:00 pm at Mall of India, 776 Il Rte 59, IL 60540.

Prof D. Ravinder, Vice Chancellor, Osmania University will be the Chief Guest. His Excellency Amit Kumar, Consul General of India, Chicago will preside.

Established over 100 years ago, Osmania University is the seventh oldest in India and the third oldest in South India. It is a multi-faculty and multidisciplinary university, offering rich and varied courses in the faculties of Arts, Sciences, Social Sciences, Law, Education, Engineering, Technology, Commerce, Management, Informatics, Pharmacy, and Oriental Languages.

With over 300,000 students and 5000 Staff members, Osmania University is one of the largest Universities across the Globe.

The Alumni of University living in Chicago are requested to attend this historic event, along with their families and friends. They may confirm their participation by sending an email to Ashfaq Syed ([email protected]) on or before June, 12^th, 2022.

The host committee of the Osmania University Foundation Day Celebrations  comprises Ashfaq Syed, Vinoz Chanamolu, Dr. Tajammul Hussain, Shaik Anwar Ahmed, Zaki Basalath, Mohammed Saleem, Dr. Suresh Reddy, Moiz Uddin, Srini Paltepu, and Adil Syed. The celebrations will be followed by dinner.

A delegation comprising nine MPs from different states and various parties is visiting University of Chicago scholars, policymakers, and opinion leaders in Chicago currently for a knowledge exchange programme on energy and environment.

The Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) India is hosting the delegates at the University of Chicago “with an aim to augment the capacity of India’s political leadership in advancing policies that provide lasting environmental benefits” between May 8 and 12.

“Some MPs reached on May 7 and some on May 8. Their formal engagements start on Monday Chicago time,” an EPIC official told IANS here on Monday.

This is the third edition of the Legislator’s Programme. The MPs include Rajya Sabha members Amar Patnaik (Biju Janata Dal), Priyanka Chaturvedi (Shiv Sena) and C.M. Ramesh (Bharatiya Janata Party), and Lok Sabha members Brijender Singh, Shivkumar Udasi , Rahul Kaswan, Heena Gavit (all Bharatiya Janata Party), Kotagiri Sridhar (YSR Congress Party), and Ritesh Pandey (Bahujan Samaj Party).

“Innovative policies work when policymakers are ready to experiment. From our working for several years in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, Bihar, and other Indian states, we know that Indian lawmakers have been at the forefront of trying groundbreaking policies to balance India’s growth story and environmental concerns. Therefore, we are thrilled to learn and share best practices with Indian MPs and join them in accelerating positive change for citizens across India,” Michael Greenstone, the Milton Friedman Distinguished Service Professor in Economics and director of EPIC, said.

The Indian MPs would interact with the University of Chicago faculty and experts on wide-ranging policy areas, including climate policy, carbon markets, air pollution, and water quality. They will also have an interaction with young minds studying at the University of Chicago.

“As we learn from the experiences of our MPs, we are also trying to share EPIC’s global and India-specific research findings to co-identify priorities and solutions that may be implemented in individual constituencies. The goal is also to carry out groundbreaking research that addresses global and local challenges,” EPIC India’s Executive Director, Sidhartha Vermani said.