The Manipal and Bangalore-based Manipal University in association with Manipal Education, an affiliated academic and educational services provider, announced the signing of a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the University of Melbourne, Australia and University of Nottingham, UK — routinely ranked among the world’s top universities — on April 26.
This broad-based MoU envisages active collaboration bilaterally and multi-laterally, between the signatory universities. Areas of potential collaboration range from joint programmes, awarding dual degrees, student and faculty exchanges and collaborative research programmes.
“Our clear focus is to transform Manipal University into a world-class university in all respects, and these relationships will be mutually beneficial,” said Dr. Ramdas Pai, chancellor, Manipal University and chairman, Manipal Education & Medical Group, speaking on the occasion.
Adds Prof. Glyn Davis, vice chancellor, University of Melbourne: “We welcome the opportunity to work with India’s leading private university. This agreement follows collaboration between our institutions over a number of years, and acknowledges the emerging academic links between our nations.”
Prof. David Greenaway, vice chancellor Nottingham University, is equally enthused. “The University of Nottin-gham is truly global with over 8,000 international students in Nottingham UK, and a further 8,000 enroled in University of Nottingham, Ningbo China and our Malaysia campus. This collaboration agreement provides an opportunity for innovative teaching and research initiatives that can contribute to, and support development of higher education and the knowledge economy in India.”
Global Citizen Scholarship awards
EF Educational Tours (India), an affiliate of the Lucerne-based EF Education First, has awarded travel scholarships to ten Indian high school students to tour China this summer.
Under its annual Global Citizen Scholarship programme, EF Educational Tours (India) acknowledges outstanding global citizens and provides life-changing opportunities to travel abroad and acquire deeper appreciation of foreign cultures and peoples. The scholarship is open to all high school students in India.
The ten Indian Global Citizen Scholarship awardees will tour China in June together with an equal number of American students. The 20 selected students will travel to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou and inter alia visit Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China and connect with Chinese students during and after the tour.
Under EF Educational Tours’ open selection process, high school students were invited to write a 1,500-word essay explaining how traveling with American students to China will impact their lives and future. Eligible students applied online at http://passage21.eftours.in. Scholarship applications and essays were required to be received between January 1- February 28.
From the “hundreds of entries” received, the ten best essays were short listed by a worldwide panel of education experts based on the quality of essays followed by interviews of top essay writers. “The winners are not limited to metro cities but also come from small towns in the heart of India,” says Satya Diva, the Delhi-based managing director of EF Educational Tours (India).
The winners of the EF Global Citizen Scholarships 2010 are Divyansh Agarwal (Mahindra United World College of India, Pune); Devika Luniya (Ecole Mondiale World School, Mumbai); Tarun Nambiar (Vidya Niketan School, Bangalore); Abhishek Rania (Lakshmipat Singhania Academy, Kolkata); Shivang Sethi (Delhi Public School R.K Puram, New Delhi); Tarunn Toprani (Calorx School, Ahmedabad); Karuna Dhananjai Kadam (The International School, Bangalore); Swati Garg (Ryan International School, Goregaon, Mumbai); Abhijeet Singh (MGM Amin & V.N. Savani School, Valsad) and Krishna S. Gohil (Navrachana School, Vadodara).
HVB Global-IBO tie-up
The CISCE affiliated HVB Global Academy, Mumbai (formerly HVB Academy, estb.1963) is now affiliated with the International Baccalaureate Organisation, Geneva. “For the past four decades, HVB has been offering high quality ICSE education to primary-secondary students in south Mumbai. We have now gone global with the introduction of the IB Diploma programme (IBDP) for Plus Two students and will henceforth be known as HVB Global Academy. With our IBDP curriculum, we will offer international education rooted in Indian values at an affordable price,” says Ms. C. R. Pathak, principal of the academy.
“HVB has always striven to deliver high quality education for the physical, mental, social and spiritual development of students,” says Mark Bartholomew, IB coordinator for HVB Global. “I am confident that our IBDP will enhance the distinctive reputation of HVB Global Academy.”
Great Lakes-Bauer MBA programme
The Chennai-based Great Lakes Institute of Management (GLIM), a top-20 ranked B-School founded by Padmashree Prof. Bala V. Balachandran, has introduced a Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) programmme in energy management in partnership with the Bauer College of Business, University of Houston, USA. The GEMBA study programme is designed for senior managers in the oil, gas and energy industries. The two-year programme will commence this year and focus on management of various forms of energy including nuclear energy and alternate energy sources such as solar and wind power.
“We are delighted to work in collaboration with the Bauer College of Business which has excellent credentials in energy management,” said Prof. Balachandran, founder and dean of GLIM, speaking on the occasion.
GEMBA is a world-class programme offered to senior energy managers in India, South-east Asia and the Middle East. “This programme is already being offered in the US by Bauer College, where it is ranked as the top executive MBA programme on energy management,” adds Balachandran. On completion of the programme, a formal MBA degree of the University of Houston, C.T. Bauer College of Business will be awarded to participants.