The Rustomjee Academy for Global Careers (RAGC), Mumbai, a vocational training institute promoted by the Mumbai-based Rustomjee Group, was declared ‘Best Vocational Training Provider’ at the UK-India Skills Forum Awards 2010, held in New Delhi on August 19.
“We are very proud to accept this award as it recognises our sustained efforts in promoting vocational training and helping underprivileged students from urban and rural areas, who are not academically qualified but possess the capacity to be groomed or nurtured into artisans and technicians. The recognition speaks volumes about our commitment to disseminate quality training in vocational skills to meet Indian industry’s demand for skilled employees,” said Kavi Luthra, vice president (strategic alliances) of RAGC who received the award on behalf of the academy.
The UK-India Skills Forum Awards 2010 is an initiative of the UK-India Business Council (UKIBC) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). This year the awards were given in five categories — Best Vocational Training Provider, Best Train the Trainer, Best Skills Project in Rural Community, Best UK Skills Provider Project, Outstanding Commitment to Quality.
The awards event was attended by Sir Richard Stagg, British high commissioner to India, and Union minister of labour and employment, Mallikarjun Kharge among other dignitaries.
ISO 27001 for GEMS Education
The Dubai-based GEMS Wducation, which bills itself as “the largest K-12 private schools operator in the world”, has received International Standardisation Organisation (ISO) 27001 certification for the quality of its IT infrastructure. “GEMS Education is the world’s first K-12 education company to receive ISO certification in this field. This superior package which is already being used in our schools abroad will soon be integrated in all our schools across India thus giving our Indian schools an edge over other modern age schools,” says Ajey Kumar, country head of GEMS India.
Adds Sunny Varkey, the founder-chairman of GEMS Education: “This certification demonstrates the priority that GEMS Education places in attaining the highest international standards of innovation, quality and service. Award of the world’s first ISO 27001 certification is testament to the skill and dedication of our IT team and its commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology in education.”
Kangaroo Kids psycho-geometrics workshop
Kangaroo Kids Education Ltd convened a ‘psychogeometrics’ workshop conducted by Kevin Mayall, an international personality profiling expert, for students, parents and teachers of its Billabong High International schools in Mumbai on September 27. The workshop was designed to improve student learning outcomes and enable parents to appreciate and enhance their children’s potential. The three-hour workshop also gave teachers helpful insights into ways and means to understand and inspire students.
According to Mayall, application of the psycho-geometrics system enables teachers to identify students’ communication styles based on the selection of one of five geometric shapes. “It is a personality profiling process and is based on the notion that we tend to be attracted to certain shapes and forms in our environment based on our personalities, attitudes, education, experiences, and the way our individual brains function. This system has been used in the US by multinational corporations, government agencies, universities, law firms, and non-profit organisations for the past 30 years,” said Mayall.
“Since parents are key drivers in moulding and bringing out the best in their children, we regularly engage them in such workshops. For teachers too, they are useful because they enable them to improve student learning outcomes effectively,” says Samina Kuwajerwala, head of organisational development at Kangaroo Kids Education.
EDICT 2010
The Centre for Internet and Society (CIS), Bangalore in cooperation with the Global Initiative for Inclusive ICT (G3ICT), a flagship advocacy organisation of the UN Global Alliance on ICT and Development (UN-GAID), the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), UNESCO, WIPO, Digital Empowerment Foundation, Society for Promotion of Alternative Computing and Employment and the Deafway Foundation Daisy Consortium, is organizing an international conference, EDICT2010: Enabling Access to Education through ICT from 27 to 29 October 2010 in New Delhi. The conference which is sponsored by the Hans Foundation will evaluate ways in which ICT can be harnessed to reach education to persons with disabilities.
“The specific focus of the conference is to examine the various technologies, tools and practices necessary to bring education within the reach of all persons with disabilities as a step towards achieving inclusive education in India. This includes education at all levels – primary, secondary and higher education as well as distance and online education. Structured as a workshop, the conference will highlight existing practical and policy barriers for students and educational institutions in developing countries, showcase solutions which are presently being adopted in different countries, and beam the spotlight on existing knowledge resources and emerging trends in education,” says a CIS spokesperson.
A variety of stakeholders ranging from government ministries, educational institutions, disability organizations and the private sector are participating in this first-of-its-kind conference. Some key participants are UN organizations such as the WIPO, UNESCO, ITU and the G3ICT, the department of information technology, Union HRD ministry, Indira Gandhi National Open University, National Institute of Open Schooling, the Deafway Foundation, Daisy Consortium, Microsoft and Yahoo.
For further details visit: www.edict2010.in.
IBM wires up Pathways World schools
IBM India has been selected by Pathways World School, Gurgaon to enhance the school’s IT infrastructure by developing a hi-tech environment through deployment of wireless on campus. IBM has also bagged the contract for design and implementation of networking infrastructure for its client’s two new school facilities to be shortly inaugurated in Noida and Gurgaon. According to IBM sources, this is the biggest wireless deployment in the education sector in the NCR (national capital region).
“This is one of the most prominent wireless deployments and networking deals in the education space for IBM India. IBM’s network solution will provide Pathways with the highest levels of reliability, scalability for any future enhancement and security for its users accessing WLAN on campus,” says Vivek Malhotra, vice president (general business) of IBM India/South Asia.
Ranked among the Top 10 international schools in India in the EducationWorld-C fore India’s Most Respected Schools Survey, 2010, Pathways World School, is in the process of establishing two new K-12 facilities in Gurgaon and Noida. The proposed facilities will admit 2,000 students each.
“To enable education flow all around its campuses, Pathways deploys wi-fi connectivity to facilitate education even outside the schools’ classrooms. We are training our students for the future, so we have to be futuristic in terms of use of technology in education,” says Prashant Jain, director of Sarla Holdings Pvt. Ltd, the promoter-company of Pathways World School.
MEDUCON 2010
The International Association of Human Values (IAHV), an initiative promoted by the Bangalore-based Art of Living Foundation, has scheduled the second Media and Education Conference (MEDUCON) in Bangalore on October 22-24. MEDUCON 2010 which is supported by UNESCO will be convened at the New Horizon Public School, 100 Feet Road, Indiranagar, Bangalore.
“Media, information and communication tools are changing the education landscape faster than ever before. MEDUCON is an effort to help discover how media can play a constructive role in setting the direction for a brighter tomorrow. This will be a collaborative effort of government, the media and prominent academics,” says Manisha Panchal, a spokesperson of IAHV.
According to Panchal, MEDUCON will be organised in 190 countries and will culminate in a national conference followed by a grand international conference in each country. For further information visit http://www.meducon.net.
NDIM stages 13th convocation
The New Delhi Institute of Management (NDIM) held its 13th Annual Convocation for awarding its two-year full-time, AICTE-approved, postgraduate diploma in management to the Class of 2010, in Delhi’s ICCR Auditorium on September 25. The convocation was addressed by Deepak Pental, vice chancellor of Delhi University. Among the other guests were Justice Ashok Bhan and Dhanendra Kumar, chairman, Competition Commission of India.
“Our vision, when we started the institute, was to prepare students for new situations and to help them develop into business leaders who could tackle the challenges of Indian industry. I am delighted to number the Class of 2010 among my students who bring out the proud father in me. I see them emerging as global leaders in their respective fields. I am also grateful to the corporate world and distinguished people from academia for their continuous support to our institute,” said Jaswant Rai Bansal, chairman of NDIM speaking on the occasion.
A total of 240 students graduated from the institute in the PGDM programme this year and all of them were placed in leading companies including Videocon, Titan, HT Media, Bajaj Allianz, HDFC, Yes Bank, FICO, ITC Wills Lifestyle, Polaris, Puma, Bharti Airtel, Panasonic and Deloitte Consulting.
Hospitality Ensemble 2010
The Delhi-based Banarasidas Chandiwala Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology (BCIHMCT), affiliated with the Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, organised its 9th Chandiwala Hospitality Ensemble 2010 from September 22-24 on its campus in the national capital. About 35 teams participated in over 15 events including hotel facility planning and design, culinary, bartending and floral arrange-ment competitions. The participating teams were from reputed hotel management training institutes across India including the Le Meridien, Lalit and Oberoi hospitality institutes. The events were adjudicated by 45 judges nominated by the managements of top hotels in the national capital region.
“BCIHMCT is a front runner in training personnel for the hospitality industry and has been ranked among the top 10 hotel management institutes in the country by India Today and other leading publications. Our objective is to produce quality manpower on a par with the best in the industry. Hospitality Ensemble 2010 is a platform where students, academics and hospitality professionals can network to enhance creativity, critical thinking and other skills which are essential in the hospitality industry,” said R. K. Bhandari, principal of the college, speaking on the occasion.