IIT Gandhinagar to collaborate with Overseas Indians to Advance India’s Higher Education Stature Globally
INN/Chennai, @infodeaofficial
Institute is hosting ‘Overseas Indian Higher Education Conclave’ on 22nd & 23rd Feb 2019; NRIs & PIOs are a resource that Indian educational institutions can tap for their academic and institutional advancement.
Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar is collaborating with professional Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) and global professionals to advance India’s educational stature on the international stage. The Institute is hosting an ‘Overseas Indian Higher Education Conclave’, on its campus, from 22nd to 23rd February 2019.
From left- Prof Nitish Thakor- John Hopkins Uni., Prof Sudhir Jain- Director IITGN, Prof Achal Mehra- IITGN and Mr Samir Desai- Desai Foundation
The Conclave celebrated IITGN’s overseas supporters and brainstormed on ways to engage more widely and deeply with professional NRIs and PIOs. Recognising that many overseas Indians contribute their time, talent and treasure already, participants at the Conclave explored models, challenges and opportunities for partnerships.
Day One (22nd February 2019) of this Conclave witnessed intellectually stimulating discussions on various aspects of overseas Indian contributions to Indian Higher Education through sessions on ‘Models for Global Partnerships: Examples and Experiences’, ‘Facilitating Global Student and Faculty Exchanges’, ‘Global Fundraising: Opportunities and Challenges,’ and ‘Leveraging Overseas Indians in Fundraising and Institutional Development.’
Participants of the Higher Education Overseas Indian Conclave at IITGN
Speaking about the importance of this Conclave, Prof. Sudhir K. Jain, Director, IIT Gandhinagar, said, “The large number of professional NRIs and PIOs are an incredibly valuable resource that Indian educational institutions can tap for their academic and institutional advancement. Several overseas Indians serve as Visiting Faculty, Scholars in Residence or industry associates at IITGN. Many others volunteer their time and effort in fundraising or expanding out overseas network.”
Participants enagaging in dialogue at the Conclave
Nearly 40% of IIT Gandhinagar’s undergraduate students and 75% of PhD students receive options to study abroad and other international opportunities, which is among the highest in India and three times the average at universities in the U.S. In addition, from 10% to 15% of IIT Gandhinagar’s faculty are Visiting Faculty from India and abroad.
Addressing the Conclave, Prof Nitish Thakor, Professor of Electrical, Computer Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, U.S., said, “Science and Technology have become a global enterprise. No longer are there small pockets of excellence, example as USA used to be. So, now modern education (and research) should also be a global, and collaborative enterprise, complementing mutual strengths, talents and specialisations.”