Italian University goes English, Opens Doors to Foreign Students
Politenico di Milano University will be adopting English as their official language of instruction and assessment from the academic year 2014 onwards. The management of PoliMi is of the opinion that the Italian language becomes an entry barrier for overseas students. Furthermore, changes in the dialect will open doors to Asian aspirants and simultaneously contribute to the growth of the country. The Milan-based university believes that teaching in Italian might isolate them and result in non-existence as an international institution. The
university’s rector Giovanni Azzone said, “We strongly believe our classes should be international classes – and the only way to have international classes is to use the English language.” The change of language signifies a major shift in Italy’s higher education sector. Being one of the oldest universities in Milan and a flagship institution for science, engineering and architecture, it lays claim to a Nobel Prize winner. This valiant move of the Italian-based university has assured the world that the waters of globalisation are raising around higher education. The globally acclaimed varsity has given a contemporary outlook to all other Italian universities and created a ‘cultural earthquake’ attracting much criticism in the country. The higher education minister, Francesco Profumo said that he hoped the other leading universities in the country would follow suit.
Virtual Classrooms for Madras Students
Students studying at the University of Madras can now ‘like’ and ‘comment’ on lectures and subjects they are studying. Students can record lectures using cell
phones and video recorders and then upload them on their Facebook pages where other students can discuss and share ideas with their professors. The Facebook page also includes a detailed course module and semester syllabus. An online forum for students showcases notes, podcasts and debates conducted on campus. This concept is especially useful for students who have missed a lecture or whose social background and English accent prevents them from participating in classroom discussions. The idea began as an informal concept before leading institutes and universities began using online forums as a means of communication with students. It has garnered a huge response from students.
Napier University Inaugurates Tagore Centre
A centre honouring the life and works of Rabindranath Tagore has been opened at Napier University’s Institute of Creative Industries. The Scottish Centre for Tagore Studies centre (ScoTs), which will promote Indian culture through the work of the Nobel Laureate is dedicated to the writer to mark his 150th birth anniversary. The centre will promote cultural connections between Scotland and India. The creation of the centre follows an agreement with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), which will bring Indra Nath Choudhuri, academic director of the Indira Gandhi Institute, to the university as Scotland`s first chair in Tagore Studies. The ICCR will fund two PhD fellowships dedicated to researching Tagore’s works. Incidentally, Tagore`s grandfather, Prince Dwarkanath, was honoured with the Freedom of the City award by the Edinburgh administration in 1845.
Doctor, Y U NO Come to North India?
“Almost 80% of India’s medical and nursing colleges are located in the south and the remaining in the remaining two-third portions of the country.”- Azad.
This accusation was made by Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad while addressing the students of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research’s 32nd convocation. He expressed concern over the dearth of medical professionals in north, central and northeast India while blaming concentration of medical colleges in the country’s southern and western regions for its dismal state. He describes this inequitable distribution of medical professionals across north and south India as a “lopsided human resource situation.” The government is planning to tackle this situation by developing new medical colleges in 2012. “Forty-six medical colleges have been established in last two years, raising the number to 335,” he said. He terms this as “an encouraging growth trajectory” while saying the number of MBBS seats have been raised from 32,882 to 41,569. Azad urged fresh medical graduates at the institute who majorly came from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, to practice in North India, while asking those from Nepal and northeast India to practise in their respective regions.
DU Lauches 4-Year Undergrad Courses
Delhi University has announced its plans to add another year to the existing three year undergraduate courses- BA, BCom and BSc. The courses are restructured to offer an exit option, allowing students to leave the course midway, rejoin later and then complete the course. However, the exit option will only be available to students at the end of the second and third years. If a student decides to opt out of the course after the second year, he will receive an associate degree. If he plans to leave after the third year, he will be provided with a bachelor’s degree. Students will also have an option to earn credits through sports or extracurricular activities to complete their chosen courses. At the end of the four years, students will be awarded an honours degree. The Delhi University is expected to launch these four-year courses from the 2013-2014 session onwards and is expected to benefit many students.
Malhar 2012
Malhar 2012- the annual festival of St Xavier’s College, Mumbai is back with a bang. The college festival is packed with fun events, innovative workshops, contests, special nights and a conclave of interesting speakers. The theme of
Malhar 2012 is ‘Malhar Local’ and epitomises the city of Mumbai and all that
it has to offer, right from the crowded local trains and scenic seafront views to
the glamour of Bollywood. The festival’s mascot is Puddles the Frog, who like every year around, has received a makeover this time too. As always, the festival will be well organised by the college’s students and led by a 5-tiered workforce. The festival will take place from August 17-19, 2012. Must-attend workshops include a cycle spray painting and T-shirt designing event; the final
T-shirts and cycles will then be gifted to underprivileged kids. A cleanup drive
and an open-mic night for aspiring musicians are also expected to be the highlights of the festival. Don’t give a miss to the Conclave that hosts speakers
who will talk about social issues as well as interactive sessions. Other must-visit
events include those covering music, art, theatre, graphic novel designing, photography and treasure hunts.
8 University tie-ups Selected for Obama-Singh Awards
The United States and India have selected eight institutional partnership projects for the first Obama-Singh 21st Century Knowledge Initiative Awards. This initiative aims to strengthen collaborations between the two nations. Each project will receive an award of $250,000 that can be used over a 3-year grant
period. Dr Manmohan Singh and Barack Obama announced this initiative in November 2009. Among the India-led partnerships is the Rutgers University-Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) tie-up for the establishment of a national vocational school. Other partnerships include University of Montana and Bangalore University; Cornell University with the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut for implementing reforms in emerging areas of food security and agriculture, and University of Michigan and Maharashtra University of Health Sciences for the development of a masters degree for health professionals in the US and India. Other partnerships include Mahatma Gandhi University and Brown University, and Duke University and Plymouth State University. Banaras Hindu University will partner with University of Pittsburgh to research the energy scenario toward renewable energy sources required for
India and the US. While IIT-Kanpur joins hands with Virginia Tech for a sustainable infrastructure development programme, its Delhi counterpart will work on resource building for ecosystem and human health assessment with Drexel University.
University of Liverpool Offers Scholarship for High Achevers
Students from India are invited to apply for the University of Liverpool’s Vice-
Chancellor’s International Attainment Scholarship worth over £7000. Meant for high-achieving students studying nonclinical undergraduate programmes at
the University of Liverpool in September 2012, the successful candidates will be
awarded £2,500 for each year of their studies (deducted from tuition fees). Students must attain 85 per cent or above in class 12 to be elegible. If these students are able to maintain a 70 per cent or more grade score in each year at the University of Liverpool, they will continue to receive the award for each year of their degree. Although the deadline to apply to study at the University of Liverpool was June 30, 2012, those applications that are sent in after this date will be processed through the university’s International Clearing Lines that close on August 31, 2012.
Volume 2 Issue 2
Malhar Rocked!