News from the world of education - November 4, 2024

Information on entrance exams, admissions, new courses, scholarships, research studies and other news from educational institutions

XAT 2025

The Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT) has announced that November 30 will be the final registration deadline for the 2025 edition. The exam will take place on January 5, 2025, and 34 new cities have been added to the list of centres. Candidates have the option to select up to six preferred cities. For more details, visit https://xatonline.in/

Admissions

The Paris School of Business (PSB), France, has collaborated with upGrad Abroad to offer hybrid MBA and M.Sc. programmes for Indian students. These programmes will comprise four months of online coursework with 12 months of on-campus education in Paris after which students will be entitled to the two-year stay-back visa for job-search in France or the five-year alumni visa. The programmes are open for application. For details, visit https://t.ly/iKwZS (MBA); https://t.ly/5M9N2 (M.Sc. International Finance); https://t.ly/ojQRs (M.Sc. International Management and Global Leadership) and https://t.ly/oHH5V (M.Sc. Luxury and Fashion Management).

Scholarships

The University of Sheffield, the U.K., is offering 75 International Postgraduate Taught Merit Scholarships in 2025.

Eligibility: New international students who are self-funded with an offer for a course studied in full commencing at the University of Sheffield in autumn 2025. Distance learning courses and programmes split with a partner institution are not eligible.

Deadline: May 12, 2025

More details at https://t.ly/f6pfx

Events

World University of Design (WUD) hosted its annual three-day CULT Festival with over 4000 participants from more than 70 institutions across India, celebrating the fusion of sports, arts, culture and design.

Lovely Professional University (LPU) hosted the Annual International Conference and Global Summit (AICGS) 2024 on the theme Global Horizons: Bridging Borders, Building Futures. Delegates from over 32 countries representing more than 60 universities participated.

Vivekanand Education Society’s College of Architecture (VESCOA) has appointed Urmila Rajadhyaksha, current Honorary President of the Indian Society of Landscape Architects, as the Head of the Department of Architecture-Landscape Architecture.

Fortune Institute of International Business (FIIB) hosted Beyond Labels: Towards Pride and Progress, in collaboration with Girl Up India and Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar to celebrate the sixth anniversary of the decriminalisation of Section 377 in India and explore approaches to promote inclusivity for all, particularly for LGBTQIA++ community. The institute also hosted the ninth edition of FIIB Research Conference (FRC) on the theme Reimage, Rethink, and Redesign Business, in collaboration with Center for Behavioral Insights (CBI), the Center for Responsible Management (CRM), Common Time, and the Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Technology (CIET).

XLRI hosted Metamorphose 2024, an event that brought HR professionals, industry leaders, and academic experts to explore the future of the HR function. The theme was Emerge-Sustain-Lead.

The Information Science and Engineering Department of Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology (NMIT), in collaboration with the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP), hosted a two-day national hackathon to develop innovative solutions for traffic management and congestion avoidance in urban areas. The first prize went to to Team Entangled Minds from Reva University and Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology, Bengaluru.

College Board hosted the India Global Higher Education Alliance Forum 2024, bringing together international and Indian universities to collaborate on ensuring equitable access to global higher education and explore innovative strategies to meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving global education landscape.

Somaiya Vidyavihar University hosted the Second Edition of Gaatha: Mumbai International Storytelling Festival 2024, jointly with Mumbai Storytellers Society. The festival showcased over 40 talented performers from across the world. The keynote address was delivered by well-known author Amish.

Nischal’s Smart Learning Solutions has launched VR-powered 3D e-books for primary students in Maths and Environmental Science. Equipped with over 1,000 immersive 3D simulations and over 100 interactive games, the books allow students to explore virtual environments that bring complex concepts to life.

KIET Group of institutions organised Phase 2 of the IEEE Sustainable Solutions for Humanity 2024 hackathon in collaboration with IEEE Region 10 and IEEE India Council. Dr. Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman of National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) was the chief guest at the inauguration.

JS Institute of Design hosted Indie Games Day, which brought together 120 industry professionals and 45 school students to celebrate the Indian game design and development community and nurture and empower game developers and designers.

The Department of English, School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Shiv Nadar University, Delhi-NCR, organised the Crooked Lines literature Festival with speakers such as Prof. Sam North, an award-winning novelist and scriptwriter and Associate Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Exeter (the U.K.); Jerry Pinto, acclaimed Sahitya Akademi and Windham-Campbell awardee, and Rashmi Menon, Executive Editor at HarperCollins India. Over 260 school students took part in the Crooked Lines Short Story Competition and the top three winners were Kriti Daga of Greenwood High Sarjapur, Bengaluru; Pragya Rathore of the University of Delhi; and Pavni Pandey of City Montessori School, Lucknow.

The IC3 Institute released the 2024 Annual Student Quest Report (SQR), developed in collaboration with FLAME University. Key highlights are: 26% of students cite parental pressure as a primary cause of stress, 40% lack formal access to counselling services, and 85% turn to AI tools like ChatGPT for career guidance.

IIM-Nagpur hosted the UGC Western Zone Conference for Autonomous Colleges on implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. C.P. Radhakrishnan, Governor of Maharashtra, was the chief guest. Participants included academic mentors, directors, principals and delegates from around 240 institutions.

IIT-Guwahati’s Centre for Career Development (CCD) hosted the Leadership Summit 2024, on the theme Grooming Young Talents. Around 50 delegates from companies such as Google, NetApp, BNY Mellon, Micron, Kanoria Foundation, Dalmia Cement, Groww, NRL, and Reliance-BP participated.

IIT-Hyderabad hosted Japan Academic Day 2024, in collaboration with JICA. Around 72 participants from 15 universities and six organisations from Japan participated. The chief guest was Dr. Hashimoto Kazuhito, President of Japan Science and Technology Agency.

KIIT Group of Colleges, Gurugram, organised a workshop on women’s safety to make students and faculty aware about legal rights and practical safety measures. The keynote speakers were Sangeeta Das, Gurugam Police’s Brand Ambassador of Women Safety and Empowerment, and Mohit Sharma, Chief Warden, Civil Defence Gurugram.

The Scindia School celebrated its 127th Founder’s Day with Dr. S. Somanath, Chairman of ISRO, as the chief guest. The students showcased various exhibits as examples of their creativity and innovation. Amit Jain, Group CEO of Emaar Group, Dubai, was presented with the Madhav Award.

The Central University of Tamil Nadu (CUTN), in partnership with the Indian School Psychology Association (InSPA), hosted the 14th InSPA International Conference on Research Prospects in School Psychology to address the growing psycho-social challenges faced by students. L. Murugan, Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, inaugurated the event.

AAFT School of Fashion and Design appointed well-known fashion designer and Yuva Ratna awardee Rina Dhaka as the new Industry Dean.

Merck Life Science, in collaboration with Tinkle, launched two comic books on food safety at the Indian Institute of Science IISc), Bengaluru. The books were unveiled in the presence of over 200 students from Government Schools in Bengaluru. The books can be accessed at https://shorturl.at/TY9qN and https://shorturl.at/JzTJu

OneStep Global hosted the third edition of the Global Education Conclave 2024 where education leaders and policymakers discussed the evolving landscape of international education. Representatives of institutions such as the University of Reading, the University of Sussex, and Dublin City University participated. The event also saw the launch of University Living’s The European Student Landscape: Beyond Beds and Benches report that delves into Europe’s rapidly evolving higher education landscape.

IIIT-Delhi hosted its 13th convocation ceremony for 745 graduates across undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes. Dr. S. Somanath, Chairman of ISRO, delivered the convocation address.

CMR Institute of Technology (CMRIT), Bengaluru, hosted the 24-Hour Rapid Innovation Challenge in association with IEEE Young Professionals Affinity Group (YP AG) Bangalore Section. Over 50 teams from CMR University, Centurion University, SRM Chennai, and Kumaraguru College of Engineering, Coimbatore and other institutions participated.

Genesis Global School, Noida, celebrated the 13th Annual Day of its CBSE wing themed around R.K. Narayan’s Malgudi Days. Educationist and Padma Shri recipient Dr. A. Sankara Reddy was the chief guest.

On International Chef’s Day, the Indian School of Hospitality (ISH) hosted Embell-ISH-ED, an initiative to raise awareness on sustainability, reusing, and repurposing. Over 300 people participated and 80 celebrated chefs from leading brands across the country guided students via interactive workshops.

FLAME University hosted an interactive session with S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, Government of India, giving students an opportunity to gather insights on interdisciplinary thinking and its importance in diplomacy and foreign policy.

IIM-Kozhikode hosted its first international conclave in London on the theme Globalising Indian Thought. Speakers included Lord Meghnad Desai (Member of the House of Lords and Emeritus Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics), Baroness Sandy Verma (Member of the House of Lords), Kanishka Narayan (Member of the House of Commons), Farokh Engineer (former India Cricketer), Angus Fraser (Former England Cricketer) among others. The institute also organised the first Mimansa lecture on India’s Growth and Prospects in an Uncertain World, delivered by Dr. Ranil Salgado from the IMF.

IIM-Bangalore celebrated its 51st Foundation Day with a lecture on Opportunities and Challenges for Education in Today’s India by Rukmini Banerji, Chief Executive Officer, Pratham Education Foundation.

Seth Anandram Jaipuria School hosted CompuFest 2024, its Techno-Cultural festival. The event drew over 800 participants from leading schools. Srikanth Bolla, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and motivational speaker, was the chief guest.

Vijaybhoomi University conducted its fifth convocation ceremony to celebrate its graduates of various programmes. Educationist and Padma Shri Dr. Zahir Ishaq Kazi was the chief guest. Dhwani Lokesh Bhandari received the Vice Chancellor’s Medal, and Saichandar Patro, Sangeetha G., Gomes Shayne Diego, and S. Abhay received the Dean’s Medal.

The School of Planning, Architecture, and Design Excellence at Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science (HITS) hosted its annual symposium Chiaroscuro on the theme India 2050: Weaving Traditions into Tomorrow’s Urban Fabric. Ar. Dean D’Cruz, co-founder and principal architect at Mozaic, was the chief guest. Renowned architect Benny Kuriakose was the guest of honour.

The Psychology Committee of NMIMS, Navi Mumbai, in collaboration with the Rotaract Club of NMIMS Sunrise, and Student Council, School of Liberal Arts, organised a rally to promote mental health awareness and to educate the community about the importance of open conversations.

XLRI Xavier School of Management has achieved 100% summer internship placements for the batch of 2024-26 for its Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management and Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management.

Archana Surana, founder and director of ARCH College of Design and Business, represented India at Cumulus Association 2024 Conference, held in Mexico. She chaired a session on Women in Design.

IIT-Kanpur celebrated its 65th Foundation Day. A special event on defence innovation was also hosted and 18 distinguished alumni were honoured with awards for their contributions. Rajnath Singh, Minister of Defence, Government of India, was the Chief Guest.

Partnerships

Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) signed an MoU with IDP Education India to host an IELTS centre at the Department of Humanities and Management, Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT), Manipal.

Monash University launched The India Plan in Melbourne, Australia, with the participation of Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education, and Jason Clare Australia’s Federal Minister for Education. This initiative aims to strengthen academic and research partnerships, boost student mobility, and focus on sustainability.

K2 Learning Resources partnered with QS I-GAUGE to expand its career guidance platform, Career Uttsav, and introduce new initiatives to enhance student engagement, including career workshops and psychometric tests.

BITS Pilani has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), the U.S., to establish academic cooperation and offer joint educational programmes and research initiatives. The two institutions will work towards offering 2+2 programme for a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering with focus on semiconductor technologies, and a 3 + 2 programme for a Bachelor and Master’s in Engineering.

IIT-Roorkee and the Rekhi Foundation for Happiness have signed an MoU to strengthen to establish a dedicated Centre for the Science of Happiness to develop and deliver courses on the Science of Happiness and provide resources for hands-on learning through a dedicated Mind Lab. The institute has also signed an MoU with the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) to foster collaboration in the fields of solar energy research, education, and technology development.

Awards

KL Deemed-to-be University secured the All India Second Prize in the category of Best Institution (other than school/college) at the fifth National Water Awards 2023 for its efforts in water conservation management.

Darshan Ravi and Aayush Bharadwaj from Vidya Mandir Sr. Sec. School, Chennai, won the regional finals of the Aqua Regia: The School Quiz 2024. They will participate in the national finals in Delhi. The regional finals in Chennai was organised by T.I.M.E.

Team Brainy Bots (Lakshmi, Nousheen, and Meghana, students of B.Tech Electronics and Communication Engineering) from KL University Hyderabad was placed fourth in the national NXP AIM 2024 competition. The team received the AI Arjuna Award and a cash prize.

Published - November 04, 2024 03:30 am IST