Hyderabad Higher Education Updates

[stormmaker]

Coca Cola India has joined hands with the Indian School of Business to set up a retail academy. The academy will offer a six-month programme to train mid-level professionals in retail management.

It will also conduct retail research and online training as well. The academy will be governed by a council comprising retail practitioners and academicians.

“The initiative is mainly to bring about a well-rounded retail management training programme to contribute towards the quality of future retail managers,” said Ahmet Bozer, group president, Eurasia and Africa, Coca Cola.

The strategic retail management programme hopes to induct at least 50 students in this first year. The fee for this would be Rs 5 lakh. The eligibility for the course is however minimum four years of work experience. “We may also be able to absorb students from the school once they are through the course,” said Atul Singh, president and CEO, Coca Cola India and South west Asia.

“The retail sector in India is undergoing a rapid transformation and the next phase of growth will require well-trained professionals. ISB will provide them cutting-edge pedagogy that will help them to drive the capability of retail sector and benchmarking them globally,” said Ajit Rangnekar, dean, ISB.

Speaking about the impact of the rising input costs, Bozer said the beverage maker is monitoring its impact and will take an appropriate action in the near future. “We have a very large manufacturing base in India and any fluctuations will create an impact. We will look at opportunities to minimise the impact as and when required,” he said.

The company is also looking at scaling up its pilot project and increasing the production of mangoes and oranges with farmers across the country. Right now, the production is at 6 tonnes per annum and it would increase up to 18 tonnes per annum, soon, an official said.

http://www.mydigitalfc.com/companies...il-academy-171

[stormmaker]

Please respect FT.com's ts&cs and copyright policy which allow you to: share links; copy content for personal use; & redistribute limited extracts. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights or use this link to reference the article - http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/def8c488-1...#ixzz1AjsmyAAp

In a bid to attract some of the brightest and the best, the Indian School of Business, in Hyderabad, has launched a pre-admissions strategy for students on undergraduate programmes who want to study business.

The Young Leaders Programme, which bears an uncanny resemblance to Harvard Business School’s 2+2 programme, requires selected students to work for at least one year and nine months between graduating from their undergraduate degree and starting the ISB Postgraduate Programme in Management (the ISB MBA).

During the work period, students will attend contact programmes at the ISB campus every six months, which will focus on network and career opportunities.YLP participants will be eligible for both merit and need based scholarships once they begin the PGP.

“The ISB is proud to launch the Young Leaders Programme to identify and nurture leadership potential among young college students, who will assume the mantle of leadership tomorrow,” says Deepak Chandra, deputy dean of ISB . “The programme has been designed to enhance the leadership skills of these students through a structured process, which in turn will create a pipeline for the next generation of business leaders.”

YLP participants will account for around 10 per cent of admitted students every year, once the programme is implemented.

Harvard’s 2+2 programme pre-admits young managers into the two-year MBA on the condition that they complete two years of recognised work experience before attending the business school.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/def8c488-1...#axzz1AjrGvImN

[World8115]

Source, Article

[rizwan3]

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/...2652202500.htm

UoH ties up with Pharma Cambridge

Hyderabad, Jan. 25

The University of Hyderabad (UoH) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Pharma Cambridge, UK, to offer joint courses in pharma medicine.

As part of the MoU, a post graduate diploma in pharma medicine and some other related courses would be offered under the distance mode and direct-contact mode at Hyderabad and other locations in the country.

Pharma Cambridge would be responsible for developing and conducting the programmes, while UoH would extend the academic and administrative support.

The PG diploma in pharma medicine would be launched in March 2011 with an intake of 60 for employees working at the senior executive level in various pharma/medical institutions.

[rizwan3]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/t...ow/7384559.cms

JNTU, Synopsis team up on software design programme
IANS, Jan 29, 2011, 02.30pm IST

HYDERABAD: Synopsys, the US-headquartered world leader in software designing, and Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) in Hyderabad signed an agreement to establish microelectronics programme at the JNTU.

The programme is aimed at training local talent and providing highly skilled specialists that can address the complex design requirements of semiconductor industry companies, an official said.

The plan is for the newly established bachelors and masters programmes in JNTU-Hyderabad to provide skill development opportunities to more than 300,000 students every year.

JNTU-Hyderabad is the largest nodal university in India with more than 300 affiliated colleges.

Under the programme, Synopsys will give the university students access to the company's digital and embedded electronic design automation (EDA) software as part of its worldwide university programme.

JNTU-Hyderabad will use the instructional services from Seer Akademi, a curriculum partner and member of the Synopsys University Programme, to effectively administer the curriculum and to ensure effective use.

"The huge promise that India holds for the growth of the high tech electronics systems industry depends to a large extent on the availability of qualified, industry-ready, engineers," said Doctor Pradip Dutta, corporate vice president and managing director at Synopsys India.

"JNTU-Hyderabad is pleased to receive this unique honour," said Vice-Chancellor D. Narasimha Reddy. "JNTU-Hyderabad's collaboration with Synopsys and Seer Akademi will result in a new generation of highly skilled industry ready graduates and professors"

[dsredd77]

The Representatives of Fuqua School of Business of Duke Univesity of North Carolina of United States have visited the Hyderabad capital city of State of Andhra Pradesh in South India, yesterday and held discussions with ‘A.P,. Invest’ officials and State Government officials for establishing Duke University Campus in about 200 acres at Shamirpetpet mandal in Ranga Reddy District, where nationally reputed NALSAR Law University is also located.
Earlier the Government officials have suggested a land at Anantapur district but the Duke Representatives were keen in locating their campus at Hyderabad capital city.

[Ron7]

Duke university campus coming up in Hyderabad

The Representatives of Fuqua School of Business of Duke Univesity of North Carolina of United States have visited the Hyderabad capital city of State of Andhra Pradesh in Southe India, yesterday and held discussions with ‘A.P,. Invest’ officials and State Government officials for establishing Duke University Campus in about 200 acres at Shamirpetpet mandal in Ranga Reddy District, where nationally reputed NALSAR Law University is also located.

Earlier the Government officials have suggested a land at Anantapur district but the Duke Representatives were keen in locating their campus at Hyderabad capital city.

It is really good news for the Indian students who have been duped at unaccredited Tri-Valley University so that they can pursue American Education at India and can stay nearer to their parents, with less expenditure and tension.

Taking into consideration the Indian Government’s serious concern over the American Immigration Officials’ attaching Radio Callers to the feet of Tri-Valley students and other mounting criticism on Immigration Officials treatment to students and also by keeping good Indo-American relations in view, the American Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials may with broad mind help those Indian students in getting admission into the forth coming American Duke University campus at Hyderabad by recovering the fee paid by students to Tri-Valley University by confiscating the Tri-Valley properties

[Ron7]

Top b-schools in India located or coming up in Hyderabad

1) IIM Ahmedabad's satellite campus

2) Indian school of business

3) Institute of management (IMT)

4) Symbiosis institute of business & management

5) NMIMS institute of management

6) XLRI Hyderabad campus

Foriegn MBA schools campus coming up in Hyderabad

1) Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, North Carolina, United States

2) Schulich school of business, Canada

3) Georgia tech university campus

Hyderabad has set the standards for management studies in India with all top colleges having their campus... with 3 central universities, 6 state universities & other colleges in Hyderabad, there is no doubt that Hyderabad is the education hub of India!!!!!!!!

[stormmaker]

US varsity to set up campus in state

HYDERABAD: Pepperdine University of California proposes to set up its campus in the state soon. A nine-member delegation from the university led by Dr Timothy M Chester met chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy at his camp office on Wednesday and discussed the issue with him.

According to an official press note, Pepperdine University will be set up in about 500-600 acres on Nalgonda-Warangal route. The university will invest Rs 1000 crore and will have an intake of 3000 students. It also proposes to have exchange programme between universities in the state and Pepperdine in the streams of law and engineering.

The university is one of the top 20 in the world and provides highest standards of academic excellence. The university is located on a 830-acre campus overlooking the Pacific ocean in Malibu, US, the press note added.

[rockystone]

[IMG][/IMG]

[v_reddy]

Kind of old news...but quite a bit of information..


Hyderabad is all set to add to its image of a city famous for pearls and biryani — by also becoming one known for sprawling education campuses and big business schools.

A recent initiative by the Andhra Pradesh government to invite big names in management education has made those of the stature of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur, Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai and Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Sciences (NMIMS), Mumbai to line up to open massive functional campuses in the city.

The message from the Andhra Pradesh government is loud and clear: “Make Hyderabad the education-hub of South India. Bring in quality education and in return we will give lots of land at a cheap rate besides good and ready infrastructure.”

Government push

The need to bring in so many b-schools to Hyderabad stems from the fact that not many of the existing b-schools are anything to shout about. The secretary of Andhra Pradesh’s State Council of Higher Education MD Christopher told PaGaLGuY that while there were some 900 management institutes in the state offering 50,000 seats, many of them offered sub-standard education. “It is to improve the quality of management education that we want good and established b-schools to come to Hyderabad. No point just having so many b-schools around. Our thrust is on quality,” he said.

Though the government is all agog in inviting renowned b-schools to the state, it is being very selective about it. “We have to be convinced that the education offered will be of a very high standard. When an institute approaches us, it gives us a presentation and only after we are thoroughly check all the issues involved and are convinced that they will do the job well, do we say a yes,” informed Christopher.

There is a silent clause in the selection process which actually serves as one of the main criteria in the final approval. All b-schools interested in setting up shop in Hyderabad have to spell out what steps they are willing to take to uplift the cause of the local people. Christopher clarifies that this could take any form. “This could be reservation in seats, giving employment to locals or anything that will help the local population.”

And once the government is convinced, there is apparently no looking back then. From land to infrastructure, the government is offering every possible help to facilitate the process of setting up the b-school.

Land and students aplenty

While IIM Ahmedabad has received 150 acres of land from the Andhra Pradesh government for its campus, IMT’s Hyderabad campus has already begun construction on the 30 acre land granted to it. XLRI had demanded an allotment of 75 acres of land for their project, which the government has agreed to. The land allotted to XLRI is on the outskirts of the city at Jawahar Nagar, near the BITS Pilani’s Hyderabad campus.

The Andhra Pradesh government has allocated 65 acres of land in Kothuru Mandal of Mehboob Nagar to TISS, while NMIMS is constructing its campus on 90 acres of land in the same locality and has plans of offering not just the MBA but all the other courses that they offer at the university in Mumbai. The city already hosts the Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad since 2001.

Andhra Pradesh has a huge pool of ready students for b-schools. Over 500 engineering colleges yield more than 1.7 lakh students annually. Additionally, the IT and manufacturing sector workforces offer a ready pool of prospective MBA applicants.

Existing players

Existing b-school players in the market are unperturbed by the government’s decision to invite the big guys. They admit that established names will raise the standard of education in the city and finally lead to employment and more professional choices for the students.

“The are 93 business schools in Hyderabad city alone and almost 900 in the whole of Andhra Pradesh, but only about 10% are able to fill their seats. This is because most institutes do not offer quality education,” says Professor GS Rao, Director of Badruka Institute of Foreign Trade (BIFT), Hyderabad adding that students either travel to another state for higher education, go abroad for further studies or just continue with engineering.

“The opening up of the big b-schools here will ensure that our students stay back here,” adds Prof Rao.

The BIFT Director agreed that Hyderabad as a city offered excellent choices for new educational institutions. “There are a certain number of things that an institute starting out needs. Hyderabad offers it all — good faculty, low cost of living, government support and ideal geographical location. Plus, the state has a huge pool of students, who have run out of options. What more does a new b-school need?”

Work begins

B-schools that have passed the government test have begun work. IMT has already announced acceptance of applications for the two-year fulltime course from the Hyderabad campus, starting 2011. NMIMS will launch its two-year full time MBA from June 2011, but will launch the part-time management programme and executive education programme from the end of this year. IIM Ahmedabad and TISS have announced that they will launch Management Development Programmes or short term courses for the local community, industries or the government departments from their Hyderabad campuses soon.

IIM Ahmedabad had earlier said that it would explore the possibility of launching a fulltime PGP programme from its Hyderabad campus. However, the institute now plans to begin only with short term courses. “That was how IIM Ahmedabad was (originally) launched, with MDPs. For now, when we launch the campus, work for which will only start in the next academic year, we will offer short term courses only,” IIM Ahmedabad Director Dr Samir Barua told PaGaLGuY.

What the b-schools say

What is in it for the b-schools to move to Hyderabad? This is what stakeholders told PaGaLGuY.

Dr Krishna Tanuku, Executive Director of the Wadhwani Centre for Entrepreneurship Development at ISB Hyderabad, who has worked abroad for decades and now resides in Hyderabad says, “The contemporary management and engineering education requires a widely accessible professional environment in terms of other high quality educational and research institutions and industry. In that way, Hyderabad works.”

Dr Tanuku adds that Hyderabad has a cosmopolitan environment and that attracts students and faculty. “Not to forget the physical infrastructure which is of a good quality. The air and train accessibility is good and since there is support from the government at every step it becomes easy to set up campus here,” Dr Tanaku concludes.

The government support is a critical factor that works for XLRI School of Business and Human Resources too. Fr E Abraham SJ, Director of XLRI says that Hyderabad is an ideal city to set up campus because the government backing is very strong.

The Director of NMIMS, Prof. Rajan Saxena, while appreciating the government support further states that the standard of faculty applying to the upcoming b-schools in Hyderabad is fantastic. “Besides the huge pool of students for b-schools and corporates to absorb them, Hyderabad has also pleasantly surprised us with the kind of faculty who are applying. A lot of migration has happened from Andhra Pradesh in the past, which made its students leave the state to pursue better under-grad or post-grad education. These people have studied well, seen the world and are now looking for opportunities closer to their hometown. We have already recruited six such permanent faculty members.”

Source
http://www.pagalguy.com/2010/10/why-...ewest-mba-hub/

[stormmaker]

EThames Graduate School, UK Inaugurates its first India Campus

Hyderabad, 8th February 2011: In a milestone development, EThames Graduate School, UK, firmly established as one of London’s leading independent Higher Education Colleges, announced today the opening of its India Campus at Hyderabad .
The Hon’ble Minister of State for Human Resources Development (Higher Education), Dr Daggubati Purandeswari, inaugurated the EThames Hyderabad Campus, while Shri Damodar Raja Narasimha - Hon'ble Minsister for Higher & Technical Education of Andhra Pradesh unveiled the Site Plan for the residential Campus of EThames, India. Shri Botsa Satyanarayana - Hon'ble Minister for Transport of Andhra Pradesh, Justice G Bhavani Prasad (High Court) and Member of Parliament Mrs Botsa Jhansi lighted the lamp and cut the ribbon. Other notable guests included senior representatives of Ethames’s partner Universities in UK, members of the UK High Commission and British Council, various senior members of local Universities including Vice Chancellors, and senior representatives from local and multinational industries.

Mr Veen Pula, Chairman of EThames Educational Society said, “We aim at providing the student an exceptionally rewarding learning experience. We believe in giving our students the best of everything; highest quality education and an unmatched ambience to help them study and grow. We believe EThames’s Hyderabad Campus is an ideal place for students in India to pursue their higher education.”

Speaking on the occasion, Ms Susan Hindley, Principal of EThames, UK said, “The opening of the EThames Hyderabad City Centre campus is a further step in developing the dynamic 21st century partnership in Education between the UK and India. EThames, India will provide students an opportunity to subscribe to Courses of International repute while remaining in India and also provide them international exposure when they proceed to UK for the final stage leading to award of degrees from well known Universities of UK. All this will be at an affordable cost.”

EThames Graduate School’s India Campus at Hyderabad is a state-of-the-art campus in the very centre of the city, where students from around India can study for highly reputed UK qualifications and benefit from the best UK teaching methods, the latest classroom technology and the support of an excellent faculty.

EThames India will conduct sandwich programmes in which the first part of the course be conducted in India and students will then have the opportunity to spend 1 year at one of EThames’ campuses in London to complete their Bachelors or Masters degree awarded by EThames’s partner universities in UK. EThames, India is initially launching PG and UG courses in Management and UG course in Computing. Subsequently it proposes to launch courses in Hospitality/ Tourism and Healthcare. Students are expected to benefit tremendously from the exposure and teaching methods which would put them on the road to rewarding careers.

EThames Graduate School India is also building a large residential campus spread over nearly 200 acres on the outskirts of Hyderabad. This Campus will accommodate 10,000 – 15,000 students. Phase 1 will be open in October 2012. A small event marking the start of work on the site was also part of the Inauguration ceremony held at the Hyderabad Campus.

About EThames Graduate School, UK

EThames Graduate School, UK (www.etgs.org.uk) is a Higher Education institution offering students a complete range of high quality UK recognised qualifications. EThames Graduate School is located in London, one of the most vibrant cities in the world to study and live in. The College has two main campuses. The Marsh Wall Campus is located in the heart of Canary Wharf, London’s newest and most prestigious Business and Banking Centre. The second Campus, Montrose House, is located at Gants Hill in the London Borough of Redbridge. The College also has a third site, Arodene House at Gants Hill, which houses a dedicated Learning Centre and Library to support the academic life of both students and faculty. EThames, UK provides students with the latest cutting edge technology plus the support and learning resources to ensure the best learning environments in the UK.

EThames, UK has been licensed by the UK Border Agency to enroll international students under Tier 4 of the Points Based System. EThames prides itself on being approved by the British Accreditation Council and also being one of the best BAC-accredited Colleges in London. EThames has agreements in place with the University of Sunderland, University of Bradford, University of Greenwich and De Montfort University. EThames also conducts courses leading to qualifications approved by NCC and Edexcel.

[rizwan3]

http://www.hindu.com/2011/02/13/stor...1362630500.htm

AEMS to offer Aerospace MBA from this year

\
HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad-based Aerospace Education and Management Services (AEMS) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Toulouse Business School, France at the ongoing Aero India-2011 show at Bangalore to offer the latter's Aerospace MBA in India.

AEMS officials stated in a release that the course would be offered from later this year. The AeMBA of Toulouse School was one of the globally-acclaimed and American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)-accredited courses in aerospace education.

They had spent over two years in developing the Aerospace University with support from Indian and international aviation community including manufacturers and suppliers.

[rizwan3]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...ow/7490435.cms

US varsity denies plans to set up campus in AP
TNN, Feb 14, 2011, 12.20am IST

HYDERABAD: The state government, which was quick to announce that the Pepperdine University of California would be setting up its campus on a sprawling 600 acres land in Nalgonda-Warangal road, was left red-faced with the university president, Andrew K Benton, denying that any such decision had been taken.

In a statement, Benton said that Pepperdine and India "are still at the early stages of talks, making it too early to say exactly what any potential programme might look like.''

Information technology minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah had announced to the media that the university would be setting up shop in the state. This was followed by a press note from chief minister's office (CMO) on February 2 after a delegation led by vice provost Timothy Chester met chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy. Details were provided, that it would be coming up on the Nalgonda-Warangal road with an investment of Rs 1,000 crore and intake of 3,000 students. The government also claimed that Pepperdine was one of the top 20 universities in the world.

While Benton denied that any such decision had been taken, university administrators said it was also not correct to say that Pepperdine was looking to invest approximately $220 million on the project.

"The possibility of a full-blown American-style campus is complex. As of now, there are no identifiable sites or funding for a Pepperdine programme in Hyderabad,'' the statement said.

According to a statement by Chester himself, "the opportunities warrant investigation. A full-blown market investigation is precursory to any kind of talk, which could inform Pepperdine about two things: India's needs in terms of skill gaps and Pepperdine's potential in the give-and-demand environment.''

With respect to the specific location, they said the university was merely examining whether or not India would be a good place for international programmes.

Andhra Pradesh, the university said, is centrally located, making it a rich mix of southern and northern Indian traditions. Hyderabad is also commonly known for being a centre for the information technology industry, pharmaceutical prowess, and a popular film industry. The visit was part of Pepperdine's continuing commitment to developing its overseas programmes, they added.

State government officials refused to comment on the developments on Sunday.

[rizwan3]

http://www.sify.com/movies/nagarjuna...tiOcciidf.html

Nagarjuna to open film school, but no Bollywood please
2011-02-19 08:50:00

New Delhi, Feb 19 (IANS) He has over two decades in the film industry and more than 70 movies to his credit, but southern superstar Nagarjuna is in no mood to sit on his laurels. He is busy doing experimental cinema, plans to open a film institute down south and doesn't want to waste time by accepting Bollywood offers.

'I had a nice roller-coaster ride in the industry. I have learnt many lessons. There were many ups and downs and, thankfully, I survived them all. And every experience has been very enriching and satisfactory,' Nagarjuna told IANS in an interview over phone from Hyderabad.

The Chennai-born 51-year-old actor is a qualified engineer and he even went to the University of Louisiana at Lafayettein the US to do his masters, but the acting bug bit him so hard that he took a plunge into showbiz. And why not when he had an inspiration at home - his father Nageswara Rao is an actor and a producer.

'My films didn't do well after the movie. I just couldn't get away from the image,' said the star who even now wants to play a mythological character from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.

'We grow up listening to stories from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. So I would like to portray any character from any chapter of these epics,' he said.

He also wants to do 'experimental cinema'.

'I want to do something that can satiate my hunger for breaking the stereotype. Unlike Bollywood, Tollywood (Telugu film industry) is not experimenting with cinema. So the change has to start from somewhere; let me be the first one. Audience is same everywhere and so we have to try to break free from the regular masala movies,' he said.

Calling his upcoming venture 'Gaganam' experimental, Nagarjuna says it is very different from what he has done so far and hopes to bring change in southern cinema with the film.

'I have been offered scripts, but getting out of Hyderabad, shooting somewhere else, it doesn't work for me; hence there are constant clashes. I have things happening here, all under control, so I am comfortable here,' he added.

The actor-producer doesn't rule out the possibility of producing a Bollywood film if he gets the right package. But direction is a no-no for him.

Nagarjuna has been dabbling in different business for the past five-six years. He is closely associated with Telugu TV channel Maa TV - he is on its board of directors.

Apart from this, his restaurant N-grill is a popular dinning place in the plush Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, and he has plans to take it to other cities like Delhi and Bangalore as well.

The most ambitious project that Nagarjuna is currently focussing on is Annapurna Studios Pvt Ltd (ASPL) in Jubilee Hills that will train technicians and budding actors.

'Unfortunately, down south we don't have a film school like you have in Mumbai. So the gap has to be filled and I am looking more at the quality aspect; hence this project has come up. After all these years in the industry, I have seen there is no proper channel or guidance here if one wants to make a career in this line,' he said.

'So a person learns on the job. But this is not the right way. Hence it will be on the lines of the American film institute, New York University, and the University of Southern California. The objective of this institute is to upgrade talent for students to compete globally,' he added.

According to him, this is a way of giving back to the industry that has made him what he is today and see it scale great heights in future.

[Prodigist]

APOLLO to set up Medical Colleges in Hyderabad and Chittoor

Apollo seeks nod from 2 states to set up four medical colleges

Apollo Hospitals has approached Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh state governments seeking permission to set up four medical colleges in these states. The company wants education to evolve as another business vertical.

Apollo proposes to have medical colleges in Chennai, Madurai, Hyderabad and Chittoor. “We have land in all these places. The hospital has sought clearance from the respective state governments. Once we get the no objection certificate from them and then the approval of the Medical Council of India, we will be able to start construction in the sites,” Preetha Reddy, MD of Apollo Hospitals told FC.

Apollo may rope in Malaysian sovereign fund Khazanah Nasional, which holds 70 per cent stake in International Medical University of Malaysia.

“Some of the medical universities in the UK and the US too are quite interested in our education venture. We are in talks with them and once we get the necessary government nod, we will finalise on the collaborations. We seek to build education as a business vertical and we might also look at several models in developing the vertical,” she said.

Medical Council of India recently had lifted its bar on corporate hospital chains directly foraying into medical education.

[Ajay C]

AP government schools to have English from Class 1

With English increasingly becoming the preferred language of education even among the students hailing from poorer sections of the society and also rural areas, the Andhra Pradesh government has decided to lay emphasis on English right from Class I in its schools.

Accordingly, English will now be taught as the second language from Class I from 2011-12 academic year, minister for primary education Sake Sailajanath said.

"The basic idea is to provide access to children from poorer sections as well as rural areas to English education right from Class I rather than Class III (the current policy), so that they compete with students of private schools," Sailajanath told Press Trust of India.

A report by the Regional Institute of English (RIE), (Bangalore) has established that the percentage of enrolment of students in government schools has drastically reduced from 84.48% to 55.72% in primary and upper primary schools, whereas admissions in the private residential schools increased from 17.52% to 44.28% in the period from 1995-96 to 2009-10 in Andhra Pradesh.

In respect of Telugu medium, enrolment percentage in Class I to Class X for the period 2000-01 to 2009-10 in Government schools reduced from 83.47 per cent to 65.54 per cent, while English medium enrolment increased from 13.77% to 31.66%.

"It was observed that most parents in rural areas are withdrawing their children from government Telugu medium schools due to lack of English teaching," the report noted.

RIE has recommended introduction of English from Class I without making it a burden for the children to learn it most effectively in the early years.

The Andhra Pradesh government hopes that the introduction of English from Class I will help in increasing the enrolment of students and helping them at later stage of their education.

The State Council of Educational Research and Training had also proposed the introduction of English as a second language from Class I in government schools and recommended development of effective textbooks from Class I to V reflecting constructive pedagogy as recommended by National Curriculum Framework 2005.

It also recommended development of appropriate reading material and learning cards for effective English language acquisition and developing textbooks in coordination with the RIE.

[Ajay C]

Deloitte plans varsity in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: Software giant Deloitte may establish a university of its own in Hyderabad as part of expansion plans.

This was indicated by a Deloitte team comprising its managing director Harikumar and senior manager Gautham Shah during a meeting with Information Technology Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah here on Friday. The team urged the government to provide the required facilities for the project.

The Minister offered the government's extend cooperation for setting up an university, which will train over 10,000 people enhance employment opportunities of qualified youths.

A large facility of the firm at the software city at Madhapur here has employed over 10,000 people already. The strength on the firm's rolls would reach 15,000 by 2014. By then, its plinth space would go up to 20 lakh sq. ft. from the present 10 lakh sq.ft.

The firm is presently operating in 140 countries in the world, employing over 1.7 lakh people.

[ygvjs2000]

source: http://www.businesswireindia.com/Pre...sp?b2mid=26341


Hyderabad the New Indian Centre of IT Excellence, BITS Pilani Takes Over IIT Delhi: GILD.com Report
National study into IT skills in India identifies top cities, companies and universities
Bangalore, Karnataka, India, Tuesday, March 29, 2011 -- (Business Wire India)



IT talent has spread across India and is no longer confined to a few small centres, according to the GILD.com IT Talent Report, released today.

GILD.com, the fastest growing network for IT professionals in India, analysed over one lakh people across India and found Bangalore no longer holds the top spot for IT excellence. The report also found graduates from IIT Delhi continue to top the university rankings, although BITS Pilani for the first time had the highest scores in February, and employees of Oracle Corporation topped the February company rankings.

Sheeroy Desai, GILD.com CEO, commented on the findings: “IT skills in India are no longer confined to certain cities, universities and companies. While smaller in number, the IT professionals in Hyderabad have risen above their peers in other, more traditionally recognized cities, and skills are relatively evenly spread across a number of universities and companies.”

“India is the fastest growing IT market in the world, so it can be very difficult for great programmers and IT professionals to know how good they actually are. GILD.com gives professionals all over the country the ability to showcase their abilities and develop their skills, while comparing and interacting with other professionals in their field, whether they are up the road or across the world.”

The key findings of the GILD.com IT Skills Report include:

Top cities:

1. Hyderabad
2. Bangalore
3. Jaipur
4. Delhi NCR
5. Mangalore

Top universities:

1. Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
2. Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS), Pilani
3. Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
4. Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani -Goa Campus
5. Malaviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT) Jaipur

Fastest growing employers:

1. Oracle Corporation
2. Wipro Technologies
3. Tata Consultancy Services
4. Infosys Technologies
5. IBM India

The GILD talent report compares the quality of talent, graduating from colleges and the skills of professionals employed in India. The data behind the report is generated from hundreds of thousands of certification exams taken on GILD (www.GILD.com).

The report which contains more details and in-depth analysis can be downloaded at blog.GILD.com/talentreport.

If you are an IT professional and want to know how you compare, visit www.gild.com.

About GILD ( http://www.GILD.com )

GILD is the fastest growing network of technology professionals around the world – a unique offering that combines social gaming with career advancement. GILD provides technology professionals an engaging environment where they can connect with other professionals and employers, compare themselves with their peers, and advance their career with scientific rankings.

With global headquarters in San Francisco, USA, and regional headquarters in Bangalore, India and Beijing, China, the company serves technology leaders like Oracle, Sapient, Convergys, Cognizant, Sasken and eBay.

For press backgrounder on GILD click here

Media contact details

Rakhi Khanna,
PAC Labs,
+91 9686033991,
rkhanna@paclabs.com

KEYWORDS: CONSUMER, PEOPLE, MARKETING, BUSINESS SERVICES, EDUCATION, IT, TECHNOLOGY


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[rockystone]

Schulich Dean: India needs global MBA programs taught by global faculty


One of the first top business schools gunning to set up an India campus following the expected passage of the Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operations) Bill in the Indian parliament is the Canada-based Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto. Ranked number 10 globally in The Economist’s fulltime MBA rankings 2010, Schulich has already started work on a campus in Hyderabad in association with infrastructure company GMR Group (better known as the developer of the modernized Hyderabad and Delhi airports). The Schulich School of Business, Hyderabad plans to start offering a fulltime 2-year MBA starting 2012.




How did the idea of starting Schulich School of Business at Hyderabad come about?

We entered India back in 1991 through exchange programs with the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) at Ahmedabad and Bangalore. Both schools are part of the list of 80 plus exchange partners we have more than 50 countries.

At that time, India was a very quiet place. But that changed soon after. In the same year the Indian government deregulated the corporate environment and India opened up to global competition. Then in 1995, the Canadian government deregulated education, allowing me to increase my presence in other parts of the world. Between 2001 and 2005, we increased our presence in India by opening up an office in Mumbai for offering executive education as well as to recruit and place students for the MBA program back in Toronto. It was around 2006 that I started getting interested in India. I started visiting the Indian human resources ministry to ask why I couldn’t start a b-school in India. The minister then told me that the a bill allowing foreign investment in higher education would come within a year. But year upon year passed and the amendment did not take place. We were then told that in the meanwhile we could start a twinning program in India, wherein the first year of a 2-year-MBA would be spent in an Indian school and the second in Toronto. And that is how in January 2010 we launched a dual-campus program with SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai. The second year students of that batch are now in Schulich, Toronto after completing their first year in SP Jain, Mumbai.

While we were doing this, the government started moving ahead on the FDI in Higher Education Bill. The bill was passed by the cabinet and is now pending to be cleared by the parliament. I am confident that it will be passed because a country such as India cannot afford not to have globally competitive educational institutions to aid its growth.

In anticipation of the bill, I started looking for an Indian partner who would help us set up a b-school in India. That’s when I was introduced to the GMR Group by the High Commission of Canada to India. After having dinner with the board members of GMR and the heads of its foundation. we made a presentation about Schulich in Hyderabad and 4 to 5 months later, we had a partnership.

We now plan to launch a 2-year MBA program in India at Hyderabad within a couple of years. By that time GMR would have built the campus facility in Hyderabad. And as soon as we can, earliest September 2012, latest September 2013 we will have a full-fledged business school in India delivering both years of the MBA with an intake of 120 students, probably an executive program and a Master in Finance if needed.

Why did you choose India for a second Schulich campus?

We think of ourselves as a global school with a global presence. We currently have offices in more than five cities outside Canada besides having more than 88 alumni chapters in 70 countries. So when we think of expanding outside Canada, India is a natural choice because the country continues to grow into one of the world’s great economic engines and is becoming increasingly attractive to business students from around the world.

As India grows, the number of people who will be needing business education is huge. Demographically, 50% of India’s population is under the age of 25. I can’t say the same about China, who by 2020 have a problem on their hands because their demographics are set the other way round. The young people there are going to be limited in number and they will have a huge ageing population because of their one-child policy. India on the other hand will face a revolt if it fails to offer quality educational infrastructure for its emerging young people. We think that India will need strong business schools on the way.

How will you convince American or European students to come to the Hyderabad campus over the one in Toronto?

One of the key differentiating features of the planned Schulich MBA in Hyderabad is that it will be part of a truly transnational school and will operate as a seamless extension and mirror image of Schulich’s Toronto campus, ensuring the same high quality of programs, faculty and students. Any campus that we build in India will not be a separate, standalone school but an extension of the Schulich School of Business. Students will have the opportunity to spend part of the MBA program in Toronto and part of the program in India. In other words, students can enjoy the best of both worlds. While some of the students based in India will come to Toronto in Year 2 of the program, a number of the Toronto-based students will want to come to India, where we will develop some new specializations that won’t be available in Toronto.

As for why students from North America, Europe, Latin America and elsewhere would want to study in Hyderabad, there a number of compelling reasons. First of all, Hyderabad is one of the world’s great new economic hubs, with concentrations of large multinationals in the IT, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Secondly, as India continues to grow into one of the world’s great economic engines, it is becoming increasingly attractive to business students from around the world.

Let me share with you a story concerning our School. In 2004, we established our first Satellite Centre in Beijing in order to recruit students to the School’s programs in Toronto and assist Schulich students and alumni with career planning and career opportunities in China, among other functions and activities. Initially, it was only our Chinese graduates who were looking to be placed back in China, but within several years, we noticed that a growing number of Schulich MBA graduates from Canada, Europe and other parts of the world were also interested in pursuing a business career in China, especially with large, well-known multinationals. We believe that same level of interest among our MBA students will exist with respect to careers in India. Our Hyderabad campus will give students the added opportunity of being immersed in the business culture of that city and developing contacts with firms located there.

How much tuition fees will you charge at the Hyderabad campus?

It will be exactly the same as we charge in Toronto, which currently is 60,000 Canadian Dollars.

How will you justify charging the same fees for your Hyderabad campus as your Toronto campus, given that the operating costs in India are lower?

Our fee is based on the fact that we are offering a world-class MBA at both campuses, Toronto and Hyderabad. Most of the faculty expertise as well as the curriculum and program development will come from Toronto – so in terms of academic infrastructure, our operating costs will not be cheaper. There is one area, however, where students will experience lower costs, and that is in the area of residence facilities and living costs here in India. But otherwise, it will be the same program with the same costs.

Having said that, in Toronto we have been good at developing scholarship centers. My faculty strongly believes that those who can afford it should pay the fees and those who can’t should get scholarships. Last year we gave away 8 million Canadian dollars in scholarships at Toronto. Recognizing that India still has a large number of students who require expensive financing of their education, I am going to reserve a certain amount of the tuition fees to build a large student support fund to be offered as scholarships.

Why did you choose Hyderabad over other Indian cities for a campus?

I have been around India for a long time and I love Mumbai. Mumbai has a great attraction of having so many corporate head offices. But Mumbai is overcrowded and the land is expensive. The Maharashtra government for a while tried to give me land but what was on offer was very small and far away from the actual city. Delhi was not very attractive and Bangalore could have been used because it is a technology center, it too is becoming overcrowded like Mumbai. When we met the GMR Group, they told us that they had an upcoming facility in Hyderabad which would be close to the airport. Hyderabad is an important upcoming economic hub with a strong presence of global technology companies, biotech firms, etc. Downtown Hyderabad is not messy and overpopulated yet. So we chose Hyderabad.