Almost 202 companies like Pfizer, Novartis, Sanofi Aventis, Quintiles, MSD, IRL,GSK, Novo Nordisk, J & J Allargan, TCS, ICRI Global Research and other multinational companies recruited 4000 clinical research students from ICRI. The institute has a 92% placement record of 2007-09 batch. More than 30% of the current batch which has just appeared for the exams has also been placed. In India students with M.Sc degrees have been placed at an average starting salary between 15000 pm – 25000 pm.

According to Dr. S. K. Gupta, Dean & Director General, Institute of Clinical Research (India), “This year again placements have gone well and the students have been placed before the course is complete. The ICRI has always enjoyed special preference of recruiters. It continues to be the Institute of choice for International and Indian recruiters, who keep coming back year after year looking for exceptional talent.”

“India has all the competitive advantages for conducting clinical trials. As the country is increasingly becoming a favored destination for clinical trials, a gap analysis needs to be done to scale up all resources for clinical trials. This scale up is essential for India to cope with the large global clinical trial projects. ICRI aims to nurture and create an environment of learning, and implement international standards in the interests of Clinical Research students. This is to ensure India meets the global expectations as an emerging Clinical Research destination”, said Mr. S.R. Dugal, Chairman, Board of Directors, ICRI.

Since Clinical Research is now a global industry serving global requirements, educational institutions involved with programs in clinical research need to have a curriculum which match the high standard requirements of CRO’s worldwide. ICRI has collaborated with Cranfield University, U.K., – Europe’s academic centre for strategic and applied research. As per ICRI, this partnership marked the beginning of ICRI’s endeavour to give a global magnitude to Clinical Research learning in India and reinforce commitment towards academic credentials which has yielded results.

On the 26th of April, 2010, UOU signed an MOU with University18, to launch three Management Programs – a One year Executive MBA for Working Professionals, a General MBA, and a Bachelors in Business Administration (BBA).

To be launched from the academic year 20010-11 in July 2010, these programs will make extensive use of ICT technology to bridge current gaps in Distance Education. To be taught using an Online Virtual Classroom Platform, the technology would let students login to, attend and interact in live classes, from any PC using a broadband Internet connection.

The Virtual Classroom platform is highly scalable, capable of having upto 50 live hosted ‘virtual classrooms’ at one time, with each classroom having upto 250 students attending, giving it the capability of having a total of 12500 students logged in at the same time.

With the increasing spread of internet and broadband connectivity, this will enable students from distant places and smaller towns, to gain access to quality higher education. The facility to conduct the personal contact program classes online would also add to the acceptance and accessibility of such courses by working professionals.

This would be the first of many steps by UOU and University18 towards democratizing quality in Higher Education over Distance Learning.

Prof Arthur Francis, Dean, School of Management, University of Bradford, who attended all the previous convocations, delivered the Graduation Address after the outgoing batch received their degrees. Mrs. Malvika Rai, Chairperson IILM presented the Dr. Kulwant Rai Gold and Silver medals to the toppers

According to Prof Francis, the growth of IILM and the UBS programme mirrors the deep-going transformations in India’s economy. “My first visit was eight years after India’s economic liberalization in 1991. We now know that this set India decisively on its current pathway of fast economic growth… But year after year I have seen for myself … the modernisation of the capital city – the opening of the Delhi Metro, road-building with many expressways and overpasses, the development of Gurgaon, the growth of IILM itself.”

India’s growth rate of 7-8 per cent a year meant that over 11 years its gross domestic product has more than doubled. Prof Francis argued that “this economic growth has come about through the application, at the level of the economy, of economic theory taught in universities and business schools, and at the level of the firm by the application of the ideas you have taught on your degree programme at IILM.”

In the context of the global financial crisis, Prof Francis forcefully urged the outgoing graduates to keep in mind 3 Ms: might, mind and morals. Which approach is right? Might, mind, or morality? Of course, the answer has to be all of them. “You are entering the world of the mighty and your political skills will be forever invaluable to you. We rely on you to exercise those political skills with the highest levels of morality. And do continue to use your minds at the highest possible level, to make sure you take the right technical decisions to avoid further financial and other crises, to ensure a sustainable future for us all, and to maintain a level of economic growth that continues to add to the world’s health, wealth and wisdom”, he concluded.

The IILM UBS and Bradford University School of Management collaboration has a mandate of providing the management education coupled with value-based training and research.

Griffith University is Australia’s ninth largest higher education institution with five campuses spanning three cities. Ranked amongst the top 4% of universities worldwide, Griffiths University is home to over 38,000 students including 9,000 international students from 125 countries.

Padmashree Dr D Y Patil University is a deemed University. Founded in 2003 by Padmashree Dr D Y Patil, a philanthropist, social worker and educationist with interests in education and health care, The university focuses on health care and business and consists of Medical College, Dental College, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics Institute, College of Physiotherapy, Institute of Optometry & Visual Sciences, College of Nursing, and the Global Business School & Research Centre. The University also houses a Sports Academy on campus in Navi Mumbai, including the D Y Patil Cricket Stadium.

First Ever Program in India

The Bachelor of Exercise Science Program is the first ever program on Exercise Science to be launched in India. Targeted at students interested in a career related to sports, the 3½ year program is spread between academic stints in the Padmashree Dr D Y Patil University [Padmashree DDYPU] and Griffith University.

The first phase of the program comprising of 1 ½ years of academic program and 6 months internship will be delivered in the Padmashree DDYPU campus leading to a Diploma of Exercise Science and the second phase of the program spanning two years will be delivered in the Gold Coast Campus of Griffith University leading to a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science

Students passing out of higher secondary school (10+2 Science Stream) are eligible for entry into the Bachelor of Exercise Science Program.

Career Opportunities

The program addresses skill sets gaps in the industry. There is a shortage of skilled professionals in sports conditioning, injury prevention and sports-specific training in India. The Exercise Science Program aims to develop exercise specialists and clinical scientists specialising in cardiac, respiratory and biomechanical disciplines. This program will provide opportunities for graduating students to work in India and in international markets, providing broad career opportunities to specialise in key functional areas & positions as

* Clinical specialist in cardiac and respiratory medicine
* Exercise specialist for community or sports organisations
* Sports coaching
* Rehabilitation, sports or recreation manager
* Sports science administrator
* Specialist in occupational health & safety
* Fitness specialist

Scholarships

Griffith University is offering a tuition fee waiver for 1 student amongst every 10 students that are participating in the 2nd phase of the program in the Griffith University’s campus leading to the degree.

According to Mr Christopher Madden, Pro Vice Chancellor, International, Griffith University, “There are more than 700 students from India enrolled at Griffith University at any given time and India is one of the top three source international student destinations for Griffith University. India is a vital market for academic engagement for Griffith University and we are very pleased to enter into a strategic tie up with Padmashree Dr D Y Patil University for joint delivery of programs & collaborative research. We also intend to set up a world class sports testing and rehabilitation facility in the Padmashree DDYPU campus. Our partnership with Padmashree DDYPU has been forged as a result of a sharing of vision of Padmashree DDYPU and Griffith University”

“The Bachelor of Exercise Science Transfer Program will provide a strong foundation in the physical, bio-medical and physiological sciences for students to become exercise specialists, or to undertake further studies in health education and sporting-related professions. As a pioneer in fostering relations between Australia and India, Griffith University will deliver a world class program in Exercise Science”, said Mr Madden

Speaking about the program, Dr Vijay D Patil, President, Padmashree Dr D Y Patil Sports Academy said, “The future of sports as a career is changing in India. Students who have the potential and inclination for pursuing a career in sports medicine now have an opportunity of graduating with a degree program in exercise science which is being introduced for the first time in India. This Program will give our students access to some of the best facilities in sports and sport science in Australia and India. We are building on synergies arising out of Padmashree DDYPU’s commitment to sports and world class infrastructure and Griffith University’s expertise in world class education, especially in the area of exercise science and sports medicine”.

Border – Gavaskar Scholarship

The second Griffith University Border-Gavaskar Scholarship was launched at the function today. The scholarship will be awarded to an Indian student to complete a Masters by coursework program at Griffith University. The scholarship covers university fees, living costs and travel expenses for the duration of the program. The recipient will commence the program in July 2010. The Border Gavaskar Masters Scholarship is awarded on each occasion that Australia and India play for the coveted Border Gavaskar Trophy

Speaking about the scholarship, Mr Rahul Mankad, Regional Director – South Asia & Middle East, Griffith International, Griffith University said, “The scholarship was started to celebrate the cricketing spirit shared by the two nations, Australia and India. The scholarship honours two great cricketers who served their countries through sporting excellence with distinction and pride. Both Allan Border and Sunil Gavaskar were keen that it would not be offered as a sports scholarship but they decided on academic merit. So, a student opting for any course will be considered but the one with the best academic results will win it”.

Future plans of Griffith University and Padmashree DDYPU includes establishing of an “International Sport Centre of Excellence” at Padmashree DDYPU that includes a world class sports testing and rehabilitation facility.

The university, which has 2.5 million students on its rolls, will initially roll out the 3G application for 1,000 students pursuing certificate course in information technology here. This will be a pilot project for the next six months, officials said.

Soon after the university has planned a pan-India roll-out, extending to all courses.

‘With Ericsson’s help, we will create a learning platform that uses mobile devices to build educational excellence and exchange information,’ V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, the vice chancellor of the university, said after signing the pact.

‘The concession on the 3G usages will be worked out with the governments and the telecom companies later. But we will charge a very minimal money, around Rs.25 or even less, for making distance education available through 3G applications,’ Pillai added.

The IGNOU is also in talks with telecom operators like the state-run Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd and Bharat Sanchar Nigam who have already already rolled out their 3G services to enable students to learn through this mobile-based application.

K.R Srivathsan, the pro-VC of IGNOU, said the 3G initiative will also help in connecting students in remote areas. ‘With this, students can access the course web pages, download files and assignments, and also watch video clips,’ he said.

The IGNOU vice chancellor said the use of 3G will also serve the government’s vision of promoting higher education where only 15 percent of students reach high school, and 50 percent of college professors teach without a master’s degree.

According to Gowton Achaibar, president of Ericsson India, the classrooms of the future were moving to mobile phones and will reach out further into India. ‘We will build a 3G environment for students to download course contents. They can also get SMS alerts.’

He said 3G technology will create a wider scope for a learner. ‘It’s a small screen that has a browser to scan, stream, build capacities of the user by getting learning material at the shortest possible application methods.’

The top Ericsson executive said this also presented a clear opportunity to use India’s rising rapidly rising teledensity to bring the advantages of broadband to the world of education.

The process for setting up of these new NITs will start in 2009-10 with formation of their respective societies, constitution of their Board of Governors, appointment of Directors, etc. The admissions in these new NITs will be made from the academic session 2010-11 and NITs will start classes either in campuses taken on lease or temporarily in mentor NITs. Work for construction of campuses for these new NITs will also be initiated subject to the land being provided free of cost by the concerned States/UTs. The process of setting up will be completed over a period of five year.

The new NITs are being setup so as to cater to the needs of States/UTs which do not have NITs as of now. This will meet a long standing demand of these States/UTs. These Institutes will be covered under the National Institutes of Technology Act, 2007 making them institutions of national importance, which will ultimately help in addressing the aspirations of people especially of the North East region where 6 new NITs are to be established. The new NITs will be able to provide high quality education to many of the bright students from these States/UTs, as 50% of the seats are to be filled from the eligible students from these States/UTs. Many of the States/UTs where these new NITs are being opened, especially those in North East are lacking in national level technical institutions. This will bring such States of North East in the main stream of the technical education.

The new NITs will increase in output of high quality:

(i) By producing engineering and science graduates in the short run and postgraduates and Ph.Ds in the long run;

(ii) By providing teachers for Engineering and Science subjects at College/University level; and

(iii) By developing Research & Development and Intellectual Property generation in Engineering and Science, in the long run.

The new approved NITs are categprized under two Schemes, as follows:

(a) Scheme “A” consisting of proposed NITs at Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Goa, which will also cater to UTs of Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Lakshadweep, Pudducherry, which will cater to Andaman & Nicobar Islands also and Sikkim; and

(b) Scheme “B” consisting of approved NITs at Delhi (which will also cater to Chandigarh) and Uttrakahand.

Each of the NIT under scheme A will be established at a cost of Rs.250 crore while each of the NIT in scheme B will be set up at a cost of Rs.300 crore. Total project cost is Rs.2600 crore. During 11th Plan the expenditure will be of the order of Rs.540 crore and for the year 2009-2010 expenditure will be of the order of Rs.50 crore.

Main beneficiaries will be the students from the States/UTs which at present do not have NITs as seats will be earmarked for such students in these NITs along with seats earmarked to be filled on all India merit basis.

Presently there are 20 National Institutes of Technology (NITs), located at Agartala, Allahabad, Bhopal, Calicut, Durgapur, Hamirpur, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Jamshedpur, Kurukshetra, Nagpur, Patna, Raipur, Rourkela, Silchar, Srinagar, Surat, Surathkal, Tiruchirapalli and Warangal. Seventeen of these NITs were earlier known as regional Engineering Colleges (RECs). These RECs were set up as joint and co-operative ventures of the Central and State Governments with an aim to meet the increased demand for technically qualified manpower. In 2003, the Seventeen erstwhile Regional Engineering Colleges (RECs) were rechristened as National Institution of Technology (NITs) and taken over as fully funded institutes of the Central Government and granted deemed university status. Subsequently, Bihar College of Engineering, Patna; Government Engineering College, Raipur; and Tripura Engineering College, Agartala, were also converted into NITs in 2004, 2005 and 2006 respectively. NITs are governed by National Institutes of Technology Act, 2007 which came into force w.e.f. 15th August 2007. The NIT Act 2007 declares these NITs as institutions of national importance.

50% of the seats in NITs at Under Graduate level are filled from the eligible students of the State where the NIT is located. Remaining seats are filled on all India merit basis. However, Students of States/UTs which are not having NITs have complained being at a disadvantage, though this Ministry if compensating such States/UTs by way of allocating supernumerary seats in NITs. To address this problem, MHRD has proposed to set up new NITs, provision for which is available in the 11th Five Year Plan, so as to cater to the needs of non-NIT States/UTs.

The nursing college at Safdarjung Hospital will admit 100 students, whereas the one at Dr. RML Hospital will have an intake of 50. Admission to both the colleges will be done on the basis of a Common Entrance Test (CET), which will be conducted by the University on September 20, 2008. The programme is open only to the unmarried female candidates who have qualified their 10+2 with minimum 50% marks in the aggregate of four subjects including English, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

The Prospectus-cum-Application Form for the said course can be obtained from either of the nursing colleges at Safdarjung Hospital or Dr. RML Hospital or from the Admission Helpline at GGSIPU, Kashmere Gate against a DD of Rs 200 in favour of “PAO, Dr. RML Hospital, New Delhi”. The last date to obtain the Application Form by hand is August 27, 2008 and the deadline for submitting the filled-in applications is August 30, 2008.

Speaking about the new institutions, Prof. K. K. Aggarwal, Vice Chancellor, GGSIPU, said, “GGSIP University has always endeavoured to offer educational opportunities in those professional disciplines which are in demand by the society. Both Dr. RML and Safdarjung are well established hospitals and we are happy to be associated with their nursing colleges. This move will moreover, increase our overall intake in the nursing programme by 225 seats.”

Besides these two new Government colleges, GGSIPU has granted affiliation to another nursing college this year, which is St. Stephen’s College of Nursing with an intake of 25. Earlier, the University was offering B. Sc (Hons.) Nursing programme only through one institution namely, Laxmi Bai Batra College of Nursing at Tughlakabad Institutional Area with 50 seats.

Sheffield Hallam University has twenty six scholarships for Indian students ranging from an amount of GBP 1000 to GBP 3000, and two full scholarships. Also, one of the SHU current students is an awardee of the British Council Chevening Scholarship.

Currently, the University recruits over 400 students from India every year for a wide range of courses that have high employability value. The courses have been designed looking at the needs of the industry. 89% of SHU graduates get good jobs within six months of completion of their course. Courses that are popular with Indian students are physiotherapy, pharmaceutical analyses, Information technology, computing and networking, hospitality management, journalism amongst the others.

Professor Philip Jones said “All these programmes are aimed at developing skills, which the students bring back to their own countries. All programmes are designed to increase the employability of the participating students. We want our students to take back a unique experience to their own countries and apply them to their businesses”.

The purpose of the office in India is to reinforce Sheffield Hallam University’s commitment towards the country. The University has a long association with India. About ten teaching staff of Sheffield Hallam University visit India three times a year, touring across the country to enhance relationship with existing partners, to promote partnership opportunities and for knowledge sharing with their peers.

Sheffield Hallam University has been named as one of the top ranking UK Universities in the International Student Barometer. Within each main category like learning support, career advice, technology provision, language support, and flexibility for students, financial support, performance feedback, accommodation quality and cost, the University has achieved first place rankings.

Prof Philip Jones today announced the following Memorandum of Understanding agreements with a number of high quality institutions and has developed initial links with a number of other institutions. Some of these are -:

NIT Hamirpur and NIT Surat – joint research in Materials Engineering programmes.

Universities: Christ College Bangalore – full time Masters courses and twinning programme in hospitality and tourism management and a split Master’s course in tourism. The first students will join SHU in 2008. SHU and Christ College are also currently discussing a twinning arrangement in Business Management.

IILM Delhi and Gurgaon Funds have been allocated under the British government funding under the UKIERI scheme to support the joint development of the programme over the next three years in Hospitality Management.

Manipal University - offers a range of subject disciplines including hospitality management, engineering, business and management, biotechnology etc. Twinning agreements already exist in IT and hospitality and tourism management at undergraduate level. SHU has just launched split masters courses in hospitality and tourism where students study the first part of the course in India, the second part in the UK in Sheffield, and the final dissertation stage in either country.

NSHM Kolkata and Durgapur - This agreement is focused on the areas of film and media studies and hospitality management. There is also a longer term aim of developing provision in other areas such as sport management, hospital management etc.

Commercial organizations: SHU is in discussions with a number of commercial organizations to explore joint collaboration in the areas of research.

It’s worth mentioning that SHU has more placements than any other UK university. The recent extension of visa to two years after graduation that permits international students to work in the UK also makes it an attractive place to study.

Sheffield Hallam is very proud that the England cricket captain, Michael Vaughan, is an Honorary Doctor of Sheffield Hallam. The University is a sponsor of the Michael Vaughan Academy for Young Cricketers.

The concept of Finance schools is taking shape with the increased need of trained professionals in the industry. F- Schools have been instrumental in providing the required skill set to the students to equip for the industry and generate future enterpenurers.

With the increase in GDP of the country, huge business turnovers of big business houses and salary hikes of common man, Wealth management becomes indispensable to ensure that savings and investment are done in the right direction. Financial planning is vital for wealth management.

Financial planning is the task of determining how a business will afford to achieve its strategic goals and objectives. Performing Financial Planning is critical to the success of any organization. It provides the Business Plan with rigor, by confirming that the objectives set are achievable from a financial point of view.

Need for financial planning

If we go about a decade back when we didn’t know what chartered accountant is all about vs today’s scenario when we are not ready to hire an accountant unless he is certified. This is the trend that Financial planning as a course is seen heading to. With the reforms in the banking sector and with more and more banks getting involved in brokerage and investment activities, there is a need of qualified financial analysts to support new customers. Private Banks have come up to a situation for advertising the need of financial planners and provide internal training to retain per se.

Financial planners and financial analysts help guide businesses and individuals in making investment choices. Both carry out financial research and analysis, which they use to provide investment suggestions to clients. F-schools formulate their curriculum in a manner which would enable students to get well versed with the outside industry and thereby giving practical knowledge for their better future.

F-schools

Bajaj Capital has acted as a catalyst in bringing the Financial Planning Certification Program, the CFPCM into India. The International College of Financial Planning Ltd. is promoted by the Bajaj Capital Group. The primary objective at ICFPTM is to impart world-class knowledge and training to students, working executives and professionals interested in making a career in financial services in India.

The International College of Financial Planning, a renowned Business house in the field of Financial Services in India and a charter member of the Association of Financial Planners of India has come up with a post graduate diploma course in financial planning. PGDFP programme provided by ICFP is so designed that besides preparing students for Financial Services industry, it also prepares the students for internationally recognized certifications such as Associate Financial Planner (AFP) & Certified Financial Planner (CFPCM) which are authorized by FPSB, India and various other industry recognized certifications like AMFI Mutual Fund Module, Debt & Securities Market Module etc. Graduates, MBA, CA and ICWA can apply for the course.

A bachelor’s degree is essential for Financial Planning. The courses in the F-school provides the opportunity for in-depth study of modern concepts, theories, analytical methods, and problem-solving techniques, emphasizing the practical uses of these financial management principles in businesses, non-profit organizations, and government.

According to Anish Wig, CEO, ICFP “We train our students with the skillet to think business, thus generating future leaders and entrepreneurs.”

The financial sector is now poised for a quantum leap and the challenges are so vast that they will fulfill the aspirations of the innovators, the workaholics as well as the researchers from all streams of society. Those who join the finance sector in the take off stage will dominate business and trade worldwide for decades to come

The State produces handicrafts worth Rs. 1600 crore and the handicraft items worth 1400 crore rupees are exported to other countries every year.

Raw Material Bank for Wood for Khatamband artisans was also launched. The wooden handicrafts made out of walnut wood are in great demand in the country and abroad. There are about 2,500 artisans engaged in wood based crafts including Khatamband.

The main objective of the Craft Development Institute is to provide research and development facilities in the field of managerial and process testing issues related to various crafts and to provide training for craftsmen and entrepreneurs.

The objective of the Indian Institute of Carpet Technology is to provide support to local carpet and allied industry through Design Creation Development, R and D and Technical Services and also to develop quality culture in carpet industry.