CIEC Author

More Visas Being Issued to People From India Seeking a New Life in Canada

May 9, 2014May 9, 2014CIEC Author

Source: Expat Forum via Indian Economic & Business News | May 5, 2014

Canada remains a destination of choice for visitors, students and business travelers from India with more than 130,000 visas being issued to people coming to visit family, friends or as tourists last year. There were also almost 14,000 student visas granted and more than 33,000 Indian citizens who became permanent residents of Canada, according to the latest figures announced by Immigration Minister Chris Alexander. He said that for over a century Canada has benefited from the talent and hard work of newcomers from India. ‘Tens of thousands of Indians continue to make the journey to Canada every year to help us build our country, our economy and, in many cases, to settle permanently and become Canadians,’ he explained. ‘The government has been making changes to facilitate legitimate travel, welcoming more visitors, businesspeople and students to Canada than ever before,’ he added. This includes the Business Express Programme (BEP) that was introduced in 2008 and created to ensure faster processing of visa applications for business people. The Worker Express Programme, which provides expedited service to applicants sent to Canada by companies under the BEP, was introduced in India in June 2009 and has since benefited more than 7,200 Indian citizens. In addition to the BEP, in July 2011, the government extended the duration of multiple entry visas from five to 10 years allowing visitors to enter and exit Canada for up to six months at a time over a 10 year period.

TCS Insights: By making visas more accessible to travelers from around the world, Canada has been able to benefit from the thousands of Indians who choose to study or work there. The decision to increase the length of multiple entry visas while allowing more travel to and from the country has also proved beneficial.

2014 Leiden Rankings of Scientific Performance Released

May 6, 2014May 27, 2015CIEC Author

Source: Leiden News Release via Academica | April 30, 2014

Leiden University’s Centre for Science and Technology Studies has released its latest annual rankings. The Leiden rankings measure the scientific performance of 750 universities worldwide, including each institution’s scientific impact and involvement in scientific collaboration. This year, 28 Canadian universities appear on the list. Only the University of Toronto cracked the top 100, appearing in 87th place. The University of British Columbia (109) and McGill University (119) also made strong showings, while the University of Victoria was Canada’s top-ranked university without a medical school, at 183rd. The University of Ottawa (185) rounds out Canada’s top 5. New York’s Rockefeller University ranked first overall. The rankings are based on a bibliometric methodology that considers citation impact and scientific collaboration, corrected for scientific fields. Rockefeller’s first-place finish reflects that it had the highest percentage of frequently cited publications.

TCS Insights: Canadian academic institutions currently find themselves ranked among the top tier in the world, in terms of scientific collaboration and impact. Both international and domestic students interested in a career in science would do well to consider pursuing higher education at any of these places of study.

A Global Stamp

April 30, 2014April 30, 2014CIEC Author

Source: Times of India | April 28, 2014

In keeping with the trend of ‘going gobal’ as witnessed among many institutes in the country, the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), too, have geared up to make their presence felt worldwide.

With the granting of the Association of MBAs (AMBA) accreditation for five years in March 2014, IIM Calcutta, too, has sealed its position among the top B-schools globally. On the anvil is yet another accreditation for it. “We hope to get the Association to Advance Collegiate School of Business (AACSB) accreditation by the end of the year,” says Anindya Sen, dean (academic ), IIM-C .

On the benefits of such global accreditation, Sen says, “It is an international benchmarking procedure. Accreditation is the concrete evidence that we are ranked highly not only by Indian standards but that we also belong to a very select group of institutions worldwide.” He adds, “Moreover, international branding and recognition is important. Internally , the process of accreditation has enabled us to put in place valueadding systems and processes and forced us to reflect more deeply about what we are and where we want to go.”

With a few other IIMs already AMBA accredited, IIM-C took time to apply and only did after it was convinced about the need for accreditation. “It was also after an office was in place to handle the complexities of the accreditation process,” says Sen.

Following the accreditation, the one-year postgraduate programme for executives has undergone extensive curriculum revisions. “These will take effect next year. The postgraduate programme curriculum review will begin soon,” he adds.

TCS Insights: International recognition and accreditation has established IIMs among the leading business schools in the work. As programs are reviewed and improved, the reputation of Indian educational institutions will only be heightened around the world.

O.P. Jindal University Launches India’s First Global School For Liberal Arts & Humanities

April 24, 2014April 25, 2014CIEC Author

Source: Gutenberg Communications | April 24, 2014

New Delhi: Imagine studying for an undergraduate degree for two years in India, in one of the best new universities and the next two years in one of America’s oldest and best private colleges in serene Florida whose famous alumni includes a Nobel Prize winner.

In a rapidly globalizing world, where transnational interaction and global exposure are integral parts of personal development, this is very much possible. Jindal School of Liberal Arts & Humanities in collaboration with Rollins College, USA, has launched a first-of-its-kind undergraduate joint program in the Liberal Arts & Humanities, at the end of which students will receive an undergraduate qualification recognized both in the US and India.

Situated in the O.P. Jindal Global University campus at Sonipat, Haryana, Jindal School of Liberal Arts & Humanities (JSLH) will offer a vibrant, social and educational experience where teachers and students from all over the world interact and work together to create a global intellectual hub.

Admissions for the inaugural batch beginning on August 1st, 2014 are now open. All students who have successfully passed the examination conducted by a Board/University at the 10+2 level of schooling or its equivalent are eligible to apply. JSLH has adopted a rolling admission policy selection process based on SAT or ACT scores, a 1000-word personal statement and a personal interview for shortlisted candidates.

Speaking on this special occasion Professor Dr. C. Raj Kumar, Vice Chancellor, O.P Jindal Global University, said, “The JSLH-Rollins dual B.A. degree will usher in a new way of teaching the liberal arts and humanities in India. Breaking away from the ossified Indian educational system of rote learning and term-end examinations, Jindal School of Liberal Arts & Humanities will have an assessment methodology that includes writing and presenting papers and presentations and debates nearly every day of the week. Even while students deal with subjects of individual interest they simultaneously train to become excellent oral, written and visual communicators about those subjects.”

Ms. Kathleen Modrowski, Dean and Professor, Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities, further added, “The teaching approach at JSLH will emphasize multidisciplinary engagement. A work of art or literature will be analyzed not just through the prism of literature, but also via sociology, political science, history and even economics. JSLH will imbue its instruction methods with a holistic, 360-degree approach to subjects. With faculty being the bedrock of excellence in education, we are delighted to have on-board a global faculty team educated at universities like Oxford, Harvard, Cambridge, Columbia and Chicago. Many non-university speakers, experts, academics, industry professionals in the fields of liberal arts and humanities will also interact with the students. The O.P. Jindal University and the JSLH faculty will harness its wide extra-academic associations to generate a vibrancy that will become known for its talks and seminars as much as for its classroom riches.”

At JSLH students will study through the concept of ‘lenses’. These ‘lenses’ will help students to inquire, explain, represent, express and communicate phenomena they scrutinize in the classroom. For instance, a course on the history of ancient India will be studied through the lens of epics like the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. These two epics will serve as the cornerstone for the study of ancient Indian history and philosophy. Similarly, epics like Iliad and Odyssey become the lenses to examine ancient European civilizations and philosophies.

The Jindal-Rollins dual degree B.A. program will strengthen the student’s chances of undertaking higher education in the US or Europe or securing a career after graduating from Rollins College. The first two years at JSLH will be a rigorous process of preparation for the next two years at Rollins College and the curriculum during the first two years will consist of core courses that will test the aptitude and latitude of students while automatically prepping them for the whole menu of courses available at Rollins College.

The annual program fee is INR 6, 00,000 excluding residence hall, dining and laundry which are an additional INR 1, 50,000 annually. For any further information regarding the admission process and fee structure, students can visit www.jslh.edu.in or [email protected]. For the two years at Rollins College, USA, the average holistic cost amounts to US$ 120,000.

About Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities

Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities (JSLH) is India’s first transnational humanities school. JSLH’s mission is to establish a center for interdisciplinary learning in India that will create world-class thinkers, leaders, creative entrepreneurs and innovators. The four-year undergraduate degree program offered by JSLH in liberal arts and humanities in collaboration with Rollins College, Florida, is a first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary course which provides students an opportunity to study at one of the leading colleges in USA. The world-class faculties at JSLH include distinguished scholars educated or trained at universities like Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Columbia and Chicago. JSLH is led by the dean of the school and eminent educator, Kathleen Modrowski.

About Rollins College

Founded in 1885 by New England Congregationalists who sought to bring their style of liberal arts education to the Florida frontier, Rollins is a four-year, coeducational institution and the first recognized college in Florida.

About O.P. Jindal Global University

O.P Jindal Global University (JGU) is a non-profit global university established by the Haryana Private Universities (Second Amendment) Act, 2009. A philanthropic initiative of Mr. Naveen Jindal, Founding Chancellor, JGU envisions to promote world-class education in India. Located on an 80-acre state-of-the art residential campus in the National Capital Region of Delhi, JGU is one of the few universities in Asia that maintains a 1:15 faculty-student ratio and appoints faculty members from across the world with outstanding academic qualifications and experience. JGU has established five schools: Jindal Global Law School, Jindal Global Business School, Jindal School of International Affairs, Jindal School of Government and Public Policy and Jindal School of Liberal Arts & Humanities.

Own Business Now Big Lure for Fresh MBA Graduates: Survey

April 3, 2014April 3, 2014CIEC Author

Source: Times of India | March 17, 2014

NEW DELHI: Fresh B-school graduates are increasingly shunning the security of a steady job and striking out on their own. A worldwide survey of B-school alumni reveals that 45% of those who graduated between 2010 and 2013 preferred self-employment — that’s almost double the proportion of their seniors who opted to pursue their own dreams in the 2000-2009 period. The survey, conducted among nearly 21,000 alumni representing 132 institutions from 129 countries, covered batches from 1959 to 2013. It showed a steadily growing preference for self-employment among fresh graduates. In the 2000-2009 period, 25% of graduates opted for it while in the decade before that the figure was 14%.

The survey was carried out by Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), which conducts the GMAT exam for admission to more than 6,000 graduate management programmes worldwide.

The US remains the most preferred job location for alumni from B-schools worldwide with Chinese and Indians taking the lead. As many as 38% of Chinese graduates preferred to work in the US, while 23% of Indian B-schoolers landed up in that country. The survey revealed that a quarter of B-school alumni across the world don’t work within their own country. While almost all B-school graduates from the US (97%) are likely to work in their own country, a majority of the Chinese are likely to work overseas (52%).

Canada leads the table for annual median salary at entry level with US$ 75,000, but it is the US which pays the highest mid, senior and executive-level salaries. The pay package for B-school alumni in India was among the lowest in the 18 countries listed in the survey.

“This is a robust survey results in this debut effort from direct collaboration with 132 business schools in 29 countries. A fascinating highlight of this year’s alumni survey is the wide reach of salary data. Seeing earnings data by job level for graduates of business school who work in India is helpful information to consider in one’s career planning and expectations,” said Michelle Sparkman Renz, director, research communications, GMAC.

As for B-school education, 77% of the alumni said it was financially rewarding. Old students also ensured that they keep in touch with the alma mater be it for mentoring scholars or for recruitment. Nearly 34% of recent alumni have kept contact with the faculty, while 28% attended alumni events. Around 43% of old students visited their alumni website, and an even higher 45% followed their B-school on social media.

The survey also revealed a shifting preference in functional domain. Since 2000, finance and accounting has been the dominating sector, overtaking the tradition general management. Emerging trends show that marketing, sales and consulting are the new areas of aspiration.

TCS Insights: Business students are currently more inclined to start their own businesses around the world than in years prior. International experience will play a critical role to those looking to succeed in this pursuit. Those aspiring to do business in North America after they graduate should attempt to spend time studying there to develop a knowledge of the culture along with their network of contacts.

Degrees at IIMs Likely to Become a Reality

March 27, 2014March 27, 2014CIEC Author

Source: Times of India | March 14, 2014

INDORE: If all goes well, much-awaited degrees at Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) would turn into a reality soon. Officials at the premier management institutes of India are eagerly waiting for the polls to get over as the decision on the proposed Bill in the Parliament is likely to be taken after the new government is formed.

If passed, the Bill would ensure that the post graduates and five-year (Integrated Programme in Management) IPM pass-outs from the prestigious institute get a degree and not just diploma or certificate. At present, IIMs do not provide degrees as they do not fall under the category of university. IIM- Indore is the only one among 13 IIMs to offer 5-year IPM.

IIM-Indore director Rishikesha T Krishnan told TOI, “At government level, there is a proposal to enact an IIM Act, which will be applicable to all 13 IIMs in the country. Once it is passed, IIMs will be able to provide degrees of their own. We will also be able to provide degrees to our students at Dubai centre then.”

“However, the whole process may take some time. We will have to wait for the new government to take office and if and when they pass the legislation, we will be able to give degrees for all our programmes in India as well as in Dubai.”

Students are upbeat over the developments. “PGDM is not recognized at many places abroad and students face problems while pursuing PhD. A degree would ensure better job prospects for IIM students. It will enable them to apply for government jobs and pursue higher education at any place of their choice,” said Ankur Jain, a second-year PGP student at IIM-Indore.

IIM-I passout Deepti Jaiswal said, “Quality of education and placement at IIMs matter more than degrees. However, a degree would definitely help students willing to pursue higher studies abroad”.

TCS Insights: Depending on a Bill currently seeking approval in Parliament, students earning their educations at any of the 13 IIMs in India will have the opportunity to achieve degrees, rather than just diplomas and certificates. This should benefit those seeking to use their educational credentials for a job or higher levels of education.

Ivey Business School and IIM Calcutta Sign MoU

March 26, 2014March 26, 2014CIEC Author

Source: Times of India | March 19, 2014

KOLKATA: Ivey Business School and the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta on Wednesday signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding to jointly develop and publish India-relevant cases.

The partnership between the two leading institutions entails a collaborative effort to foster case based teaching and in creating high quality case materials to enrich classroom discussions.

The MoU was signed by Eric A. Morse, Associate Dean, Programs, Ivey Business School and Ashok Banerjee, Dean of New Initiatives and External Relations, IIMC at the IIM campus in Kolkata.

Under this partnership, the two institutions will collaborate in the areas of research, development and publishing of cases as well as in fostering a culture of case writing and case pedagogy in Indian management institutes.

This MoU will help the IIM-C Case Research Centre increase its global reach, leverage Ivey’s rich knowledge base and accumulated intellectual capital in business case study research and encourage joint research and co-authorship between faculty of the two institutes.

This will support IIM-C’s emphasis on case based teaching and writing to further enhance its reputation as a leader in management education.

Ivey finds great complementarity in the two institute’s aims and goals for furthering the case pedagogy in India and is looking forward to collaborating with IIMC in building on IIMC’s extensive industry network and their case focus to further add to Ivey’s India efforts in these areas.

Speaking on the partnership, Eric Morse, Associate Dean-Programs, Ivey Business School, said, “Ivey is the largest producer of high quality Asian Business Cases and we are delighted to partner with IIM-C to build on this quality portfolio. IIM Calcutta has a tremendous reputation for its ties with industry and for attracting some of India’s best talent. We believe our combined expertise and focus on quality will lead to exceptional results for both institutions and the stakeholders we collectively serve.”

“The Case Research centre at IIM-C was set up with the idea of developing India-specific cases from the formal and informal sectors. The MoU will help IIM Calcutta faculty to list their cases in Ivey thereby enabling faculty and students from all over the world access to such cases from a leading emerging market,” said Professor Ashok Banerjee, Dean of New Initiatives and External Relations, IIM Calcutta.

One of Canada’s leading and most prestigious business schools, Ivey has been using cases in its classrooms since 1923 and is committed to mentoring high-potential faculty in case teaching and writing through a comprehensive process of case development – from generating ideas to publishing case studies globally.

Active in India based case development, training Indian faculty and perpetuating the case pedagogy in India since 2008, Ivey runs an annual Global Case Competition for India based cases. Co-hosted with ISB since 2010, the competition has rapidly gained prominence in India and abroad.

Ivey has also so far trained over 720 Indian faculty in case teaching and writing through numerous workshops organized in partnership with Indian business schools such as ISB, IIM-B, MDI, IMI, IIT-B, SPJIMR to name a few.

IIM Calcutta is one of the premier business schools in India, and is globally recognized as a leader in business education. IIM Calcutta uses cases as a key learning tool in several of its courses for postgraduate students and participants in management development programs.

The Case Research Centre (IIMCCRC) was started in 2012 to champion the cause of participative case based learning in Business Schools and other institutions in India by creating a repository of teaching cases with an Indian context, spreading awareness on the value of the Case Method, and propagating practice standards for development and use of cases in management education.

Today, it actively engages with several industry organizations to develop world-class cases. Interestingly, not only do both the institutes strongly propagate the case based learning methodology but also have been the first, in their respective countries, to have recognized the need for world class management education.

IIM-C was established as the first national institute for Post-Graduate studies and Research in Management by the Government of India in November 1961.

Similarly, Ivey was the first to offer management education in Canada in 1922 and after a comprehensive study of all recognized business courses of University grade, it was determined that the Harvard case study method was the most effective style of teaching. Strong links were established with Harvard Business School and the school curriculum established thus.

In 1948 Canada’s top 100 CEOs and Presidents met at Western University and determined the need for a National School of Business Administration and the first executive education program was established at Ivey.

TCS Insights: This partnership between institutions will allow them both to increase their notoriety around the world while allowing them to work together in the areas of research and development. Ivey and IIM-Calcutta will additionally develop more case studies relative to India to facilitate further student engagement during class discussions.

Global Recognition of Indian Degrees Soon

March 20, 2014March 20, 2014CIEC Author

Source: Times of India | March 10, 2014

NEW DELHI: India is set to get full-fledged membership status of the Washington Accord by June, enabling global recognition of Indian degrees and improving mobility of students and engineers.

Secretary higher education Ashok Thakur also said steps were being taken to set up National Accreditation Regulatory Authority (NARA), supplementing the country’s efforts to improve quality and meet international standards.

“After acquiring full status of the Washington Accord, employability of Indian engineers in other countries will go up substantially. This will help our students pursuing technical education,” Thakur told reporters here.

India is a provisional member of Washington Accord since 2007 and is confident to get the full-fledged status by June when a meeting of of the body is due to take place, he said.

The Accord signed in 1989 is an international agreement among bodies responsible for accrediting engineering degree programmes. So far, some 16 countries are signatories to it.

Thakur said two members were deputed by the Washington Accord to help India align its accreditation norms with the best international practices.

Talking about NARA, he said it will be an autonomous body comprising experts who will identify agencies for accrediting institutes. UGC will initiate steps to set up the body soon, he said.

At present, the accreditation is provided by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and National Board of Accreditation (NBA).

Government has made accreditation mandatory for all educational institutes and UGC has come up with a set of guidelines in this respect.

He also said that IITs are free to decide if they wish to be accredited by these bodies as these premier institutes have so far refused to be accredited. IITs have instead decided to go for an internal accreditation process.

Thakur, however, sought increased involvement of the IITs with the NBA accrediting institutes.

TCS Insights: Attaining full membership under the Washington Accord will let Indian engineering students better pursue their studies or careers internationally. With programs officially being regarded as up to the level of those at other institutions around the world, Indian degree holders will become more in demand over the coming years.

“Research Theses of Graduate Students of GTU Are of Canadian Standards”, say the Experts from a Canadian University

March 12, 2014October 10, 2021CIEC Author

Source: Gujarat Technological University | March 7, 2014

Contact: Bhavita Shukla Dave, GTU Media Officer, 982-530-5020; [email protected]

Gujarat Technological University is relatively a new technology University established in the year 2008 by Government of Gujarat, India. Gujarat Technological University (GTU) organizes Research Week as an evaluation process of the Ph. D students and Masters students for the mid-sem review of their final year theses work at its Chandkheda Campus. Experts from other universities of India (and abroad) evaluate the work of these students and mentor the students so that they can improve the quality of their work. The visiting experts conduct workshops on the topic of their expertise and new developments in their field to enhance the knowledge of students. This is the 3rd Research Week organized by GTU. Last year 96 workshops were organized under the Research Week.

Dr. Vasu Apanna is the dean of pharmacy in Laurentian University, Canada. Dr. Vasu evaluated more than 30 students at GTU Pharmacy Research Week. He was impressed with the concept of Research Week. Talking about the work of students Mr. Vasu said that “Many of the Research work done by GTU students is of Canadian Standards. Even the topics of research are quite similar.” He said that work of some of the students was really good. “Some presentations were as good as the presentations we see in Canada”. During the interactions with students we discovered that students have good knowledge about the topic of research which is a good sign. As GTU has insisted the PSAR this time it is a very good idea.

Dr. Vasu also shared some very interesting suggestions. Dr. Vasu said that whatever research students do cannot have regional approach. Research is for the use of the entire world. So it is very important to stay updated with what is happening around in the world in the field of Research. Students should join the Common Research Clubs like Research Gate where they can discuss issues in research with their peers. Through such clubs students can learn if any other students have published any article in any other country on the same topic. Dr. Vasu said that in Canada there are labs where students can go and conduct practical work. There is a special Cell Imaging Laboratory in our town where students of pharmacology can go and conduct the cell tests. They all are state university owned labs as there is no trend of privatization in education in Canada.

Dr. Abdel Omri also evaluated more than 30 students and agreed with Dr. Vasu Apanna. Talking about the research review patterns in Canada Dr. Abdel said that in Canada we also organize a Research Day. On the Research Day students display their work on posters. The best three research work then participate in state level competition. This exercise also brings in donations for research work. Dr. Vasu suggested that Gujarat should have a laboratory in the centre of the City where students can go for further research to encourage practical research work. Dr. Abdel is really impressed to see the environment at the Research Week of GTU. Dr. Abdel said that “We have learnt from the students. Students here are very smart.” He said that Research week is very well organized. He also said that people here are very nice and the hospitality is very good around here.

On the occasion Dr. Akshai Aggarwal, Vice Chancellor of GTU said that the research week not only reviews the work of students but it also provides mentoring to them. Moreover open source format of review helps create excellence in the thesis work at all colleges across the state. Evening workshops by experts along with the morning session of review create a Kumbh Mela of knowledge seekers.

The Research Weeks of 2014 started in February 2014 and will end in April 2014 as research weeks are organized in three different phases for Pharmacy, Management and Engineering respectively.

Maritime Enrolment Held Steady By Out-of-Region, International Students

March 6, 2014August 27, 2014CIEC Author

Source: MPHEC News Release | February 25, 2014

A report released this week by the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC) reveals that 70,433 students were enrolled in Maritime universities in 2012-13. While the overall number of students remains steady compared to the year before, the last 10 years have seen the number of Maritimers enrolled decrease by 12%. Over the same time period, the number of Canadians from outside the Maritimes enrolled has increased by 28%, and the number of international students has doubled, shows the report. In PEI, the number of undergraduate students enrolled has increased by 20% over 10 years, but fell by 2.5% over the past year. Meanwhile, in Nova Scotia the number of undergraduate students increased by 4% over 10 years, and 1% over one year; in New Brunswick, the number of undergraduate students decreased by 12% over 10 years, and 1% over one year.

TCS Insights: The amount of international students choosing to study in the Maritimes is on the rise. Specifically, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia have witnessed overall enrolment numbers rise over the last decade while New Brunswick has made improvements when compared to years prior.

Canada India Education Council

Author: CIEC Author