MUMBAI, APRIL 19. Cambridge Assessment English, a department of the University of Cambridge (UK), has partnered with TCS iON, a strategic unit of IT behemoth Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, to offer Cambridge’s Business English qualifications in India.

Cambridge English Business Certificates (BEC) is a suite of three English language qualifications for international business. They enable students to use English confidently in international business environments. The suite includes the BEC preliminary (B1 level), BEC Vantage (B2) and BEC Higher (C1) courses. 

Speaking on the occasion, Mark Johnston, chief operating officer of Cambridge Assessment English, said: “Our programmes help people learn English and prove their skills to the world. Our collaboration with TCS will enable people throughout India to access the benefits of our qualifications.”

Added Venguswamy Ramaswamy, global head of TCS iON: “Our larger intent is to enable lifelong learning. I believe learners across the country will greatly benefit from the Cambridge programme delivered through our industry leader digital platform — TCS iON Digital Assessments, which is supported by vast computing infrastructure reach across the country.”

 

Cisco Digital Education Summit

HYDERABAD, APRIL 12. Cisco Systems (India) presented its Blueprint for Digital Education at the Cisco Digital Education Summit staged at The Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad.

The Cisco blueprint is designed by Cisco Systems Inc, USA’s highly secure core network and unified voice, video, and wireless communications protected by state-of-the-art security solutions which connects campuses, empowers educators, administrators and students with the tools they need for success in a new digital world. It allows colleges and universities to learn anywhere through Cisco connected classroom solutions; build intelligent campuses by utilising pervasive wi-fi access, sensors, and digital campus solutions; increase student and staff productivity with smart workspaces that automatically track student attendance and progress, and enable global connectivity. Moreover, the blueprint supports innovation, acceleration and research through Cisco connected research solutions, and creates safe and secure learning environments. 

“Today’s students are hyper-connected technology users. They have high expectations that are constantly changing. As the education world continues to change, educators must adapt to evolving expectations and benchmarks. By offering educators and students more ways to connect, engage, manage, and succeed, the Cisco Blueprint for Digital Education will enable higher education institutions to create completely integrated digital environments to meet the high expectations of 21st century students,”  said Sudhir Nayar, managing director, commercial sales, Cisco India and SAARC, speaking on the occasion.

 

IC3 workshop @ Welham Boys 

DEHRADUN, APRIL 11. The top-ranked Welham Boys School, Dehradun, hosted the regional forum of the Mumbai-based International Career and College Counselling Conference (IC3) workshop attended by more than 35 educators from Uttarakhand and delegates from around the world. 

The day-long workshop was specially curated for career counselors, teachers, school principals and university representatives, who deliberated on universities admission and career pathway issues confronting the growing student population of India. The main objective of the IC3 regional forums is to discover ways and means to provide holistic counseling services to students in several countries. Apart from India, regional forum workshops are convened in high schools in South Asia, South-east Asia and the Middle East countries.

“The speed at which jobs and careers are changing has made it imperative for schools to focus on counseling. We need to look at systemic issues and set up a meaningful career-counseling department within every school. The IC3 initiative is designed to equip career counselors and teachers with the latest knowledge, tools and guidelines on best practices,” said Ganesh Kohli, IC3 chair and president and former high school college counselor. 

 

La Trobe-IIT-K concordat

NEW DELHI, APRIL 25. La Trobe University, a multi-campus university in Victoria, Australia, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (estb.1959). “This collaboration will open up new opportunities for joint  Ph Ds and collaborative research projects in synthetic and medicinal chemistry with applications in drug discovery and delivery; materials science, including polymers and new battery technology and biological sciences and gene editing technology,” said Prof. John Dewar, vice chancellor and president of La Trobe University.

Reiterating La Trobe’s commitment to Indian education, Dewar announced 14 Ph D scholarships valued at Rs.2.5 crore for students in India to undertake doctoral studies with La Trobe’s partner, JSS University, Mysore. The scholarship will cover tuition fees and a living allowance of Rs.25,000 per month for the duration of their studies. 

Students will also spend up to six months at La Trobe’s Melbourne campus during their candidature. After completion of the programme, students will be awarded a La Trobe doctoral degree, Dewar informed the media.