HPS centenary celebrations
Hyderabad, December 6. Hyderabad Public School (HPS), Begumpet officially unveiled plans of its highly successful year-long centenary celebrations at a Grand Finale event in Hyderabad.
At the four-day Grand Finale held between December 24-27 a monumental fundraising drive was staged to raise Rs.17.5 crore for a state-of-the-art greenfield Multi-Utility Sports Center designed by renowned architect Hafeez Contractor.

The school is also in the process of constructing an Innovation Centre at a projected cost of Rs.10 crore to stimulate entrepreneurship and innovation culture in HPS. Spanning 15,000 sq ft. this pioneer project makes HPS the sole school in the country to boast such an achievement, says an HPS press release, which adds that the school management has set a fundraising target of Rs.150 crore for institutional development.

“The Grand Finale of the HPS centenary year is testament to our 100 years of legacy, leadership, and excellence,” said Gusti J. Noria, president of the HPS Society, speaking on the occasion.

Amazon’s AFE programme
Bengaluru, December 4. Amazon.in announced the expansion of its Amazon Future Engineers (AFE) programme to introduce advanced coding and artificial intelligence (AI) modules in 100 schools of the Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society (KREIS), and also provide digital infrastructure enhancements for 30 schools. This expansion will impact over 13,000 classes VI-VIII students in 30 districts of Karnataka.
Building on the success of a previous intervention which inspired students to explore the possibilities of computer science, the expanded module will enable students to learn complex computer applications incorporating advanced programming concepts such as control conditions, variables, and functions. Additionally, through project-based learning, students will also be introduced to the basics of AI.

“The Amazon Future Engineer programme’s integration of advanced coding and AI modules aligns seamlessly with our vision to empower students with the proficiency required to navigate the increasingly tech-centric world,” said Manivannan P, principal-secretary of the Social Welfare Department, Government of Karnataka.
Added David Zapolsky, senior vice president, Global Public Policy and General Counsel, Amazon: “We are excited to nurture the talents of students, regardless of their socio-economic backgrounds, and prepare them for the future. This project-based learning module will empower students with the skills and knowledge required to excel in a tech-driven world. Amazon is committed to democratising access to high-quality computer science education.”

GradRight ShiftED conclave
Hyderabad, December 2. GradRight (estb.2019), “the world’s first Ed-FinTech SaaS company,” pledged support to enable 300,000 Indian students affordable access to the world’s Top 500 universities over the next three years. The announcement was made at GradRight’s ShiftED 2023 Conclave on ‘Innovation for Sustainable Global Higher Education’ held in Hyderabad.
The conclave focused on issues such as ‘Challenges and Innovative Solutions in Global Higher Education’ and ‘Way of the Future: Can AI Transform Global Mobility in Higher Ed’.

“At GradRight, we are building a global education highway to democratise access to higher education for countless Indian students who would not otherwise be able to pursue their ambitions of studying at leading institutions abroad. ShiftED is a showcase of our proposition to students, universities and financing institutions and marks the start of a movement that has the potential to shape the future of global higher education,” said Aman Singh and Sasidhar Sista, co-founders of GradRight.

Amrita-Renault agreement
New Delhi, December 19. Ranked among the Top 10 universities in India according to NIRF 2023, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and Renault Nissan Technology & Business Centre India (Renault Nissan Tech) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the university’s Coimbatore campus. The MoU aims to boost collaboration in placements, internships, elective courses, joint research projects, and establish Centres of Excellence.

“Industry-academia collaboration is key to develop talent, skilling and research in automotive technology and education. Our shared vision will aid us in this journey of creating cutting-edge solutions and knowledge exchange, forging a path to excellence, that will shape the future of the automobile industry. Our agreement with Amrita University is testimony of this collaboration,” said Debashis Neogi, managing director, Renault Nissan Tech, speaking on the occasion.
Added Parameswaran, principal director, CIR, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham: “At Amrita, we endeavour to create an ambience that is most conducive for students’ academic, professional and personal development. This objective is best realised through rigorous, up-to-date and high quality educational programmes, practical exposure to industry practices by way of internships, participation in sponsored projects and joint research initiatives and, above all, nudging students to inculcate core human values, so as to bring about their holistic development.”
The partnership will particularly foster research initiatives focused on emissions, aiming to understand and mitigate environmental impact, as well as exploring alternative fuels.