NIIT-Ahlcon leadership conference The Neemrana (Rajasthan)-based NIIT University and Ahlcon International School, Delhi (AIS) hosted a conference on ‘Information-driven leadership’ at AIS on December 14. Twenty five principals and mentors of top-ranked schools of Delhi-NCR (national capital region) attended the day-long conference, the first in a series of conferences planned by NIIT University under the theme ‘School leadership imperatives in the techno-cognitive era’. “With the all-pervasive impact of ICT and technology, demands and expectations on school leaders have intensified. The one-day event focused on the importance of evolving leadership quotients against the backdrop of the changing educational landscape,” says Ashok Pandey, principal of AIS. NIIT University claims to be the first varsity in India to offer customised leadership programmes for school educators. The NIIT University team which conducted the workshop was led by Prof. Vijay Mandke and Dr. Shradha Kanwar. ICFPA-13: a grand success The Ryan International Group of Schools hosted its 13th International Children’s Festival of Performing Arts (ICFPA) under the chairmanship of Dr. A.F. Pinto and managing director Grace Pinto, at the Talkatora Stadium and National Bal Bhavan in Delhi on December 4-8. The cultural extravaganza christened ‘A Brighter Tomorrow’ attracted participation of 15,000 students from 21 countries. The four-day annual ICFPA festival was graced by eminent personalities, ambassadors, bureaucrats and parents including H.E. Laimonas Talat Kalpsa, ambassador of Lithuania; Gudmundur Eiriksson, ambassador of Ireland; Mahishini Colonne, deputy high commissioner of Sri Lanka; Arjun Raj Pant, cultural counsellor, Nepal; Manu Arya, advisor, culture and public diplomacy, Norway; Vayalar Ravi, Union minister of overseas Indian affairs; Kiran Bedi, IPS and Jose K. Mani, among others. While students of the Ryan International Group of Institutions (RIGI) showcased the rich cultural heritage of India through dance, drama and a giant puppet show, children from Bangladesh, Egypt, Finland, Germany, Indonesia, Iceland, Italy, Iran, Latvia, Lithuania, Nepal, Norway, Morocco, Russia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Kingdom and Zambia presented classical and popular dance forms and theatre of their own countries. “Music, dance and theatre are powerful media which bind people around the world. The 13th ICFPA brought children from 21 countries on one platform, instilling in them a sense of respect for each other and deepened international ties while broadening the cultural horizons of all participants,” observed Mme. Grace Pinto of RIGI. IRIS winners ready for ISEF 2014 Twenty next generation innovators may represent India at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) to be convened in May in Los Angeles, USA. These high school students, whose project presentations were chosen from among 2,000 entries in 17 categories submitted by students from 51 cities across the country, were felicitated by Prof. H.P. Khincha, chairman of the State Innovation Council, Karnataka; Kumud Srinivasan, president of Intel India and Dr. D.K. Pandey of the Union government’s department of science and technology, at the Initiative for Research & Innovation in Science (IRIS) 2013 contest staged in Bangalore on November 24. Intel ISEF, 2014 is expected to attract more than 1,600 high school students from 65…
