Cambridge, MIT experts to help design syllabi of Indian institutions: Smriti Irani

A file photo of Union human resource development minister Smriti Irani. Photo: Hindustan Times

A file photo of Union human resource development minister Smriti Irani. Photo: Hindustan Times

New Delhi: The human resource development (HRD) ministry has roped in experts from leading global universities such as the University of Cambridge and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to help design and “internationalize” the syllabi of higher education institutions in the country, HRD minister Smriti Irani said.

Speaking at the launch of 10 projects in different states under the Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), Irani said that experts from institutions such as University of Edinburgh, MIT, Cambridge, University of Pennsylvania, UC Berkeley, University of Washington and University of Georgia Tech have been roped in to upgrade the curriculum in social science, science, mathematics and engineering.

“The government of India has been in touch with some international faculty and academicians and institutions who shall through RUSA, a national higher education mission, help states internationalise their curriculum in order to benefit their students,” Irani said.

Irani, who launched various projects including inauguration of a Model Degree College in Kurnool of Andhra Pradesh, Rajnandgaon in Chattisgarh and a boys’ hostel in Amritsar, also held interactions with students via teleconferencing.

She announced a competition under which students were invited to design a logo with an acronym related to the aspiration of students and promised that the winning entries would get a free study tour abroad.

The logo would be announced on 15 August, she said. During the interaction, she also told students that the ministry has asked institutions to provide counsellors to deal with stress.
[“Source-Livemint”]