Scottish University exploring tie up with Tatas

I / London April 21, 2010, 14:57 IST

A reputed Scottish University is exploring a tie up with Tata Group for a training programme and coaching Indian students in leadership and management.

Professor Dame Joan K Stringer, DBE, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University said "we are now exploring with Tatas training programme and coaching students in leadership and management".

This in addition to the work they are doing with Tatas and Universities of Manchester and Delhi for design of solar panels for houses in India.

"We are already working with Tata on a 1.5 million pounds Research Project. We are looking at development of solar panels and solar heating for houses in India which obviously are part of the future", Stringer said.

In Kolkata, the University's Screen Academy is in the middle of an invaluable exchange project with Satyajit Ray Film Institute - a partnership that will see Indian students and staff visit Scotland in summer this year for the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

"We are also planning to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore next year to set up the Scotish Centre for Tagore Studies, the first such centre at any UK Universities. We are very pleased with the assistance we received from the Consul General of India in Scotland and the High Commissioner, Nalin Suri in London".

"So, we truly are excited by the prospect of being part of the future of India, a country with so much potential, so many contrasts," Stringer said earlier at a reception held in the House of Lords to celebrate present and future links between Edinburgh Napier University and India.

Professor Stringer said one of their Deans would visit India soon to finalise the training programme with Tatas. Initially, the training programme will be held in Mumbai.

The Edinburgh University has a School of Art and Creative Industries and "that covers a broad range of arts and creative industries - subjects range from English, creative writing, industrial design, product design and films," she said.

Prof Stringer noted that back in early 2003, the University had only a handful of Indian students studying in Edinburgh but "we now boast one of the largest Indian student populations of any UK University.

At present, the University has about 400 Indian students and another 200 Indian students study in Edinburgh Napier programmes in Goa, Gurgaon and Kolkata.