University of Birmingham Opens First Overseas Office in New Delhi
The University of Birmingham has announced a special educational initiative for India by opening its first overseas office in the heart of New Delhi.
The University of Birmingham has announced a special educational initiative for India by opening its first overseas office in the heart of New Delhi.
The announcement was made at a specially organised event in New Delhi, attended by Sir Richard Stagg, the British High Commissioner to India, leading academics and dignitaries from leading businesses and distinguished alumni of the University of Birmingham in India.
The Office in New Delhi has been established to maintain partnerships with local providers, support the alumni in India, further consolidate research collaboration and provide local services to those students who want to study at the University.
Founded in 1900, the University is now one of the world’s leading universities for the quality of teaching and research. Birmingham was England's first civic university, where students from all religions and backgrounds were accepted on an equal basis.
The University welcomed the first students from India to their Edgbaston Campus in 1909.
Professor David Eastwood, Vice-Chancellor of the University commented, “We have come a long way in developing international relations and are proud that India is the first country that we will have a permanent office presence.
Birmingham is passionate about working with the Indian education sector and the opportunities the new office will present.
Despite the challenging economic times we are facing, India is experiencing its own golden era of change and so we are even more excited by the possibilities of working together at this special time.”
Birmingham has a number of research collaborations with several institutions across India that are helping to transform lives and to make a real impact on society. The University’s International Development Department has partnered with the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi and the Indian Institute of Dalit Studies to look at how faith communities and faith based organisations have engaged with post-conflict situations in Mumbai and Ahmedabadd.
The University’s Automotive Safety Centre is working with IIT Delhi to explore ways of reducing road traffic accidents in India. The centre has more than 40 years’ experience in traffic accident investigation and analysis and is particularly strong in the study of passenger car collisions.
Professor David Eastwood adds: “We are privileged to be based in one of the UK’s most ethnically diverse cities with a large population from the Indian sub-continent. This puts us in a unique position to tackle problems like obesity or Hepatitis C that not only affect our city, but also have global consequences. For example, the University is carrying out the UK’s largest study into heart failure in ethnic minority populations, involving more than 1,000 members of the Indian community in the city of Birmingham.
The lessons we will learn from this work can be applied across the UK, but also potentially in India. We hope our new presence here will enhance opportunities for research collaborations in areas like health, energy, transport and the economy.”
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For further media information, contact Anietie Isong, International Press Officer, University of Birmingham, Tel 01214147863/e-mail: a.isong@bham.ac.uk