Looking to facilitate collaborative research with international partners, TransDisciplinary University (TDU) signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia and Mbarara University, Uganda on Monday at the university campus in Bengaluru.
The Bengaluru-based university, founded by industry veterans Dr. Sam Pitroda and Darshan Shankar, aims to design and deliver state-of-the-art programmes that impart holistic education, with emphasis on experiential learning and competency-based evaluation. Collaborations with academic institutes from across the globe not only ensure that TDU programmes are cutting-edge and of contemporary relevance, but also that the learning outcomes for students is enhanced.
The event also marked the start of TDU's academic calendar with inaugural lectures delivered by Jairam Ramesh (Member of Parliament, India), and Celestino Obua (Vice Chancellor, Mbarara University, Uganda). This was followed by an interactive session with the distinguished speakers, wherein students and visitors had an exceptional opportunity to foresee the future of higher education and research in India.
"This ceremony is the inauguration of a unique academic calendar packed with innovative courses and technology-enabled learning platforms. The idea is to deliver educational programmes using practical and application-oriented approaches so as to prepare the students to handle challenges on the national as well as international stage. For innovation to happen in higher education, we need to join forces with the best minds in the field. The MoUs with international universities are a vital step in that direction. TDU is ready to nurture the future," said Dr. Balakrishna Pisupati, Vice Chancellor, TDU.
"Times are changing and our education system needs to adapt to the new realities. Theoretical knowledge has to be complemented by experiential learning. And for this, we need to forge new ties, look beyond the boundaries of geography, to foster a healthy exchange of information and ideas. I congratulate TDU for its commendable efforts in taking Indian education and research to greater heights," added Jairam Ramesh.
"In Ethiopia, we are witnessing the benefits of embracing a student-centric method to education, instead of the traditional teacher-centric classroom approach. This latest collaboration with TDU will help us strengthen our research and educational prowess. India is counted among the top countries in terms of academic brilliance and performance. We look forward to an engaging and exciting association with TDU," said H.E. Dr. Gemedo Dalle - Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of Ethiopia.
"Our education policies are trying to inculcate a more responsive system that facilitates critical thinking and pragmatic learning. The challenge is to ensure that our students get the best of global education and research within their own country. I am certain that the MoU with TDU will herald a new age of academic evolution for both countries," added Obua.