KPMG funds 'Faculty Enrichment Trip' to Australia and New Zealand

Sheriff of Mumbai and the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mumbai will lead a delegation from the University

* Part of KPMG in India’s Faculty Travel Grant- to contribute to growth of India’s human capital

KPMG in India, one of India’s leading professional services firms, is sponsoring a delegation from the University of Mumbai to education institutions in Australia and New Zealand from November 28 to December 10, 2008. In line with KPMG’s Corporate Citizenship strategy, the aim is to motivate the growth and success of higher education in India.

The Faculty Travel Grant was conceived to provide university staff with the opportunity to travel abroad and experience alternative teaching methods and institutional best practices. These learnings applied in the Indian scenario would work to the advantage of future generations of Indian students and the Indian economy.

The delegation will be led by the Sheriff of Mumbai and Principal of H.R. College of Commerce and Economics, Dr. Indu Shahani and the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mumbai, Dr. Vijay Khole. The other members of the delegation are Dr. Venkatrami, Registrar, University of Mumbai, Dr. Naresh Chandra, President, University of Mumbai College Principal’s Association and Principal, Birla College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Mr. Dinesh Panjwani, Principal, C.H.M. College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Dr. Sanjay V. Deshmukh, Professor and Head of Development of Life Sciences, University of Mumbai, Dr. Usha Mukundam, Principal, Jhunjunwala College, Dr. Minu Madlani, Principal, Raheja College, and Ms. Shamira Abdulla, Director, International Programmes, H.R. College of Commerce and Economics.

It is prominently accepted within the business community that economic development correlates with social development, especially the growth of education. Investments in India’s education system are investments in India’s human capital which will in the long-term help bolster India’s ambition to be the leading knowledge economy and IT hub.

The delegates will visit several educational institutions including the University of South Wales, the University of Sydney, TAFE New South Wales, the Royal Institute of Technology, Deakin University, La Trobe University, the University of Melbourne and Monash University.

The objectives of the visit are: 

 

To broaden the vision of academics through global exposure

To observe best practices in the institutions of higher learning in Australia, especially in vocational and TAFE institutions

To understand the role of the Principal in providing leadership in academics and excellence in higher education

To enrich student-centric learning methods

To assess examination and evaluation procedures

To explore prospects for future linkages and tie-ups

To promote faculty and student exchanges

To observe case studies on academia-industry interaction

To explore avenues for further study for Indian students

Commenting on the forthcoming trip, Dr. Indu Shahani, Sheriff of Mumbai and Principal, H.R. College of Commerce and Economics said, "This will be our third visit in a year funded by KPMG in India's Faculty Travel Grant. On the trip to the United Kingdom we visited education institutions like Cambridge University, the London School of Economics and Imperial College. The delegation interacted with academics and shared learnings in enhancing higher education, and became aware of the dynamic changes that were introduced in their system of higher education and observed the teaching/learning techniques of the host institutions."

The delegation’s visit to the United Kingdom resulted in recognisable progress for the University of Mumbai. The University converted nine two year postgraduate programmes to ‘intensive’ one year postgraduate programmes which will be practically applied and make students more employable. Furthermore, a plan was agreed for a visit of 100 students from King’s College, London, to the colleges of the University for three weeks. Finally, there are plans for a training exercise by two faculty members from the University of Westminster for Indian faculty in student centred curriculum and assessment techniques.

About KPMG’s Corporate Citizenship strategy
Corporate Citizenship is rooted in KPMG’s global values. KPMG is committed to its communities and is dedicated to employing its resources and the talent of its people to strengthen and support corporate citizenship. The KPMG Foundation was set up in May 2005 to promote charitable activities in India which lead to the advancement of society. To date, the KPMG Foundation has undertaken a number of projects, including:

Poverty Relief: Partnering with and donating financial and human resources to a variety of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) across the country 
 

Education: Funding scholarships for financially disadvantaged students at 11 Indian colleges, sponsoring and advising Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) India, and instituting a Faculty Travel Grant for the advancement of Indian higher education 
 

Medical Relief: Supplying medicine to our partner NGOs and funding the emergency surgery of children and adults with life-threatening complications or physical disabilities. 
 

Environment: Calculating and reducing our carbon footprint, commissioning tree planting and rainwater harvesting, installing solar solutions for select NGOs

About KPMG
KPMG is the global network of professional services firms of KPMG International. KPMG member firms provide audit, tax and advisory services through industry focused, talented professionals, who deliver value for the benefit of their clients and communities.

The member firms of KPMG International in India were established in September 1993. KPMG in India has offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Pune and services over 2,000 international and national clients. The firms in India have access to Indian and expatriate professionals.