Campus frames

Penn looks for more Indian students

University of Pennsylvania, which conducts world renowned research and houses Wharton business school that produces global business leaders every year has opened its doors for more South Indian students to enroll in its undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle Education, Ms Revecca W. Bushnell, dean and professor of English, University of Pennsylvania said that the University of Pennsylvania had a rich tradition of commitment to India, beginning more than 60 years ago when W. Norman Brown, the famous Sanskritist, established at Penn the first formal South Asia studies department in the United States. "Today, Penn remains a top institution in fields such as Sanskrit studies and has the third largest library collection of India-related material in the U.S."
Penn has a rich combination of liberal arts, science and business studies. A student can register for an arts programme and graduate with an engineering degree also using the dual degree system, Mr Michael Baker, director of campaign initiatives and international operations said.
"Many of our undergraduate science students work at the Cancer lab in our university. They also work as interns at a company in one summer and in a lab the next summer. This is the one of the unique thing Penn offers," Mr Eric J. Furda, dean of admissions said.
Out of 10,000 students at Penn about 120 are from India pursuing various courses. We would like to increase this number the coming year but would like to take quality students who have excellent marks in class 12 with more SAT scores. Students need to apply during November or January every year, Ms Ainsley R. Parker said.
Penn is home to the Center for the Advanced Study of India, the only university-based research center in the U.S. focused on the study of contemporary India and the only one with an India-based counterpart, the University of Pennsylvania Institute for the Advanced Study of India, or UPIASI. Today, India is Penn's second-largest source of international applicants at the undergraduate level. One of the first Indian graduates was noted industrialist Keshub Mahindra.

TN is first in Wind power
Tamil Nadu stands first generating 40% of the total country’s electricity generation, using wind, said Dr S. Gomathinayagam, inaugurating a two-day international conference titled `Emerging Trends in Energy and Environment 2010’ (ICETEE 2010) at Sri Sai Ram Engineering College in West Tambaram.
Mr Hans Burkhard Sauertig, German Consul General who was the special guest at the function, said, “Though the Copenhagen climate accord did not turn out favorable, it is a first step to a new greener world. Germany – the world’s leading car manufacturer – is an exemplar in reducing pollution and has already set climate protection targets to reduce emissions by 40 percent by 2020”
Dr K. Sumathy, North Dakota State University, USA, delivered the special keynote address on energy scenario in USA. Mr J. Sai Prakash Leo Muthu, CEO Sri Sairam engineering college; director Prof V.R. Rajamanickam, principal Dr C.V. Jayakumar, dean (R&D) and convener, ICETEE 2010 Dr A. Rajendra Prasad were the other dignitaries present. The conference saw presentation of about 64 papers by scholars from countries like USA, UK, Kuwait and Sri Lanka.

PurpleLeap to set up career centres
PurpleLeap, a pioneer in entry-level talent management institution, plans to launch career centres at colleges. The institution specializes in building professional skills amongst students gearing up for their first jobs. Designed in partnership with leading experts Educomp and Pearson, students undergoing PurpleLeap career programs significantly enhance their employability quotient, said a press release.
Mr Amit Bansal, CEO and founder of Purple Leap said that the institution would provide multiple placement opportunities to these students by tying up with the leading organizations. All programs are delivered at the career centres established by PurpleLeap at the college site itself. In a tech-enabled environment, students interact with subject-matter experts over satellite & internet.
These career centres, set up at their own cost, would have all facilities to train students within the college itself and get them ready for placements, typically in IT / ITES firms. The students have the advantage of getting industry ready while still in college and do not have to look for training institutes / finishing cchools outside the college. For the college, it is like having a finishing school as part of their campus! PurpleLeap is headquartered in Bangalore and has already tied up with colleges in AP, TN, Karnataka and Punjab. For more details please visit www.purpleleap.com.

Management School
The National Management School (www.nms.edu.in), formed by a group of 60 management professors from various US universities, is strengthened by collaboration with the Georgia state university in Atlanta which provides access to another 210 business school professors. NMS has the largest contingent of 270 visiting faculty from the US; almost all PhD holders, and all of them either full professors or chair professors, NMS promises its students truly world class education. With the objective of making world-class management education affordable, NMS offers a full time program, and an executive MBA for working professionals on weekends with fee payment options that are as low as Rs15,000 per month. NMS also offers continuing executive education as one-week certificate courses.