Back from the US with exchange programmes

Officials of Mumbai University are jet-setting; after a UK trip barely five months ago, where they learnt that Masters’ courses could be fast-tracked within a year instead of the current two years, a 12-member delegation has just returned from the US. Next on the agenda is an Australia “study” tour, it was announced at a press conference held at the USIS Center.

It would probably be impetuous to remind you about the MA paper incident, where examinees did not receive it since it was not printed at all, but all that the US trip has yielded so far is a couple of exchange programmes, like the one between St Xavier’s College and HR College with Stern School of Business for a two-week student exchange programme.

The delegation included vice-chancellor Vijay Khole and pro-vice-chancellor, both separately joining a part of the junket, and principal secretary of higher education, JS Sahariya, who determinedly stayed on for the entire three weeks. What’s more, the university did not spend any money on the tour.

All in all, the delegation members seemed to have had a “fruitful” tour. “We have entered into a partnership with New York University for a students’ exchange programme. We will also be sharing faculty and intellectual project and development of South Asian studies programme with them,” said Dr Naresh Chandra, principal, Birla College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Kalyan.

The delegation also visited a couple of corporates like Coca Cola, retail chain Church’s Chicken and courier major UPS. “Church’s Chicken is considering setting up 300 outlets in the country. They will be looking it as an entrepreneurship project for the students in Mumbai,” said a delegation member.

Fr Frazer Mascarenhas, St Xavier’s principal, said, “We met with many alumni of Mumbai University who are holding good posts abroad. They were all proud of having had their education foundation in Mumbai.”