Japan to help IIT Hyderabad in graduate programs and in developing a management program
October 22nd, 2008
Following is an excerpt from a report in thaindian.com.
A new Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) coming up in Hyderabad will see close Japanese partnership at the post-graduate level in key areas, including setting up of a Japanese-style business management course, and increased funding for purchase of technical and research equipment to make it into an institution of excellence.A working group that has submitted its report for establishing such an institution with Japanese-Indian collaboration said environment and energy, digital communication, design and manufacturing, nano-technology and nano-science, and civil engineering would be fields that would given a fresh thrust.
Former prime minister Shinzo Abe and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had set up a working group in August last year to zero in on a new IIT that would see Japanese assistance.
… In addition courses on Japanese-style business management, a key strength of the country’s industry, will also be introduced. While faculty and student exchanges will happen regularly, the premier institute will also set up a Japanese language course for students that could help them find jobs in Japan in the future.
… "Collaboration on the new IIT will be implemented with a long term perspective in mind based on human exchange an joint work. This will be viewed possibly as a ten-year programme,” said a senior official.
Entry Filed under: Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Puri- Khurda area (1),IIT Bhubaneswar,IITs, IISc, IISERs, NISER, IIMs,Learning from others
2 Writeup
1. Deba Nayak | October 23rd, 2008 at 3:56 am
Japan has refused to invest funds in the new Indian Institute of Technology in Hyderabad. The investment was supposed to be part of an agreement discussed between the two countries during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s ongoing Tokyo trip.
“It is a last-minute bombshell. The agreement with Japan on the IIT is stuck. Japan wants credit for the IIT but is unwilling to invest financially,†an official said.
IIT Bombay was started with both financial and technical assistance from Unesco and the Soviet Union. IIT Madras was assisted by West Germany and IIT Kanpur by the US.
But Japan has told India it does not want to commit any financial investment in the memorandum of understanding, the sources said.
The IIT Hyderabad project was discussed during Singh’s talks with his Japanese counterpart today. Following the meeting, the report of a joint working group was released.
The 10-year collaboration, it says, will focus on environment and energy, digital communication, design, manufacturing, nano-science and civil engineering. It lists faculty exchange and joint research as areas of collaboration.
But the report does not mention financial assistance. “Without financial assistance, what is all the fuss about Japan helping us set up an IIT?†an Indian official asked in Delhi.
Tokyo was initially interested in Bihar, the birthplace of Buddhism, the majority religion in Japan.
But in April, Japan said it would prefer to assist IIT Hyderabad after the IIT alumni association in that country advised that the southern city was better connected than Patna, sources said.
That Japan hopes to gain from its tie-up with the IIT brand is evident from the working group report. It cites “Japanese-style†business management as a course that ought to be taught at the new IIT. Japanese language courses, too, should be taught at the IIT “in order to make it easier for them (students) to continue their studies or to find jobs in Japanâ€.
A source said the decision to withhold funds could have been influenced by a “poor perception of India in terms of corruptionâ€.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1081023/jsp/frontpage/story_10008335.jsp
2. R. K. Ghosh | October 23rd, 2008 at 5:09 am
One of the often expressed opinion about desirability of locating IIT Orissa at remote place. Many of the readers of this forum has expressed opinion that IIT should in remote location preferably in south or western Orissa. The consequence can be easily understood from the news item about Japanese collaboration for IIT Hyderabad. The key point in this decision is due to its locational advantage as the news paper reports point out. No other new IIT was able to talk about a foreign collaborator yet. Of course CEO of IIT Hyderabad has been hyper active compared to other new IITs. But that alone could not the reason for Japanese collaborators to commit themselves.