Oxford University, UK, invites applications for the Rhodes Scholarships ” routinely included in the list of the most respected postgraduate academic scholarships worldwide. Graduates of Indian universities between the ages 19-25 with at least one first class degree are eligible to apply for two-three years of study (depending on the academic route chosen) at the University of Oxford (estb.1096).
Last year, the selection committee was chaired by Rahul Dravid, former captain of the Indian cricket team, and included prominent academics and professionals. Aspiring Rhodes scholars were chosen through a highly-competitive application and selection process spanning six months.
The Rhodes Scholarships, which were instituted under the will of Cecil Rhodes in 1902, include all university and college fees for two-three years, an annual stipend of not less than £13,390 (Rs.13.7 lakh), health insurance, and travel expenses.
To apply for the Rhodes Scholarships for India 2015, aspirants should submit applications online, including academic transcripts, six references, medical certificate, proof of age, etc. For further information see http://www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/about/rhodes-countries/rhodes-india
MSDF to support QIP
Under an agreement signed on June 17 in Chandigarh by Surina Rajan, principal secretary of the school education department, government of Haryana, and Debasish Mitter, country director (India) of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation (MSDF), the foundation will support the state government™s Quality Improvement Programme (QIP). QIP impacts 1.6 million classes I-VIII children in 12,000 government primary and upper primary schools across Haryana.
MSDF is a global charitable foundation focused on improving the lives of impoverished children in the United States, South Africa and India. Since 2006, it has invested over Rs.745 crore ($120 million) in India. Under the terms of this collaboration agreement, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation will provide funding over a three-year period to the Boston Consulting Group for disbursement, effective implementation and scaling of QIP.
œWe are honoured to work closely with the government of Haryana on this ambitious project to build a cohesive system across all government schools in the state, with student learning outcomes being the central focus. We applaud the strong leadership of Surina Rajan and leaders of the state of Haryana for taking a bold step to address systemic problems in classrooms. We believe this comprehensive project will address all areas and improve the quality of teacher-student classroom transactions, said Mitter, speaking on the occasion.
Manipal U invites ICAS applications
Manipal University (MU) invites applications for admission into its international engineering twinning programme, aka ICAS (International Centre for Applied Sciences). In this programme, students complete the first two years of four-year engineering degree programmes in MU  (Manipal campus) and the remaining two years in one of 90 associated universities in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Germany and France, which will award them engineering or equivalent degrees.
œThis unique programme is designed for students aspiring to graduate in engineering disciplines from some of the best universities of the world. With increasing student flow to universities abroad, Manipal University introduced ICAS in 1994 to encourage students to enroll in MU and complete their professional education in reputed universities abroad, says an MU spokesperson.
Among the 90 universities with whom MU has concluded ICAS partnership agreements are the universities of Massachusetts, Ohio State, Minnesota twin cities, Purdue, Illinois Urbana Champagne, and the Illinois Institute of Technology. Other prominent partner universities include Drexel, State University of New York, Buffalo, University of Technology, Sydney, City University, London, Lancaster, Edinburgh Napier, and Queen™s University, Kingston.
The last date for submission of ICAS admission applications is July 31.
HCL Learning goes abroad
At a press conference in Delhi on June 9, HCL Learning, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Delhi-based transnational HCL Infosystems Ltd, announced its intent to develop customised content in partnership with leading education service providers and schools in Nepal, the Middle East and Africa.
According to HCL Learning spokespersons, the company™s flagship product DigiSchool, which has empowered over 4,000 schools and 4 million students in India, has been introduced in 11 international schools in the Middle East and Africa. Among them: DPS, Ghana; Indian Language School, Nigeria; DPS Academy, Dubai; Indian School, Al Wadi Al Kabir, and Euro School, Nepal.
Speaking on the occasion, Chetan Mahajan, president of HCL Learning, said: œOur recent overseas success is testimony to our customised content development expertise and we are working with our partners abroad to further enhance and improve our educational capabilities. At HCL Learning, we develop solutions based on thorough market research, feedback and analysis. We have consistently exceeded customer expectations through our tailored offerings, and are well-prepared for robust growth in overseas markets.