Kidscare, the childcare division of the Mumbai-based Zee Interactive Learning Systems Ltd which has over 400 Kidzee franchised schools across India and abroad, is poised to enter the childcare market whose potential is valued at Rs.10,000 crore per annum.

According to Arun Khetan, chief executive of ZILS, the rapid socio-economic change of the past two decades and emergence of nuclear families and “two job households” has necessitated the delegation of care and supervision of children to childcare centres. “By excelling in the domain of pre-school education ZILS has not only succeeded in addressing the needs of contemporary society, but has also mastered the art of addressing the growing toddler, which has won the appreciation of thousands of parents, who underwent the unique Kidzee experience. This has given us the expertise and confidence to essay backward integration into the childcare sector with the promotion of Kidscare,” says Khetan.

The concept originated with the launch of Zee Education about a decade ago and more specifically with the launch of Kidzee, a household name for providing quality pre-school education through a network of more than 400 schools spread over 180 locations in India and UAE.

Novel engineering degree programme

IPS Academy, Indore has introduced a four-year engineering degree programme in fire technology and safety engineering approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The academy has taken up the challenge to fight natural and man made disasters by providing educated and trained people in this field, in collaboration with the Institute of Safety and Fire technology (IFSFT), Indore.

“By virtue of its growing role in saving life and property on a large scale, safety and fire engineering is fast becoming a noble profession. Indian industry estimates the requirement of industrial safety and fire technology personnel at over 100,000 per year. Anybody investing his future in this sunrise industry is creating a great opportunity for himself, in addition to getting a head start over job seekers in other fields,” says Prof. A.L. Mehta, director of IFSFT.

Zhejiang Medical invites applications

Zhejiang Medical University (ZMU) China, situated on the outskirts of Shanghai, has announced terms for its MBBS intake for the academic year starting September 2006. The base eligibility criterion for admission is a minimum 60 percent average in physics, chemistry and biology in Plus Two. Established in 1912, ZMU is one of the oldest higher education institutions in China and is managed by the education department of the government of China.

With a faculty strength of 3,500 full-time and associate professors spread over 22 schools, ZMU offers 212 education programmes in its 130 departments and 34 specialist schools. ZMU also has a teaching hospital with a capacity of 5,000 beds. Moreover to promote self and supplementary study, its library comprises 6,260,000 volumes, over 100,000 e-books and 17,000 journal subscriptions.

The curriculum is as per the requirement of the Medical Council of India and WHO (World Health Organisation). The medium of instruction is English.

“ZMU’s residential facilities are of international standard with air conditioning and heating systems in each room. Moreover Indian food is available in the student hostels and there is an Indian co-ordinator on campus for assistance to students from India,” says Chetan Raje of the Mumbai-based Global Management and Marketing Consultants which represents ZMU in India.

RAI-MICA visual merchandising course

The Retailers Association of India (RAI) has introduced a six-month programme in Visual Merchandising & Creative Communications in association with the Mudra Institute of Communications (MICA), Ahmedabad.

Comments G. Vedamani, CEO of RAI: “Unlike western countries, where visual merchandising (VM) receives highest priority in retailing, Indian industry’s understanding of the practice and precepts of VM is inadequate. As seasons change, merchandise collections/ planograms also change in retail stores. This phenomenon of transformed visual presentation / displays of merchandise accompanied by relevant thematic props, is still at a nascent stage in India. Therefore the new professional programme in Visual Merchandising & Creative Communications will go a long way to fill this gap.”

Adds Prof. Atul Tandan, director of MICA: “This study programme blends the business and psychology of retail marketing principles with technical skills. Participants will learn how to design and draft rendering of displays, to build props and accessories and carry projects though to completion.”

This full-time programme is scheduled to start on July 20, 2006. Students with a bachelors degree from a reputed university with two years work experience are eligible for admission.

Ramaswamy designated national professor

The Union ministry of human resource development has designated Prof. N.S. Ramaswamy national professor, in recognition of his outstanding and pioneering contribution to business management education. Started in the fifties, with Nobel laureate Dr. C.V. Raman as the first national professor, other recipients of this honour include Dr. C.N. R. Rao, Dr. Veena Mazumdar, Dr. M.V.Pylee, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Bismilla Khan and Prof. A.N.S. Bose. The appointment is for five years, renewable for another term. As per the scheme, the number of national professors cannot exceed 12 at any given point of time.

Currently the promoter-trustee of Cartman, a Bangalore-based NGO, during his long academic career spanning six decades, Ramaswamy established five management institutes including NITIE, Mumbai; the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai and Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore. Moreover the Indian Heritage Academy of which he is managing trustee, organises programmes and workshops on Indian culture — music, dance, meditation, yoga — and Indian philosophy and spirituality.