GHI Presents L’Atelier
Bengaluru, February 26. M. Venkaiah Naidu, vice president of India, and Thaawarchand Gehlot, governor of Karnataka, inaugurated the state-of-the-art L’Atelier — ensemble of fine arts and indoor sports arena — of the top-ranked Greenwood High International School, Bengaluru (GHI).

Addressing students and parents of GHI, the vice president said: “A healthy body is essential for a healthy mind. Thus, sports and co-curricular education play an indispensable part in the growth and moulding of young minds.”

GHI’s L’Atelier Centre for Sports Excellence (CSE) offers state-of-the-art facilities including a natural grass FIFA size football ground, Astroturf hockey field, tennis courts and cricket pitches with nets, 50-m swimming pool, world-class glass-backed squash courts, shooting range, indoor basketball and badminton courts, golf simulator with professional golf clubs and data analyzer.

A separate block for arts, drama and music with globally benchmarked facilities including sound-proof music rooms with world-class acoustics; art room to conceptualize and paint artistic canvases; art gallery to showcase students’ artwork; drama, music and, design tech rooms for design thinking; music studio for sound recording; dance studio for choreography of classical and contemporary dance forms.
“Inauguration of this complex is a step forward in our mission to enable our students develop in a holistic manner, with all-round education,” said Bijay Agarwal, chairman, GHI, speaking on the occasion.

SIS Global Debates
Bhubaneswar, January 29. SAI International School (SIS), India’s top-ranked co-ed day-cum-boarding school in the latest EW India School Rankings 2021-22, convened an online Global Debate Competition which attracted participation of 49 school teams from ten countries including China, UAE, Japan, Pakistan, South Africa, Uganda, Rwanda, Morocco and Kenya. The chief guests were Alex Ellis, British high commissioner to India, and Hemanth Bharatha Chakravarthy, chairperson, events of the Harvard College Debating Union.
The topics of debate included, ‘The future of artificial intelligence (AI) and school education will go hand in hand’; ‘Development of AI will help humanity’; ‘AI has the potential to address some of the biggest challenges in school education today’; ‘Excessive use of Internet has led to unsafe learning’; ‘Is climate change already irreversible?’ among others.

“The SAI Global Debate is an independent, non-partisan, progressive initiative seeking to develop confident communicators, critical thinkers, and empowered global citizens and leaders of today and tomorrow — equipped to shape a more just, inclusive, peaceful, secure and sustainable future for all,” said Dr. Silpi Sahoo, chairperson of the Sai International Education Group.

Added Alex Ellis: “Global problems need global solutions and these can be addressed by deliberations and discussions as global solutions cannot be forced. They have to come about with a coalition of countries.”

IIT–H-Suzuki contract
Hyderabad, February 4. The Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT-H) and Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), Japan, the parent company of Maruti Suzuki (India), signed a three-year contract to institute a Suzuki Innovation Centre (SIC) in IIT-H with the objective of “creating innovations for India and Japan” and providing a platform for exchange of knowledge between the two organisations. SIC will be a platform for open innovations for industry, academia, and startups. The centre will also support skills development and exchange of human resources between India and Japan.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. B.S. Murty, director of IIT-H, said: “We will work closely with SMC and other stakeholders to identify and address broad challenges on and beyond mobility in India and Japan in technology and design. The centre is also a testament to the leaders we are producing at IIT-H.”

Extramarks-Arsenal partnership
Delhi, February 3. Extramarks Education India Pvt. Ltd, a global provider of new-age digital learning solutions, signed a strategic partnership with the Arsenal Football Club, UK to become its exclusive official learning partner in India, South Africa, Indonesia, and the Middle East.

Under the collaboration agreement, Extramarks will introduce grassroots-level learning programs, football workshops, meet and greets with players, and other exclusive competitions and experiences in partnership with Arsenal. Extramarks will also have access to a wide array of digital, social, and logistical assets, including Arsenal imagery, club-certified coaches, and access to the club’s London training centre to support learning opportunities at all levels.

“Arsenal is among the best-supported football teams globally and is known for its elegant style of play. Over the years, the club has built a strong resonance and support with young people in India. These factors make it a terrific partner to expand our audience exponentially” said Ritvik Kulshrestha, chief executive officer, Extramarks Education, speaking on the occasion.

“Extramarks is doing brilliant work to make learning more accessible and exciting for young people. Arsenal has millions of followers globally. We’re delighted to team up with Extramarks to help them reach and engage a new audience with new learning opportunities,” added Juliet Slot, chief commercial officer, Arsenal.