Category: Education

Education

Vidyamandir Classes outshines again in IIT/JEE exams

Sep 15, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Divyanshu Agarwal, #IIT/JEE exams, #Mr. Brij Mohan, #Vidyamandir Classes

New Delhi – 15th September 2020 –Vidyamandir Classes (VMC), one of the premier institute in IIT/JEE preparation, and a name synonymous with success in IITJEE proved its supremacy with success in its 2020 batch. VMC Students outshone their peers in JEE mains 2020 for which Results were declared on 11th September 2020. 3 VMC Students featured in Top 10, 4 out of 24 Students who scored 100 percentile were from Vidyamandir. 6 Vidyamandir Students were state toppers from Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Bihar and J&K. With these results, Vidyamandir Classes continued it a 3-decade tradition of producing stellar results year after year.

Overall 52 students scored 99.9 percentile or above and as many as 346 students scored 99 Percentile & above.

Divyanshu Agarwal, Two Year Classroom Course student captured the 3rd rank in IIT-JEE, while Laksh Gupta and Tushar Sethi grabbed 9th and 10th in All India Ranking. Shubh Kumar, the state topper from Bihar secured 57th rank in IIT/JEE with 99.99 percentile.

7 of our students featured in Top 75 in the country:-

Divyanshu Agarwal – All India Rank 3 (Score – 100 Percentile) (Haryana State Topper)
Laksh Gupta – All India Rank 9 (Score – 100 Percentile) (Delhi Topper)
Tushar Sethi – All India Rank 10 (Score – 100 Percentile) (Delhi Topper)
Parth Dwivedi – All India Rank 14 (Score – 100 Percentile) (Rajasthan State Topper)
Shubh Kumar – All India Rank 57 (Score – 99.99 Percentile) (Bihar State Topper)
Roopak Pridarshi – All India Rank 64 (Score – 99.99 Percentile)
Gautam Gosain – All India Rank 72 (Score – 99.99 Percentile)
Aryan Gupta (Jammu & Kashmir State Topper)

The VMC Pedagogy for best learning outcomes that have helped VMC students achieve the highest selection rate both for Engineering & Medical entrance exams.

On this occasion, Mr. Brij Mohan, Co-Founder, Vidyamandir Classes congratulated all the student particularly the 3 toppers of the institute. He said, “The result mirrors the efforts of students and the facilities such as the skill of experienced faculty, online testing, competent and comprehensive study material, solutions to individual queries by founders, mentoring and personal attention, regular monitoring of students, performance feedback which are the new normal pillars of Vidyamandir Classes. All Courses are based on the time-tested teaching which has produced unmatched results in IITJEE consistently over the past 34 years.”

“We are confident of a very successful outcome for students in JEE Advanced as well. We are committed to support our students in these last few crucial days to be able to give their best for JEE Advanced on 27th September. We would like to congratulate all students, teachers and the support staff who have worked very hard together and relentlessly pursued their goals. Our students’ dreams are our dreams and it gives us immense joy to see them succeed in their lives”

“I joined Vidyamandir Classes in Class 9th and they took the responsibility of guiding me in terms of teaching, the best material and also keeping me motivated throughout the 4 years. I give credit to my teachers, mentors, family and friends, who played a key role in pushing me towards betterment”, said Tushar Sethi (All India Rank 10 & Delhi State Topper)

Another Topper Laksh Gupta (AIR 9 and Delhi State Topper) mentioned “My dream is to make my nation proud and I wanted to join the best college in the country. I used to dedicatedly study for 5-6 hours daily for JEE. I joined VMC in Class 11th in the regular classroom program batch and from there on, I was prepared with guidance from VMC”

Students who have cleared the JEE mains are being mentored with special focus on JEE mains through handholding, doubt clearance and out staff is also ensuring they are feeling confident and upbeat. Faculties would mentor students on how they can study strategically and to attend the exam in a systematic approach to score higher marks. Students will be further inclined to appear for more mock tests and to attend practice sessions in order to boost up their confidence.

 

Education

The Weizmann Institute of Science and Mohamed bin Zayed University in the UAE to Collaborate on Artificial Intelligence Research

Sep 14, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, #Mohamed bin Zayed University, #Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), #Prof. Alon Chen, #The Weizmann Institute of Science

New Delhi, September 14, 2020: A memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel and the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) in the United Arab Emirates was signed September 13. The signing ceremony, which was held virtually, took place in the presence of Weizmann Institute of Science President Prof. Alon Chen and His Excellency Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and member of the Federal Cabinet, and Chairman of the MBZUAI Board of Trustees. A delegation headed by Weizmann Institute President is expected to travel to Abu Dhabi next week to finalize the details of the MoU and discuss its implementation.

The MoU was made possible by the recent agreement for normalization in relations between Israel and the UAE that will be signed in Washington, DC, later this week.

The MoU covers a range of opportunities for collaboration between the two institutions, including student and postdoctoral fellow exchange programs, conferences and seminars, various forms of exchange between researchers, sharing of computing resource and the establishment of a joint virtual institute for artificial intelligence.

The collaboration will advance the Weizmann Institute’s flagship project, the Artificial Intelligence Enterprise for Scientific Discovery, which will build on the Institute’s prominence in mathematics and computer science, and which is meant to activate the potential of AI to speed knowledge acquisition in data-heavy endeavours like biomedicine, environmental research, chemistry and astrophysics.

The Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, is one of the world’s top-ranking multidisciplinary research institutions and offers masters’ and doctoral-level degrees across five faculties. Noted for its wide-ranging exploration of the natural and exact sciences. Institute scientists are advancing research on the human brain, artificial intelligence, computer science and encryption, astrophysics and particle physics, and they are tackling diseases such as cancer, and addressing climate change through environmental, ocean and plant sciences, and more.

The Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, established in 2019, is a graduate-level, research-based academic institution located in Abu Dhabi. Named for the UAE crown prince, the University is part of a broader national strategy to make the UAE a leader in artificial intelligence. It offers doctoral and master’s degree programs in the fields of computer vision, machine learning and natural language processing.

His Excellency Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber: “As a pioneering university, MBZUAI seeks partnerships with leaders in their respective fields to further our collective scientific understanding and push the boundaries of technological innovation. Therefore, I welcome the opportunity to collaborate with such a renowned establishment as the Weizmann Institute of Science. Through this MoU, we can leverage the expertise of both our institutes towards using artificial intelligence to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges, from COVID-19 to climate change and beyond.”

Prof. Alon Chen, President of the Weizmann Institute of Science: “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with this unique, pioneering institution and to advance the field of artificial intelligence together. As a neuroscientist, I believe that AI is an extension of the power and intricacy of the human brain into the digital realm; the implications will be vast, affecting our lives our health and the global economy. It is said that science knows no borders. I have every hope this collaboration between scientists in the same region will be a shining example of this expression and will extend the boundaries of human knowledge.”

Weizmann Institute news releases are posted on the

World Wide Web at http://wis-wander.weizmann.ac.il/

Education

Saamarthya Teachers Training Academy of Research to host live webinar on perspectives of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Sep 14, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Ghaziabad, #Jaipuria Institute of Management, #Jaipuria School of Business, #Perspectives of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in Higher Education, #Saamarthya Teachers Training Academy of Research, #Shri Shishir Jaipuria

September 14, Ghaziabad: Saamarthya Teachers Training Academy of Research in collaboration with Jaipuria School of Business and Jaipuria Institute of Management, Ghaziabad is hosting a live webinar on ‘Perspectives of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in Higher Education”.The webinar will take place on Wednesday, September 16, 2020, at 4:00 PM via Zoom. It aims to highlight the Perspective, Issues and Pathways in Higher Education.

Speakers will include Industry veterans such as Shri Shishir Jaipuria, Chairman at Jaipuria Group of Institutions, Ghaziabad, Prof. Vinayshil Gautam, Internationally acclaimed Management Thinker and Practitioner, Prof. Gautam Sinha, Vice-Chancellor, IMS Unison University & Ex-Director, IIM Kashipur and Prof. Raj Singh, advisor to Eminent Universities & Ex-Vice Chancellor, Ansal University, Rayat Bahra University, GD Goenka University and Amity University.

Website : https://sttar.in/
Register Now :
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_dQVjI271QdK3RUvdULx_Kw

Education

Principal of the year! CBSE board felicitates Mrs. Alka Kapur, Principal, Modern Public School with the “Teachers and Principals Awards, 2019”

Sep 11, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #2019, #CBSE board, #Modern Public School, #Mr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, #Mrs. Alka Kapur, #Principal, #Teachers and Principals Awards

In recognition of her efforts towards the betterment of the quality of education in India, Mrs. Alka Kapur, Principal, MPS, was felicitated with the prestigious CBSE Teachers and Principals Awards 2019. This honour is bestowed upon the selected teachers and principals from all over the country by the CBSE board itself, after a rigorous process of examination.

The award was presented by Hon’ble Mr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Human Resource and Development Minister, Government of India.

The Central Board of Secondary Education instituted the ‘Teacher Awards’ under the aegis of MHRD in the year 2000 to give public recognition to the meritorious services of outstanding teachers of schools affiliated to it. Since then, these awards are given every year on Teachers’ Day i.e., 5th September. Each award consists of a merit certificate and a cash prize of ₹50,000/-.

Every year, teachers and principals from over 20,000 CBSE affiliated schools in India and abroad apply for this award, but among those, only 15 principals and 24 teachers are selected for the honour. This year too, there was an overwhelming response, but the qualification parameters, as always, weren’t easy. Marks were awarded on different parameters and only those applicants who had the highest scores were selected for the interview with a panel of experts, after which, the names of awardees were announced – and Mrs. Alka Kapur has been chosen as one of the top 15 principals from all the CBSE schools across the world.

Under the leadership of Mrs. Alka Kapur, Modern Public School, Shalimar Bagh, New Delhi, has earned a reputation as one of the best education hubs in the Delhi-NCR region. The school’s proactive approach towards practical learning has been fundamental in producing brainiacs that have made quite a stir recently for their innovations during the Covid-19 pandemic – including a touch-less bell and a social distancing wristband among others. Embracing the technological advancement, Modern Public School has transitioned towards “blended learning”, which is a methodology that makes the best of both worlds – physical and virtual.

Talking about the award and its significance, Mrs. Alka Kapur said, “I am deeply honored to have the fortune of being recognized as one of the top educators in the world by the CBSE board. This will only motivate me to double my efforts towards the cause that I am pursuing. The pandemic has, no doubt, disrupted the flow of education, but thanks to the technological aids, we’ve been able to keep the impact at the minimum. As of now, I am working on devising strategies that can help us provide quality education to our children while ensuring that they’re furthest away from risk – and I firmly believe that in time and with dedication, we’ll accomplish this goal.”

Education

SRMAP’s liaison with Northeastern University, Boston, USA to encourage impactful education and research

Sep 11, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Boston, #education and research, #Northeastern University, #SRMAP, #USA.

SRM University-AP now has formed a liaison with Northeastern University, Boston, USA, with a vision of mutual endeavours towards the advancement of education and research. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed recently in this regard between the two universities. This is a significant venture to collaborate with top universities such as Northeastern University, which will lead the university to the path of advanced research and educational programmes.

The MoU committee of the SRMAP is working aggressively to bring top universities across the globe for the students to get the benefit and enhance their career. Northeastern University is part of the world’s top 5% of universities, and this collaboration will provide a possibility for our students to visit, learn, and explore from a top reputed university of the USA.

Our students are the primary beneficiaries of this MOU as it provides a platform for them to explore a study abroad programme there, including getting a UG degree from a top-ranked US university. Other beneficiaries include faculty members and scholars, for whom joint research programs could be enabled in the future.

The first MoU that has been signed is a generic MoU that helps SRM University-AP to talk with Northeastern University on the possibilities of collaboration. The following activities are possible with the current MoU that has been signed-
• Mobility of faculty, scholars and students between Institutions
• Joint teaching, research, or cultural activity
• Student services and support
• Professional development programmes for faculty and staff.
• Program based partnerships
• Joint development of ongoing and new curricula and academic projects
• Collaboration in academic publications and other materials of mutual interest

The MoU Committee of the University will further enhance the collaboration with specific departments. The university is already in the process of extending the collaboration to the department level, including Computer Science and Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, to start with. Later, other engineering, science and management streams will be included in the alliance. SRMAP is also exploring opportunities on internships, semester abroad programs and other educational and research activities that will greatly benefit our students.

Education

Certified teachers of Arya Gurukul School in Kalyan (E) to teach school teachers in Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai & MMR in a free session on 11th September

Sep 11, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Arya Gurukul School in Kalyan (E), #Mrs Neelam Malik, #Mrs. Radhamani Iyer

The Management, Principal and teachers (certified and professionally trained) of Arya Gurukul School (Nandivali, Kalyan East) will conduct FREE digital classroom training for teachers of schools in Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan, Navi Mumbai and Mumbai-MMR region on 11th September 2020 starting 9:30 am onwards as part of the Knowledge L’avenir Conclave. Knowledge Key foundation in association with Microsoft, Tech Avant-Garde, Lycee Corp, Efeeonline and Roshini Social Schooling has organised a 12-week education extravaganza called the “Knowledge L’avenir Conclave” starting 5th September till November 2020. Arya Gurukul, Nandivali is a K-12 Microsoft Aspire School and has teachers who are MIEE (Microsoft Innovative Educator Experts). They conduct scholastic and co-scholastic events through remote learning facilities. A teacher can just click the Microsoft Teams link to participate – https://tinyurl.com/KLC-Curtain-Raiser

Black Friday event @Knowledge L’avenir Conclave features one school that makes a big impact through their presentations of new-age teaching skills and elaborate use of teaching tools. This week, Arya Gurukul, Nandivali has been chosen for a re-run on 11th September and will feature the presentations of the teachers that explained essential tools such as Microsoft Teams, One Note, Flipgrid, Padlet, Powerpoint and others that have improved the quality of their teaching and led to a holistic learning experience for students.

From the Management side, Mrs Neelam Malik, Chairman will speak about how quickly and efficiently the school transitioned to remote learning at the onset of the pandemic. “Universal Outlook and Collaboration are of prime importance and these have been facilitated because we harnessed on our technological skills at the appropriate time. Today, digitization is not an option, it is the only way forward”, shares Mrs. Neelam Malik at the conclave. “For new-age edupreneurs, we strive to create delight for all our stakeholders- firstly for students by providing them with essential tools for an engaging learning experience. For our teachers, we equip them with appropriate training. Today we are proud that most of our teachers are MIE (Microsoft Innovative Educators). Our staff members experience ease of operations with the help of various collaborative tools and our parents experience smooth operations during admissions and fee payments”.

Mrs. Radhamani Iyer, Principal Arya Gurukul School (Kalyan) will elaborate on the significance of training and counselling for making organisation-wide changes. The teachers of Arya Gurukul will share their digital transformational journey during the pandemic. Young leaders of the institution such as Mr Krishank Malik, CTO and Ms. Bhumika Ray, Design Director will speak about how 21st-century learning skills prepares the youth for essential life skills and how functions of administration and HR are streamlined through the use of productivity suites.

Knowledge Key foundation in association with Microsoft, Tech Avant-Garde, Lycee Corp, Efeeonline and Roshini Social Schooling has organised a 12-week education extravaganza called the “Knowledge L’avenir Conclave” webinars. The event took off on 5th September with the “Curtain Raiser” event on the auspicious day of Teacher’s Day. It featured many eminent speakers from the education and allied industries. They applauded the crucial efforts by teachers and educationists to ensure that continued learning is made possible and the rapid leap in technological advancement in educational institutions. The Knowledge L’avenir Conclave will have over 3000 teachers who have hands-on experience on various teaching tools, exhibit their digital teaching skills to over 150,000 teachers who will be trained. They will inspire over 72,000 schools to make Digital Transformation. Every presenting teacher will be certified as a Microsoft Innovative Educator Trainer (MIE Trainer).

Under the above program, teachers have been trained in Gen Extra Muros – Knowledge Beyond Walls pedagogy. The teachers who are trained under this program are “Future Ready”. They are eligible to take part in Knowledge L’avenir Conclave to display their digital teaching skills. Each Knowledge L’avenir Conclave webinar will be a one-day event; in which teachers from one school will present topics of their choice, using technology-based teaching tools. In every webinar, an average of 20 teachers from 1,000 schools will get an invitation to attend and witness this digital teaching extravaganza. The attendees will get insight on digital teaching and would get inspired to enhance their teaching skills. Knowledge L’avenir Conclave participation is only by invitation – each invited school is allowed to enrol teachers to make a presentation in the webinar to exhibit their digital teaching skills.

Ali Sait’s dream of a Connected Learning Community is a simple yet powerful idea with even more relevance today than when he first introduced the concept in the year 2002. His vision is that the world is an enriched learning environment in which technology used well enhances and expands opportunities for learning while providing the practical technology experience needed in today’s society and workplaces. In the Connected Learning Community: Students, educators and parents have any time, anyplace access to learning; Learning is relevant, individualized and personalized; Schools have information systems that support accountability and efficient management; Schools, campuses, homes, libraries, businesses and global resources are connected in a dynamic, collaborative learning environment. Yet for 21st-century learning, technology alone is not sufficient. Schools, students, and teachers must have the vision and opportunity to experiment, innovate and create with technology as a learning tool. Ali wants to facilitate a New Era of Education in a growing number of schools and communities around the world. Technology has helped launch a new era of education that simultaneously fosters academic excellence and the practical experience needed to succeed in life and work in the growing knowledge economy. Nevertheless, communities have only begun to tap the potential of technology for learning.

Education

JK Business School students outshine in Gurugram University BBA Results: Bag top 2 positions and 7 out of top 10

Sep 10, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Gurugram University, #JK Business School, #Prof (Dr) Sanjiv Marwah

Gurugram University which is synonymous with excellence in education recently announced the result for the BBA First year. JK B-School (JKBS) secured top 2 positions with Medhashree Joshi and Vaibhav Lodhi leading the result board with 439 and 420 marks respectively. With 7 out of top 10 positions in BBA Semester 1, JK Business School outshines all the institutes affiliated to Gurugram University, a State University of Govt. of Haryana. JKBS has been ranked 11th in Top BBA Colleges in India and 5th in the Northern Region by the Global Human Resource Development Centre (GHRDC) 2020.JKBS set up in 2006 in Gurgaon, Haryana as a potential place for training budding managers and future leaders, the college provides maximum industry interface to the students. The industry interface, mentorship, business simulations, corporate guest lectures, webinars, industrial visits, live projects, Capstone projects and Competency Development Workshops make the BBA program at JKBS the best in the region. Even during this extraordinary time JKBS, conducted classes with G Suite without any glitch because flip classroom is an integral part of our pedagogy.

Thriving on the strong value system of JK Organization, JK Business School truly believes in the inculcation of a good citizen and good human being in its students. JKBS believes in the holistic development of the students, therefore, the teaching and learning process is very much focused on outcome-based education systems (OBE) which has been practised by JKBS much before it has become a point of discussion as a part of New Education policy.

Speaking on this achievement Prof (Dr.) Sanjiv Marwah, Director, JK Business School said, “For this outstanding achievement, I congratulate all the students and their parents for always being inspirational support to us and our faculty for their continuous support in nurturing the students and bringing out best from them.” He further added “In today’s changing business dynamics, there is a surge in demand for highly qualified, skilled and motivated business professionals. A successful business professional should have sound knowledge, requisite skills, vision and expertise along with the ability to lead and manage multiple business functions. At JKBS, Students are not confined to curriculum only rather provided ample opportunities to flourish and hone their skills through various clubs and committees which are elected and run by students only. “Learning by Doing” approach is not only preached but practised that has boosted the confidence of our student’s manifolds. The BBA program at JKBS prepares students for an excellent and extremely rewarding career in business and other organizations.”

JKBS is the only industry anchored campus for Gurugram University. The core pedagogy of JKBS involves hands-on experience by manoeuvring case studies, applications based on real industry data, live projects and extensive corporate connect by way of veterans from the industry handling the academic delivery and Gurugram would provide all the opportunities in the neighbourhood. At present JKBS offers BBA, a three-year full-time program affiliated to Gurugram University, a state university in Haryana and PGDM, a two-year, credits based, full-time management program recognized by AICTE, a body under the Ministry of HRD, Govt of India. JKBS is North India’s first business school to sign an agreement with IIM Bangalore for its IIMBx program to provide its students with the opportunity to develop their skills through digital learning. JKBS also partnered with AIMA Bizlab to offer training opportunities in state-of-the-art areas of technology and artificial intelligence. The campus is using G-Suite Google classroom for conducting its online classes and is geared up to welcome the new batch on its 10-acre campus with all the COVID protocols set by Govt. of India in place.

The institute has a very talented team of faculty that includes both core & visiting. They come from the best B-Schools like IIMs, IMT, Columbia B-School, Boston University and have impressive industry understanding and exposure. JK Business School is ranked # 7 among India’s Top 10 private higher education institutions for Best Academia-Industry Alliance in the Education World India Higher Education Grand Jury Awards 2020-21.

Education

Master Classes on Remote Schooling

Sep 10, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Dr. Arun Manhas (KAS), #Government School teachers of Jammu & Kashmir, #Master Classes, #Remote Schooling, #Samagra Shiksha J&K

For Government School teachers of Jammu & Kashmir

Dates: 2nd, 4th, 7th and 9th Sep 2020

Decision-makers in any country that is facing the global pandemic today need to re-evaluate the ability of their school system to provide education for their students. Schools have been asked to quickly put together new instructional strategies, professional development and learning programs for their teachers and students. Teachers have been made to transition their classrooms to the cloud, set up digital learning environments and run their teaching practices online. Although many may have some previous experience from blended learning strategies and the flipped classroom model, this transition goes beyond anything that we have seen before.

In the present circumstances, there is an opportunity and a need. The need is to on-board teachers to remote learning practices, while the opportunity is wider – to improve classroom teaching all round. This is not just about teaching and learning during the pandemic – interventions should have the potential to outlast the pandemic and that is why they need to be structured in a sustainable manner if they are to be successful. This is also an opportunity to upskill our teachers. Not just enable them to meet the demands of remote learning, but to significantly improve their teaching practices in the long term.

In this context, we at FICCI ARISE (Alliance for Re-imagining School Education), in collaboration with Samagra Shiksha J&K, Department of School Education and UNICEF, organized a four-day Masterclasses series on ‘Remote Schooling’ for teachers of Government schools of Jammu and Kashmir. The resource persons were a team of experts from ‘I Am A Teacher (IAAT)’ who delivered these specialized Masterclasses through online medium to over 250 teachers in a series of highly immersive and interactive sessions on 2nd, 4th, 7th and 9th September.

The four masterclasses focused on:
• PRACTICING PROFESSIONALISM: Building parental Involvement and student wellbeing
• PLANNING: Creating lesson plans for remote learning
• DELIVERING: Managing student engagement online
• ASSESSING: Designing online assessments

At the Valedictory Session, Project Director – Samagra Shiksha J&K, Dr. Arun Manhas (KAS) said that “COVID-19 has thrown an unprecedented challenge before the teaching community, but the teachers have taken up this challenge bravely and ensuring that the children are learning despite the odds. Hence, we at the Department of School Education were glad that such capacity-building programmes were organized by FICCI ARISE to build the capacities of teachers and to motivate them as well.”

He was joined by Mr. Irfan Guju, Chairman-FICCI J&K State Council and Managing Director, IA Multi Venture Pvt. Ltd. who said that “The current pandemic has completely changed the landscape of education globally and hoped that these Masterclasses have been able to live up to the vision of acting as a catalyst between Government and private efforts, which is also the genesis of FICCI as an industry body. This is perhaps the challenge of our lifetime. Let’s come together to ensure that ‘learning doesn’t stop’.”
The participating teachers said that they were delighted to be a part of such an initiative of Samagra Shiksha and would like to see more of such programmes in the future.

Education

Higher Education Stalwarts Laud NEP-2020 as Transformational at IIHMR Webinar

Sep 10, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Dr. Sandeep Sancheti, #IIHMR Webinar, #Stalwarts Laud NEP-2020

Leading names of higher education in India has praised the recently-launched National Education Policy 2020 for its multidisciplinary approach and potential to transform its the education system at a webinar titled ‘Dialogue on National Education Policy 2020: Transforming Education System of India’ by IIHMR University. The leading panel members included Dr. Sandeep Sancheti, Vice-Chancellor, SRM Institute of Science and Technology; Dr. S D Gupta, Chairperson, IIHMR University; Prof. Ramesh Bhat, Vice-Chancellor, NMIMS University;Dr. Ajit K Nagpal, Chairman, Amity PACIFIC Forum, Chairman and Director General, Amity University Middle East Initiative;Prof Venkat Raman, FMS, University of Delhi; Dr. Prabhat Ranjan, Vice-Chancellor, D. Y. Patil International University; and Dr. P. R. Sodani, Pro President, IIHMR University, Jaipur.

“The NEP-2020 has the potential to transform the education system of India and keeps the sustainable development goals and societal needs in mind. It will promote speed, efficiency and diversity along with access, equity, quality, accountability, and transparency,” said Dr. Sandeep Sancheti, Vice-Chancellor, SRM Institute of Science and Technology.

“We have in the past campaigns to improve access to education such as Right to Education Act and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). The policy now will require out-of-the-box thinking and willingness to adopt it. The new education policy is a path-breaking one and will help the younger generation with the new competencies required in the 21st century,” said Dr. S D Gupta, Chairperson, IIHMR University. Dr. Gupta was also chairing the session.

“NEP has a significant footprint on liberal education all over. The policy has made a very impressive argument of moving from a single-disciplinary university system to a multidisciplinary approach and from a fragmented and siloed education system to an integrated system of education, giving us ways of handling the challenges by placing the universities into broad categories,” said Prof. Ramesh Bhat, Vice-Chancellor, NMIMS University.

Speaking about the National Education Policy’s objectives, Prof. Rajendra P Gupta, a former member of the NEP-2020 committee, said, “We have not attended education since the Kothari Commission. The policy’s objective is to bring district-level self-sufficiency in education, reduce regulatory hurdles, and reduce artificial barriers by de-siloing education.”

Highlighting the policy’s focus on arts and humanities along with science, Dr. Ajit K Nagpal, Chairman, Amity PACIFIC Forum, Chairman and Director General, Amity University Middle East Initiative; and Former Health Advisor to the UAE Government, said, “The country’s identity, upliftment, spiritual and intellectual satisfaction, and creativity can be attained through learning about its history as well as art and culture. Research in arts and humanities and science and innovation will take the country forward in becoming a developed nation. This policy rightly addresses the way forward.”

“The University of Delhi had employed a Four-Year Undergraduate Program (FYUP), which caused much heartburn. The implementation of the policy should be taken seriously – there are 100 million teachers who need to become change partners; if we don’t carry them along, then there will be a major trouble in implementing this education policy,” says Prof Venkat Raman, FMS, University of Delhi.

“The policy allows common entrance tests for all students, but there should be multiple parameters for assessing the complete process, focusing on all areas and not only any single parameter. All regulatory bodies should be merged to improve India’s education system,” said Dr. Prabhat Ranjan, Vice-Chancellor, D. Y. Patil International University.

Dr. P. R. Sodani, Pro President, IIHMR University, and Moderator of the webinar said that the NEP emphasized that NEP intends to ensure equitable access to the highest level of quality education to all the learners irrespective of their socio-economic background.

As envisioned by the NEP-2020, the new education universe should address the mental health of students in the Indian higher education and focus on employable skilling, a student representative at the webinar said.

“The aspect of students’ mental health should be majorly highlighted as India has the highest rates of suicide cases. Many students face undignified behaviour due to different personality shades, which also contributes to their poor mental health. We must focus more on employable skilling, considering the creativity of students, and employable education so that students have a job after completing their education,” said Rishabh Singh, a student representative from IIHMR University.

Education

London leads European EDTECH Revolution

Sep 9, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #European EDTECH Revolution, #Hemin Bharucha, #London, #Nic Newman

London, 9th September 2020. London is the leading EdTech hub in Europe according to new research published today, the first day of London Tech Week 2020, by London & Partners and Dealroom.

Best in Class: Global Trends in EdTech from a London Perspective explores EdTech VC-led investment trends since 2014, comparing countries and cities in terms of deal value and deal count, and considers the impact of coronavirus on the accelerated adoption of EdTech and the growth of the sector.

The report reveals that London is the top destination for EdTech investment in Europe, featuring as the only European city in the global EdTech top 10 by total VC investment value. The UK capital comes in eighth globally, with $630m invested into London-based EdTech companies since 2014. China dominates the top five ranking, with Beijing taking the top spot and Shanghai in third, while San Francisco and Bangalore come in second and fourth respectively.

Last year, London-based EdTech companies raised a total of $124m in VC investment, ahead of Paris with $92m and Berlin’s $67m. London’s EdTech ecosystem is also the largest in Europe, with an estimated value of $3.4bn. The Paris EdTech ecosystem is worth $1.9bn, while Berlin’s is $0.8bn.

Hemin Bharucha, Chief Representative, India at London & Partners said: “The EdTech sector globally has seen exponential growth over the last six months due to the accelerated adoption of online learning brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. The new research today shows that London is the leading EdTech hub in Europe, home to some of the world’s most exciting EdTech companies who are leading the way in innovation. The UK capital is also quickly becoming a major global hub for the sector, with its thriving ecosystem providing access to tech talent, growth capital, policy makers and world-class universities all in one place.”

Amongst EdTech investment deals in Europe, London’s EdTech startups have consistently raised more funding rounds than any other city since 2017. This year so far, London leads with 15 deals, followed by Paris (10), Berlin (6) and Dublin (1). Comparing global cities for deal count in 2020, the UK capital ranks fourth behind San Francisco, Bangalore and New York and ahead of Beijing.

High deal count volume suggests there is significant growth ahead for London’s EdTech sector, as early-stage startups develop innovative technologies and apps for learning and development.

Coronavirus has forced major changes in education at every level, from early years to adult learning and career development. The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital technology in education with global EdTech investment on track to grow by 15% in 2020, a predicted $7.6bn.

The EdTech sector in London is in its infancy compared to other sectors like AI, fintech and healthtech, but the latest research shows startups in London and across the UK are well-positioned to capitalise on the recent adoption of EdTech. London is also home to Europe’s only current EdTech unicorn, Learning Technologies Group.

Further analysis of the research shows that the UK EdTech sector is one of the fastest growing in Europe, with VC investment quadrupling between 2014 and 2019. While the US and Asia continue to dominate the global EdTech investment landscape, the UK is leading the way in Europe with over $1bn in VC-investment into EdTech since 2014, followed by France with $0.4bn and Ireland with $0.3bn.

The UK received 39% of all European EdTech investment in 2019, more than France, Ireland and Germany combined. London alone accounted for 17% of total European investment last year.

While European investors still contribute the majority of investment into European EdTech, US investors are playing an increasingly important role, demonstrating growing confidence in Europe’s EdTech sector.

Last year, 27% of VC investment into Europe came from US investors, up from 23% in 2018. London-based companies are attracting significant interest from US investors too, with EduMe securing $5m Series A funding from Valo Ventures in July, the Silicon Valley-based VC’s first European investment.

Nic Newman, Partner at Emerge Education said: “At Emerge we have seen how EdTech companies are benefiting from the world’s education going online almost overnight. These changes were precipitated by the COVID-19 crisis, but the result may be a tipping point for EdTech towards mass adoption in schools, further and higher education and corporates. Education will never be the same again now that millions of students and teachers have embraced online learning platforms. We also recognise that this change brings challenges, such as unequal access, which must be addressed.

“To build and scale a successful EdTech company you need to be part of an advanced EdTech ecosystem. With some of the best emerging EdTech companies, a thriving community and a web of support from venture finance to growth programs, London is one of the top cities in the world for EdTech.”

A number of London’s ‘rising stars’ in EdTech have experienced considerable growth during the pandemic and are expanding globally from the UK capital, as well as hiring rapidly. These companies include:

EduMe – The corporate training solution offers customisable and mobile-first remote training, communication and engagement platform for deskless workers and in July closed a $5m Series A funding round from Valo Ventures.

WhiteHat – Career-focused modern professional apprenticeships aimed at 800,000 UK 16-24 year old’s not in employment, education or training have accelerated their employee count over the last 6 months.
VRtuoso – A tool to create virtual reality presentations for corporate learning, sales and marketing, changing the way knowledge is delivered by creating interactive and immersive learning experiences
Lingumi – The EdTech platform for toddlers and preschoolers raised a $5m million Series A in April 2020 to continue developing its AI-driven language lessons and expand the team globally.

Construct Education – The online education platform designed to offer accessible, engaging education that empowers individual personal development was founded in 2013 in London. The company quickly expanded offices from the UK, to the US and South Africa and from 2018 to 2019, its revenue grew by over 500%.
Century Tech – The developer of AI classroom technology provides students with an education personalised to their individual strengths, weaknesses, behaviours, and habits. During the pandemic, the company has signed a landmark technology partnership deal with the Lebanese government to bring their technology free to thousands of schools in Lebanon.

Jacob Waern, Founder and CEO, EduMe, The Workforce Success Platform, said: “London proved to be the right mix of talent, open-minded thinking and creativity that made it an easy choice to base our emerging business. In the last six months, we’ve built even closer relationships with our customers and are even more attuned to the best ways of serving remote employees. Through the Coronavirus crisis, we’ve experienced a surge in demand for EduMe, including Uber using us to train drivers on Coronavirus safety measures globally. With our recent (Series A) boost in committed investment, we’re aggressively hiring new talent, we’re targeting new industries and we will continue to help companies globally, to train, inform and engage an increasingly deskless workforce.”

The release of the EdTech report coincides with London Tech Week 2020 (1st-11th Sept), a fully virtual and global accessible event addressing the impact of the technology ecosystem on key issues including health, education, security, the future of work and the socio-economic inclusion of women, BAME and under-represented groups.

Education focused events taking place during the week include Future of Learning: 2020-2025 on Tuesday 8th September where futurist Shivvy Jervis, will discuss the findings of a joint investigation between her social innovation forecasting lab FutureScape248 and London & Partners with a panel of experts including Professor Mischa Dohler (King’s College London), Founder and CEO Gori Yahaya (UpSkill Digital) and Director Caroline Wright (BESA and EdTech Exchange).

The collaborative research project, Future of Learning: 2020-2025, explores four themes that are likely to influence learning over the next five years. These include skilling for the future as new job specialities like a Data Ethicist become commonplace, emerging technologies that will shape our learning experiences, such as emotionally aware AI or the tactile web, and the opportunities for hybrid learning. Sign up for the event here.

Best in Class: Global Trends in EdTech from a London Perspective can be downloaded here.