OP Jindal University, University of Virginia sign MoU to promote student exchange, joint research

Stephen D. Mull, C Raj Kumar and Nicole Jenkins, Dean, McIntire School of Commerce.

The University of Virginia and Jindal Global University, located at Sonipat in Haryana, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide a platform for student exchange. It will also help students conduct joint research on topics such as democracy and environmental sustainability.

C Raj Kumar, the Founding Vice-Chancellor of OP Jindal Global University, said the partnership will allow the students to develop a holistic understanding of the globalised world with cooperation in exchanging knowledge, perspectives, and cultural experiences.

“The partnership will provide transformative prospects of higher education and learning to students in both the universities and enable our faculty members to pursue joint teaching and collaborative research with a view to advancing the cause of international education and institution building,” he said.

The MOU has been envisioned to promote student and faculty exchange programmes. It will create opportunities for dual degree programmes in which students from both institutions will be able to pursue degrees in each other's universities.

“This I believe is a very important facet of the national education policy, and also the current thinking within the government when it comes to public policy in relation to higher education and internationalization," said Kumar.

Virginia University’s Vice Provost for Global Affairs Ambassador Stephen D Mull said the time is ripe for expanded US engagement with Indian higher education.

“The country is the world’s biggest democracy with a population bigger than the US, Europe and Latin America combined,” he said, adding that India has brilliant students, scholars and entrepreneurs who want to partner on some of the world’s biggest challenges.

Since 2019, the number of new Indian graduate and professional students studying in the United States has skyrocketed by 430 percent, clearly indicating the vast potential for higher Indian enrollments.

The Indian government’s new National Education Policy (NEP) has been attempting to liberalise the country's education system by removing the obstacles to international engagement and including a substantial easing of barriers to the work of international universities within India. “This is a step in the direction to aid Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision,” said Kumar.