News archive 2009

Study India Programme launch in Mumbai

03 Sep 2009, PR 179/09

The Study India Programme (SIP), which is sponsoring 200 British students to spend three weeks in India this summer to study Indian society, culture and language, was officially launched with a reception at the CCI Club in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday 1 September.

Among the 150 attendees were the participating UK students, representatives from the Indian government; institutional representatives, academics and students; and journalists. Speakers at the event included: Professor Keith Hoggart, Vice Principal, King’s College London; Mr Simon Gammell- Director , British Council, West India; Dr Indu Shahani- Principal, HR College of Commerce and Economics and Sheriff of Mumbai; and Dr Vijay Khole, Vice Chancellor of the University of Mumbai.

Keith Hoggart, Vice Principal Arts & Sciences and External Relations, King’s College London said: ‘India is one of the world's largest and fastest growing economies and a country with increasing global importance. King’s has a long tradition of excellent relations with India, and a strong commitment to encouraging British students to broaden their horizons through an international education; therefore we were delighted to help set up this initiative.’

One hundred British students are currently completing the programme in Mumbai, while a further 100 are doing the same in New Delhi. King’s College London has organised the Mumbai part of the programme, which is running from 24 August to 12 September 2009, in partnership with HR College, University of Mumbai.

Working alongside their Indian counterparts, the students are participating in workshops, visiting a range of local employers and gaining a better understanding of the cultural richness and diversity of India, the Indian way of life, people, arts, politics, economy and language.

The initiative is funded by UKIERI, the UK India Education and Research Initiative from the British Council. The participating institutions hope the programme will further encourage genuine internationalisation of the UK’s higher education, and foster stronger links between Indian and UK higher education.

Sally Goggin, Director-Education British Council, India & Sri Lanka said: ‘Study India provides a wonderful opportunity for UK students to get first hand experience of studying or working in India and that kind of exposure is invaluable to them as they think through their own career choices. It allows them to broaden their horizons beyond the shores of the UK, and there is no better place to do that than India. We do hope that many of those coming on the programme will consider coming back as part of their studies or their future area of work.’

Notes to editors

King's College London
King's College London is one of the top 25 universities in the world (Times Higher Education 2008) and the fourth oldest in England. A research-led university based in the heart of London, King's has more than 21,000 students from nearly 140 countries, and more than 5,700 employees. King's is in the second phase of a £1 billion redevelopment programme which is transforming its estate.

King's has an outstanding reputation for providing world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise for British universities, 23 departments were ranked in the top quartile of British universities; over half of our academic staff work in departments that are in the top 10 per cent in the UK in their field and can thus be classed as world leading. The College is in the top seven UK universities for research earnings and has an overall annual income of nearly £450 million.

King's has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, the sciences (including a wide range of health areas such as psychiatry, medicine and dentistry) and social sciences including international affairs. It has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA and research that led to the development of radio, television, mobile phones and radar. It is the largest centre for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe; no university has more Medical Research Council Centres.

King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas', King's College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts are part of King's Health Partners. King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC) is a pioneering global collaboration between one of the world's leading research-led universities and three of London's most successful NHS Foundation Trusts, including leading teaching hospitals and comprehensive mental health services. For more information, visit: www.kingshealthpartners.org.



Further information
Melanie Haberstroh, International PR Officer
Public Relations Department
Email: melanie.haberstroh@kcl.ac.uk
Tel: 020 7848 3076

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