AIU inks pact with Taiwan higher education body at NIT

Taiwan is keen on building bridges with India and its expanded scholarship programme, particularly for professional and vocational courses, would sit well with the Skill India programme, noted Andy Cheu-An Bi, director general, Department of International and Cross-Strait Education, Taiwan Ministry of Education on Saturday.

He was speaking at the ‘2019 India-Taiwan Vice-Chancellor/Presidents/Directors Forum’ organised at the National Institute of Technology-Warangal in collaboration with the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).

Twenty-eight delegates headed by Prof. Cheu-An Bi, and about 60 Vice-Chancellors of Central Universities, public universities, private universities, directors of Central institutes and other institutions in India took part in the event. During the inauguration, an MoU was signed between AIU and Foundation for International Cooperation in Higher Education of Taiwan (FICHET) on cooperation in the field of technology, education, medicine and agriculture.

This forum will include talks by Indian and Taiwanese speakers, which will be combination of top-down and bottom-up as well as inside-out and outside-in approaches concerning policies, regulations and educational operations. The pact would enable opportunities for collaboration between Indian and Taiwan, and facilitate alliance and exchange.

AIU president Sandeep Sancheti, in his address, stated that Taiwan has sought to increase cooperation with India in areas such as technology, medicines, manufacturing, agriculture, education, culture and tourism. He highlighted the functions of Taiwan Education Centre (TEC) in India, which has been established by National Tsing Hua University, with the backing of the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan; and said the proposed Educational Entrepreneurship Program will prepare the workforce system with knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to lead an organisation.

Charles Li, director general Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre in Chennai, said the collaboration will offer international opportunities to Indian students and improve the industry and academic cooperation between the two countries.

K.K. Aggarwal, chairman of National Board of Accreditation, in his inaugural address, highlighted the issues of talent shortage and armies of the unemployed in India, and insisted that creativity and innovation should be the way of life.

NIT-W director N.V. Ramana Rao presented a report on the accomplishments of the institute. B. Janardhan Reddy, secretary of Higher Education, Telangana, emphasised the need to generate employability and encourage dignity of labour, considering the taboo attached to vocational training.

K.V. Jayakumar, dean-IRAA, NITW, announced the opening of the Taiwan Education Centre at the institute.