The LoI seeks to initiate multidisciplinary collaborations for the highest standard curriculums leading to integrated and dual-degree programs at the bachelor’s and master’s levels. The key disciplines include Engineering, Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, Social Sciences, Medicine, Public Health and Agriculture.
The program will enhance Amrita as the study-abroad site for the University of Arizona students and vice versa. This will engage more than 200 students annually for a minimum of one semester at the two-partner university.
“The University of Arizona shares Amrita’s commitment to enriching life for all, its dedication to innovation, and its spirit of compassion. We look forward to working together across multiple disciplines to expand human potential and to care for the world around us,” said Dr Folks.
“We share this with the Chancellor of Amrita University and spiritual leader Amma to advance human wellbeing and global safety across the planet.”
Dr. Venkat Rangan, Vice Chancellor of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, added, “Inspired by Amma’s leadership, Amrita’s profound mission of imparting Education for Life to its students and carrying out compassion-driven research for humanitarian benefit and sustainable development will be further enriched by global impact through this synergistic and strategic partnership with the internationally renowned University of Arizona.”
India’s Ministry of Human Resource Development recently named Amrita as an Institution of Eminence (IoE). The IoE mandates that Indian universities develop innovative programs of high quality that will be internationally recognized. This LoI signing will pave the way for developing such high-quality educational degree programs at an international level.
“Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham has developed a broad range of international partnerships with the best universities across the world for its academic and research activities. We are looking forward to engaging in dual-degree programs, study-abroad opportunities, and research association with the University of Arizona,” said Dr. Maneesha Sudheer, Dean of International Programs at Amrita.
“These programs will be moulded to achieve the key philosophies of Amrita: 1) Education for Life, 2) Compassion-Driven Research and 3) Global Impact. This provides an opportunity for Indian and international students to experience the value system of India’s rich culture.”
This collaboration with the University of Arizona is intended to develop and implement an accessible and affordable platform for transformation of education from a rigid classroom-based delivery model to a restructured, adaptable student-centric model that will enhance student-faculty engagement and learning outcomes. Most importantly, it will create thinkers and innovators for solving societal problems.
A major goal of the partnership will be to engage in translational research to develop solutions for global sustainability and humanitarian challenges. The key focus areas will include all Engineering disciplines, Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, Molecular Medicine, Social Sciences, Medicine, Nursing, Public Health, Pharmacy, Global Media Studies, Agriculture and Sustainable Development.
Part of the initiative is Live-in-Labs®, Amrita’s credit-based experiential learning program where students apply classroom theory to real-world settings in villages across the country. Rural India is home to most of the country’s poor.
The students take part in internships where they live in the rural communities to gain deeper understanding of the life challenges villagers face. The students and villagers collaborate to develop and deploy solutions for sustainable living.
The University of Arizona is a top-ranked public research university in Tucson, Arizona and is classified as a Carnegie Foundation Research 1 institution. It is ranked 104th in the world by Times Higher Education’s 2020 World University Rankings.
The institution is known for advancing frontiers of interdisciplinary scholarship and entrepreneurial partnerships as a member of the Association of American Universities, the 62 leading public and private research universities in the US. The University has been a part of every planetary mission with NASA and is the fourth most awarded public university by NASA for research.
