Engineering: Connecting Cosmos & Consciousness - Groep T

International range continues to expand
GROUP T off to a running
start in India
The Chinese president Wen Jiabao did not put too fine a point on things during his visit to India in late
2010. “The world is big enough for both of us. Our combined rapid economic growth is the driving force
behind the world economy.” GROUP T – International University College Leuven is fully anticipating this
development: after China and Southeast Asia, GROUP T is now also active in India. Prof. Dr. Johan De
Graeve, President and Chief Executive of GROUP T, Prof. Patrick de Ryck, Director General of GROUP T, and
the Professors Frank Dochy and Kumar Pinjala visited the country early April 2011.
GROUP T has in any case made a successful
running start in India,” Kumar says. “In a
matter of less than a year we concluded
very promising collaboration agreements
with three leading universities for the exchange of
students, faculty and know-how. The first students
will arrive from India in late August.”
In the meantime, two Indian professors have become
members of GROUP T’s Board of Directors: Dr. H.
Vinod Bhat, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Manipal University,
and Dr. Satyanarayana Beela, Vice-Chancellor of
Andhra University.
Twinning programs
On 4 June 2010, GROUP T signed a Memory of Understanding
with the prestigious Manipal University in
Magalore (Karnataka state). “This university has
17,000 students and 19 different institutes, including
the Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT) and the
International Centre for Applied Sciences (ICAS),”
Kumar continues. “While MIT offers engineering programs
to local students, ICAS targets students who
want to study abroad. Generally, they first study at
ICAS for two years and the following two abroad, a
twinning program in other words. Vice versa, many
international students find their way to ICAS. They
come from no less than 100 different countries.”
“An agreement was reached with Manipal University
to set up a 1 + 1 dual master program in Electronics
Engineering,” according to Kumar. “That means one
year in India followed by one year in Leuven leading
to a dual degree. We are also examining the possibility
of collaborating at the undergraduate level. That
would be a 2 + 2 formula culminating in a bachelor
degree. Not a dual degree in this case, legal regulations
won’t allow for it.” In April 2011, Prof. Mohan
Kumar J. arrived as a guest professor at GROUP T to
teach and to give further shape and content to the
collaboration and the arrival of the Indian students.
In September 2011, the dual degree master program
will take off.”
Tradition and reputation
The signing of the Memory of Understanding with the
Andhra University in Visakhapatnam in the state of
Andhra Pradesh took place on 8 June 2010. “This university
has a long tradition and a strong reputation,”
Kumar says. “Dr. S. Radhakrishan, the former president
of India, was the Vice-Chancellor there. This university
offers no less than 313 programs, from Arts to Management,
Sciences and Technology. The College of Engineering
is an independent institute that offers bachelor,
master and doctoral programs in 16 disciplines.
The Engineering College also has at its disposal various
specialized research centers amongst which bioinformatics,
nanotechnology, biotechnology, phase equilibrium
thermodynamics, remote sensing and information
systems and research and offshore structures.” More
“GROUP T is the first higher
education institute in the
country that is setting up
twinning programs with
Indian partner universities
at the bachelor and
master levels.”
than 600 engineering and other colleges spread out
over five provinces are affiliated with the university.
This affiliation guarantees excellent quality.”
The collaboration with Andhra University relates first
and foremost to the bachelor program in Electromechanical
Engineering. “It is a 2 + 2 twinning program.
Conversely, we also provide for the possibility for Flemish
students to go there. Visakhapatnam is a coastal city
where living and studying is very pleasant.”
But there are also plans for the international postgraduate
programs in Enterprising and in Logistics
Management. “After graduating from Andhra University,
our students can obtain a master in Management.
Indeed, the same goes for Indian students in
Leuven who have completed a postgraduate degree.”
International orientation
On 11 June 2010, GROUP T President and Chief
Executive Johan De Graeve and Vice-Chancellor T.P.
Ganesan from SRM University in Chennai (Tamil Nadu
state) signed a Memory of Understanding.
“SMR stands for Sri Ramasani Memorial and is quite
new,” Kumar clarifies. “The Engineering College dates
from 1985 but has meanwhile grown to become one
of the largest universities. SRM is an institute with a
strong international orientation that works closely
with universities in the UK, the US and Australia. The
Engineering College offers bachelor and master programs
in 21 disciplines. With SRM, we’re working on
setting up a twinning program in Electronics Engineering.
Right now, we’re examining how we can gear the
curricula to each other. Concrete agreements still have
to be made about student recruitment.”
Kumar has high expectations about the collaboration
with his native country. “Most Indian students that
stay in Belgium are here for a Ph.D. GROUP T is the first
higher education institute in the country that is setting
up twinning programs with Indian partner universities
at the bachelor and master levels. That the language
of instruction in India is English is very conducive to
the collaboration and the exchange of students and
faculty. There will be no difficulties at that level.”
Y.P.
GROUP T - LEUVEN ENGINEERING COLLEGE
4
jg. 20, nr. 3, 16 augustus 2011
Working meeting at Andhra University. Prof. Dr. Prasad Reddy, Registrar; Prof. Dr.
K. Viswanath, director International Affairs; Prof. Dr. MMM Sarkar, Board of Studies
– Director of the College of Engineering; Prof. Dr. Sundara Sira Rao, Head of the
Department of Mechanical Engineering; Prof. Dr. Johan De Graeve, President-Chief
Executive of GROUP T; Prof. Patrick De Ryck, Director General of GROUP T.
03183_INGENIEURS_Interview_3_20.indd 4 11/07/11 17:01