#mgoindia

[umindia]

University of Michigan president Mark Schlissel talked to media outlets in Delhi and Mumbai during his India visit. The conversations ranged from global engagement, partnership with India, online learning and how to use data in learning.

[umindia]

A visit to the Bombay house, the Tata headquarters by U-M President Mark Schlissel put in focus, one of the oldest collaborations for University of Michigan.

It first began when CK Prahalad, a Ross School of Business professor approached the Tata group."He challenged us to think about frugal innovations," said Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Group. "His bottom of the pyramid concept has been a huge inspiration for us.”

That led to conceptualizing an executive education program for Tata executives at the Ross School of Business which had been going strong for 25 years.

At Bombay House, Schlissel participated in TATA talks, a Ted Talks style conversation over a wide range of topics with Tata chief economist Rupa Purushothaman. “I am in India here to see what India is prioritizing in education in both near term and long term future," Schlissel said. "The fact that we are both democracies and there is a big english speaking population makes it an ideal partner for us."

He added that it is also important to think through how students learn and get  information. “We want to take advantage of the fact that communications have become global and instantaneous and we are living in an era of data where we can use data and data analytics to have the best ways to teach a large number of students,” he said.  “At University of Michigan, we have taken advantage of the insights that come from data.”

[umindia]

U-M President Mark Schlissel participated in the lamp lighting ceremony at Salokaya School of Nursing.

The lamp lighting ceremony at Salokaya is a solemn occasion for the students entering the nursing profession as they take the Nurses pledge on this day along with lighting a candle in remembrance of Florence Nightingale.

The lamp is an international nurse symbol that is widely known to symbolize Florence Nightingale and her transforming work in the nursing profession.

As the teachers lit the lamps for the graduating students at Salokaya, they shared the lights with each other and took the pledge to serve.

[umindia]

A model partnership

University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel started his week-long trip of India by visiting two partner institutions in the capital city of Delhi.

The first stop was All India Institute of Medical Sciences, often considered one of the best medical colleges in India. U-M’s partnership with AIIMS started in 2010 when Raghvendran Krishnan, a professor of surgery in the U-M School of Medicine started a collaboration with AIIMS trauma care.

Over the last decade, the partnership has grown to include research and collaboration on cancer, immunology, genetics and disaster medicine.

“Research institutions have critical roles in setting the agenda for global science,” said Schlissel while addressing a group of scientists from both institutions. “The goals of surgical education, patient care, and research can be seamlessly integrated in a model of “convergence science,” 

Researchers presented their ongoing research collaborations between AIIMS and U-M which included trauma care and stem cell research. Schlissel also toured the genetics research laboratory at AIIMS where researchers are working with stem cells to study and research eye disorders and cancer.

He also met with AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria. The leadership for both the institutions also expressed interest to review the partnerships and find new areas of research of mutual interest.

[globalmichigan-blog]

A path in public health from travels

BY JOSIE TOLIN

ANN ARBOR—A culmination of lifelong international experiences has shaped the career trajectory of LSA senior Meda Maweja. This future global health professional traces her love for traveling back to her family's migration to the U.S. when she was 11 years old.

"I was born in Zambia and have been travelling since I was young," said Maweja, who will pursue a master's degree in public health after she completes her double major in international studies and biology. "It's a big part of why I can adapt to new environments so easily."

As a freshman, Maweja was eager to jumpstart her global learning experience. She was researching international opportunities for first-year students when she came across a flyer for an environmental GIEU program in Sāo Paulo, Brazil.

"In Brazil, we learned about the effect of water quality on health. It was there I started thinking about the environment as a social health determinant," she said.

Maweja chose to do study abroad again after declaring her concentration in global health and the environment. This time, she enrolled in a health-based program in Delhi, India.

"My cohort and I researched the impact of overpopulation on community health," Maweja said. "The trip to India brought together what I've been missing in my undergraduate experience—exposure to practical, real-world effects. It motivated me to finally solidify my career trajectory in public health."

After she receives her graduate degree, Maweja plans to work as a social researcher. She wants to focus on the social barriers that prevent people from living their healthiest lives. Variations in nutritional habits between different communities has piqued her interest.

"I have been trying to adopt a vegetarian diet, and have noticed attitudes different groups of people have towards different diets," she said.

And, as a food aficionado, Maweja does have one travel regret.

"My friend and I took a side trip to Italy before I went to India. I was too tired to eat pizza there as I would've liked," she said.

[umindia]

Indian educators at U-M for leadership training

ANN ARBOR—About 30 senior Indian educators are spending a week at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business as part of a new Leadership for Academicians program.

The LEAP program, launched by the India Ministry of Human Resource Development, provides a three-week training program for upcoming academic leaders. The collaboration between U-M's Ross Business School and the Indian Institute of Technology-Roorkee is the first one in a series.

The educators, who come from 15 states across India, spent the first two weeks in India as part of the new executive education program. They are attending the final week at U-M's Ann Arbor campus to cover areas critical for the development of academic leadership in India.

"Hearing how an higher education institution works in the U.S. has been eye-opening," said Bhupendra Gandhi, a professor at IIT-Roorkee. "We are looking forward to adapting them in the Indian context."

At U-M, the Indian educators participated in several workshops and lectures about best practices in academic governance, technology disruption, student engagement and innovation in teaching techniques.

"We are pleased to be selected as a partner in this important leadership development program in higher education in India," said M.S. Krishnan, associate dean for executive programs at the Ross School. "We look forward to collaborating and shaping the academic leadership and be a part of capacity building across institutions in India."

As part of the training, the participants met with several senior U-M leaders, including President Mark Schlissel, Provost Martin Philbert, Ross School Dean Scott DeRue and Alec Gallimore, dean of the College of Engineering.  

"I teach C.K Prahalad's work to my students," said Lalitha Ramakrishnan, a professor at Pondicherry University. "To walk the halls where he once taught is awe inspiring."

[globalmichigan-blog]

The science of dance

BY JOSIE TOLIN

ANN ARBOR— To most people, physics and dance have nothing in common. For doctoral student Shruti Paranjape, they’re really not so different.

“It’s a similar process,” said Paranjape, who will dance in the upcoming Indian festival in Ann Arbor - Rasa Festival. “Instead of working with equations, you’re working with your body. You’re exploring choreographic options to find which movements look good.”

She will be performing a style of Indian dance called Odissi, which she learned about a year and a half ago. It was not the dance she grew learning. “I learned Bharatanatyam growing up and the training from there really helped me accelerate my learning of Odissi.”

Since third grade, dance has been a central part of Paranjape’s life. It gives her a healthy, creative outlet, something she finds especially necessary as a physics doctoral candidate.

“It’s nice to have something that keeps you active and happy,” said Paranjape. “It’d be impossible to get through graduate school without it.”

Paranjape has been practicing for the Rasa Festival since March along with four other dancers. She has spent part of every day for the past several weeks in the dance studio of her teacher learning the movements for the upcoming performance.

 “It’s an original 40-minute piece where we take verses from the Vedas, ancient Indian texts, and bring them to life.  The dance portrays the five elements—earth, water, fire, space, and air,”.  she said. “With each element, the movements change – water is more fluid, whereas fire is more dangerous.”

“The Rasa Festival has different kinds of events - poetry, music, art, dance, so there’s something for everyone,” she said. “It’s different, it’s interesting, and we’ve all been working very hard to prepare!”

[umindia]

Tagore Beyond Boundaries hopes to make songs written a century ago accessible today

As controversy swirled around Bob Dylan's 2017 Nobel prize for literature, some argued that Dylan wasn't even the first songwriter to win the prize. That