IR News

The UMMI Indonesia Immersion Programme has been successfully completed by the Directorate of International Relations & Higher Studies in collaboration with Universitas Muhammadiyah Sukabumi. The ten-day global immersion programme featured nine students and one staff member from January 19 to January 28, 2023.

A grand opening and closing ceremony were held for the students of SRM AP. A short course on Bahasa Language, Indonesian Economics, and PencakSilat-Martial Arts was done as part of the programme. Sessions with Science & Technology, Law, Administrative Sciences, and Humanities departments were also conducted. A tour of the most pleasant and historically significant areas of Sukabumi, an excursion to the UNESCO Global GeoparkCiletuh, an exploration of Jakarta, a Soccer competition etc., were the other attractions of the programme.

Students got to experience the hosting country’s rich history and cultural diversity, unique foods, and languages while being accompanied by its warm and welcoming people.

The Directorate of International Relations & Higher Studies successfully completed the Dubai Global Immersion Programme by collaborating with the Ureka Education Group from January 17 to January 23, 2023. The programme featured 49 students and two faculty/staff members and provided the opportunity to explore three cities in UAE: Dubai, Sharjah, and Abu Dhabi.

Industry Visits to Gracia Group, Siemens HQ, Masdar Sustainable City in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah Research Technology & Innovation Park, Apple, Intel Innovation Centre, Global Village, and Fintech Hive in Dubai were the highlights of the programme. Students also attended short courses & workshops on Digital Marketing, social media, AI & #ML and 3D printing. They experienced the advanced infrastructure and technological advancements of the UAE. The Dubai immersion programme helped them overcome cultural, food, and diversity barriers. The one-week global immersion programme allowed them to understand, learn, and cope with global knowledge and technological developments.

Engagement with different environments, cultures and economies helps students to create links and expand their reach across the map. The Directorate of International Relations & Higher Studies and Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS collaborated to conduct the 10-day Global Immersion Programme from January 19 to January 28, 2023. An MoU inking ceremony between the two institutions was also held during the programme, featuring 17 students and two faculty members!

With other members, Dr Mohamed Ibrahim, Vice Chancellor, UTP Malaysia, and Dr Naga Swetha Pasupuleti, Associate Director, International Relations and Higher Studies, signed and exchanged the Memorandum of Understanding. “Participating in the Global Immersion programme will increase the Global Quotient in the students and helps them to become an empowered global citizen,” added the programme coordinator Mr Sandeep Samala while recalling the immersion programme.

Short courses on Latex, R Statistics, ESE, Energy Management & Data Reporting, Group presentations on the live projects, City tours of Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Penang, Little India, and Batu Caves, Photo sessions, Kayaking and Fun at UTP Campus were the highlights of the immersion programme.

Students of SRM AP enjoyed the local food, cultural diversity, and networking with the local students at UTP Malaysia. The short courses and project presentations, which are part of the programme, helped them deepen their knowledge in their respective areas of expertise. The short courses and project presentations helped students deepen their understanding of their respective areas of expertise.

SRM University-AP welcomed the students and faculty of the Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP), Malaysia, to the rich cultural landscape of India through the Aadigyan-Indian Immersion programme 2022. The one-week-long programme conducted by the Directorate of International Relations and Higher Studies was inaugurated by the honourable Vice Chancellor of SRM University-AP, Prof. Manoj K Arora. Aadigyan is a flagship initiative of the university to promote India’s cultural and knowledge traditions.

Dr Naga Swetha Pasupuleti, Associate Director of the Directorate of International Relations and Higher Studies, received the international students at the grand inaugural ceremony of the programme. Students participated in various short courses on Data Analysis, Samaj Seva, the Art of Negotiation & Digital Marketing offered by the Paari School of Business. They also got to visit the famous landmarks of Vijayawada, such as the Dhyana Buddha statue, Prakasham Barrage, Kondapalli, etc. The traditional toy-making practice enticed the Malaysian student cohort.

Students interacted with many industry experts as they visited Infosys Gachibowli, Hyderabad campus, which gave them insights regarding the current trends and new technologies. The programme also included interaction with the 160+ International students of SRM AP from more than 29 countries over RRR Movie Screening and Gala Night. The programme ended on December 26, 2022, with a valedictory session and facilitating faculty and students of UTP Malaysia.

International Students’ Day is a global celebration of the student community that takes place on November 17 every year. Universities observe this day as a non-political celebration of the multiculturalism of their international students. The Directorate of International Relations and Higher Studies at SRM University- AP celebrated multiculturalism, diversity, and traditions with students from more than 30 countries across the globe on International Students’ Day.

“You are not international students; you are students of SRM AP. Once you are students of SRM AP, there is no differentiation between Domestic and International students”, said Vice Chancellor Prof Manoj K Arora addressing the students. On the occasion, Prof. Arora launched the Annual Magazine and International Students Handbook prepared by the Directorate of International Relations and Higher Studies. Dr P Naga Swetha, Associate Director, International Relations and Higher Studies, highlighted the importance of celebrating diversity and promoting creativity through cultural events. “At SRM AP, diversity is an essential binding agent of the interdisciplinary approach to education, as well as to the greater life experience”, she added.

Students enthusiastically talked about the facilities, curriculum, and support they receive at SRM AP. “I have no words to express how well I am treated on campus”, said Sara, a Syrian student in MBA Programme. “This is a very welcoming place, and I have made the right decision by choosing SRM AP to study in India”, added Muskan from Nepal. Tanira from Srilanka expressed his happiness in witnessing a variety of cultural programmes that foster respect and open-mindedness for other cultures.

To mark this occasion, international students showcased their rich culture through music, folk dance performances, and by identifying themselves in the traditional attires of their native countries. The students also presented a Nukkad Natak emphasising the significance of ‘one world, many cultures, one home’.

Aiming for significant global impact, the Directorate of International Relations and Higher Studies at SRM University-AP encourages the spirit of curiosity in students and faculty for multidisciplinary collaborations, inbound and outbound exchanges, research, and outreach programmes. A centralised portal to access/share international opportunities, higher studies training and support for students was launched by Mr Surendra Tipparaju, Director-Data and Artificial Intelligence at Microsoft recently.

The Directorate of International Relations and Higher Studies organised international education fairs on October 12 and 13, 2022, to introduce students to the vast opportunities of abroad learning at top-notch universities. Global Education Fair 2k22, conducted in collaboration with IVY Overseas, featured premier universities across the UK, the USA, Canada, and Australia, and Overseas Education Fair 2k22, partnering with AECC Global, acquainted students with the leading universities in the UK and the US.

An extensive array of universities, including the James Madison University, University of South Alabama, University of Hartford, Manhattan College, etc., participated in the education fairs and notified students of the numerous programmes available across the disciplines such as engineering, sciences, arts, and management.

Education fairs are enriching opportunities for students to connect with the right spokespeople and gather a fair idea about the various prospects of abroad studies. Having a broad picture of the opportunities available will make the preparatory process easier for students. “The education fair has been extremely helpful to get a detailed overview of the pre-requisites of various universities and manoeuvre my preparation accordingly”, commented Kavya Sree, a Computer Science Engineering student.

SRM University-AP maintains a consistent interface with education abroad experts to assist enrolling students in prestigious overseas universities. The university boasts of its enormous list of students who have made it to high-ranking universities with exciting scholarship offers. “I have already been associated with the university and have no qualms about the calibre of the students. An opportunity to associate with SRM AP is indeed rewarding,” remarked Swapna Parsa, the South Indian Programme Manager for the QS World Ranking universities.

The Directorate of International Relations and Higher Studies spares no effort in providing the students with the right opportunities. The office caters to the requirements of all aspiring students and gives them the right guidance at every step of their preparatory process. Education fairs, awareness sessions, training programmes and coaching for IELTS, TOEFL, etc., are a few of the events organised by the directorate for the students.

The office of International Relations and Higher Studies hosted the Education Fair on Friday, September 23, 2022, to provide thorough guidance about the higher education universities and programmes available across the globe. The event featured major USA and UK universities, including the University of Rochester, USA, University of Greenwich, UK, University of Essex, UK, University of Arizona, USA, and many more.

The education fair began with an introduction to study abroad programmes. Students witnessed a detailed PowerPoint presentation on the general aspects of higher education abroad, like the qualifying examinations, VISA, various coaching available, fee waivers, etc. The education fair was conducted to give the students accurate information from the streams they want to choose to the scopes of that streams in a particular state or country.

Roop Sagar from BTech CSE also expressed how he had no clarity about the processes, requirements, scholarships, etc., before attending such sessions and was able to get a good picture of his aspirations after interacting with the university representatives. He recollected how the Office of International Relations and Higher Studies has always assisted him with accurate guidance whenever he was in doubt.

“As someone who wants to pursue higher education by specialising in AI and ML, I am thankful to SRM University- AP for giving exposure to foreign universities that offer affordable courses and internships,” said Yaswanth from BTech CSE as he shared thoughts on the Education Fair.

The representatives of the universities were in awe of students who had done their homework beforehand of the event and were pleased to answer as many questions as possible. “SRM University is one of the leading universities in India, there is no doubt about that, and here we get many students who are extremely talented and are suitable for post-graduation programmes and research,” said Amritpal Kaur, Senior Programme Officer of the University of Rochester.

The Office of International Relations and Higher Studies in collaboration with Isha Foundation conducted a workshop “Save the Soil” for the students of SRM University-AP. The workshop intended to create awareness among the student community on the necessity of soil conservation. The Save Soil Movement is a global campaign spearheaded by the visionary, Sadhguru, to address the soil crisis and take a pioneering initiative towards the restoration of the planet.

As part of the workshop, students were given awareness classes and lectures on soil conservation and the deteriorating scenario of nature such as agricultural degradation, land pollution and soil erosion. An elaborate overview on the extensive damage inflicted on soil due to various human activities was discussed during the workshop. The soil extension and soil management ventures initiated recently brought attention to the degrading status of soil health due to excessive carbon footprint.

Students were also introduced to numerous techniques to improve the soil condition and reinstitute its fertility. The Save Soil movement advocates traditional conservation practices such as crop rotation, contour farming, conservation tillage etc., to retain and enhance the organic content of soil. The movement aims at establishing long-term policies that give special emphasis to addressing the soil crisis by uniting people, associations, and governments on a global scale. Raising awareness among students is the need of the hour to give rise to a conscientious generation capable of instigating a preservative outlook towards nature unlike in the past.

Around 60 students from different departments attended the three-day workshop that was held on September 05, 06, and 09. The Senior Programme Coordinator, Mr Sandeep Samala, encouraged the students to be part of the Save Soil campaign by registering on the portal. Dr Naga Swetha Pasupuleti, Associate Director, appreciated the Save the Soil – Isha volunteers for successfully conducting the workshop.

The Office of International Relations and Higher Studies organised a four-day Meditation Workshop in collaboration with Heartfulness Meditation on August 26, 29, 30 and September 02, 2022, as part of the Aadigyan-Open Elective programme. The workshop introduced students to the basic lessons of the arts and science of meditation. Around 60 students participated in the training programme in 2 batches.

Hearfulness Meditation is a simple and subtle practice of meditation that connects an individual with the light and love of one’s heart. It follows the four basic steps – relax, meditate, rejuvenate, and connect – to guide oneself through a regulated path towards achieving tranquillity. Heartfulness is an essential life skill that would help one discover the sheer joy in existence.

The certified heartfulness trainers conducted sessions on the significance and essence of meditation. Students were made to practice meditation through guidance. The purpose of the programme was to develop inner strength and balance of mind to confront various challenges of life with poise and self-control. The workshop, through its premeditated pattern, will help students develop the habit of meditation and make it an integral part of their lifestyle.

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Indo-French diplomatic relations have always tailored development across all major disciplines. SRM University- AP has inked an MoU with the Rennes School of Business on August 23, 2022. The two institutions agreed to promote mutually beneficial activities in education, research, and other academic areas. The alliance in specific targets the internationalisation of higher education.

SRM University- AP aspire to strengthen the ties with Rennes School of Business following the mutual interests in delivering programmes of academic excellence and cultural diversity. Honourable Vice-Chancellor Prof V S Rao commented that the collaboration would open the gates of higher studies and research work for SRM University- AP and Rennes Business School. Both institutions are determined to work together with the spirit of prolific international relations and academic cooperation.

Dr Thomas Froehlicher, Dean, Rennes School of Business, and Ms Maud LE BARS, South Asia Area Manager, Rennes School of Business, were the delegates who visited the campus to sign the MoU. “India and France share common historical events and many cultures. This collaboration will benefit both the nations and the students”, said Dr Thomas as he briefed his thoughts on the alliance.

The coordination between the institutes may include but is not limited to progression programmes and semester abroad programmes. The agreement looks forward to organising executive programmes for the professional community, joint research projects, joint conferences and publications, exchange of faculty members, collaborative virtual student projects, short study abroad seminars, executive education, and admission to degree-seeking students on a fee-paying basis.

Dr Bharadwaj, Dean SEAMS, Dr CA Mahalakshmi Mudliar, Associate Professor of SEAMS, and Dr Naga Swetha Pasupuleti, Associate Director of International Relations, had a vigorous discussion with the Rennes business school representatives regarding the areas of collaboration. Dr R Premkumar, Registrar and Dr Thomas Froehlicher, Dean of Rennes Business School, signed the MOU and exchanged the documents.