Anand Parthasarathy

With its home in the industrial heartland of the UK in the West Midlands, Coventry University has long had technology linkages with Indian industry and institutions of higher education.  To consolidate these links the University has set up a Global Hub in the Indian capital, New Delhi.

The Hub, staffed with 70 employees,  will support Coventry University Group’s admissions, recruitment and partnerships portfolio in India and the region. It will also serve as a base for business development personnel serving the research and enterprise portfolios and for visiting researchers and academics from the UK to further intensify the research links between both countries. 

Leena Arora Kukreja,  who has been named Regional Managing Director of Coventry University Group's India Hub   was previously Senior Advisor at the Office of Science and Innovation based at Embassy of Sweden in New Delhi. A biotechnologist by training, Leena brings with her a wealth of experience from her time working within the Australian Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, as well as with the UK science and innovation community, leading on various innovation projects including the Australia India Strategic Research Fund.

The India Hub is the sixth in Coventry University Group’s network of Global Hubs, joining those in Brussels, Dubai, Africa, China and Singapore.

Professor John Latham, Coventry University’s Vice-Chancellor, said: “The India Hub represents the university’s long-term commitment to build strategic collaborations in India and throughout the region and will be an important addition to Coventry University Group’s international presence.  The India Hub will streamline communication and collaboration between the university and organisations in Indian education, business and government.” 

Coventry University has strong ongoing links to the private sector in India, as well as with academia:

-        Indian  technology company KPIT and Coventry University have worked together since 2016 delivering postgraduate courses for the global software company in the field of Strategic Engineering Management and Automotive Engineering. Three groups of KPIT employees have undertaken education and training during the six years of this successful academic and industry collaboration. Following on from this achievement, the existing courses have now been superseded by a new Master of Technology in Automotive Software Engineering for staff in India.

-        The University has signed a collaboration agreement with leading Indian technology service provider L&T Technology to build and deliver new generation engineering innovations in the automotive and manufacturing sectors.

-        Coventry University and the Gandhi Institute of Technology and Management (GITAM) in India have signed an agreement to explore potential opportunities to collaborate and develop their research portfolios and to discuss opportunities for joint research, joint funding applications, faculty development, student exchange and joint academic activities.

This has appeared in NewIndiaAbroad