In an effort to further strengthen Indo-French academic collaboration, a delegation from “n+i” network of 50 French engineering institutes counselled students in Delhi and Uttarakhand on pursuing engineering from France. The delegation discussed immense opportunities available for Indian engineering students in light of recent major collaborations between the two nations such as:
.French Development Agency to extend technical assistance for development of three SmartCities India Chandigarh,Nagpur and Puducherry
. Partnerships between Engineering Projects India Limited (EPI) and nine French companies who will be able to contribute to major infrastructure projects in India
·Participation of the Centre National d’études spatiales (CNES) in future space and planetary exploration missions of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
Speaking at an open-house hosted by UPES for its own and other students from Uttarakhand region, Dr. Jean Pierre Trotignon, Executive Director, n+i network, said, “n+i is not simply another academic exchange program (leading to Master’s or PhD’s degrees) but it involves training in sciences and technology and detailed cultural overview. Students are offered the opportunity of extending their skills outside the traditional scientific and technological dimensions of an engineering qualification to areas such as the economic, sociological and managerial factors that will be part of their future careers. This is achieved through cultural and linguistic adaptation programmes and qualifying work placements. UPES understands the need of international exposure for Indian engineering students and we appreciate the instrumental role the University plays in making international education possible for its students”.
Dr. Trotignon also shared that "n+i" takes the initiative for requesting scholarships from French public and private organizations like Ministries, Embassies, Airbus, Dassault Systems, Alten, Michelin Tyres etc. He was accompanied by Ms. Sapna Sachdeva, French Embassy Attache in India on University Relations, Ms. Golda Malhotra, Representative of French Culture Centre of “n+i” in India, Mr Sylvain Choin, Regional Director of ‘Alliance Francaise’ and representatives from 8 French Universities.
In last 15 years more than 250 Indian students have studied engineering at “n+i” network, which is around 10% of the total engineering students studying within the network from 80 countries. In India, “n+i” has MoU signed with UPES and other universities like DTU, BITS Pilani, VIT, Manipal, BKBIET Pilani, College of Engineering, Pune, NSIT, Shiv Nadar University.
Professor Dr. Ugur Guven, Vice President of International Affairs at UPES who organized the delegation’s visit to UPES informed that global exposure is imperative for Indian engineers in today’s time when Indian and global engineering sector is on a transformation curve. “At UPES, we are committed to provide opportunities to our students for them to gain experience in international scenarios so that they are industry-ready irrespective of geographical boundaries. In 2016, we sent 50 students from UPES to France for summer schools and internships and we have seen that their thinking and problem solving abilities improve considerably. This year we aim to send 100 students.”
