Education Briefs

IUCEE launches action planning forums The American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and the newly formed Indo-US Collaboration for Engineering Education (IUCEE) launched their two Action Planning Forums for Indo-US collaboration in engineering education at the Mysore campus of Infosys Technologies Ltd on June 15. Leaders in engineering education and businesses from the US and India were among the 81 participants present on the occasion.The goal of the first forum is to develop an action plan for improving the quality and global relevance of engineering education in India and the US. The preliminary recommendations of the Mysore Forum will be debated at the second forum to be held at the National Academy of Engineering, Washington D.C on August 29-31.”One of the key outcomes of these action planning forums could be the establishment of an Indo-US Engineering Faculty Institute with four thrust areas: curriculum and delivery, quality and accreditation, research and development, and innovation and entrepreneurship. Cross cutting themes for these thrust areas are industry needs of global relevance. This institute will help improve the preparedness of the large number of faculty in engineering colleges in India and in the US to address the needs of the global economy. Another outcome could be the development of an Indo-US Engineering Student Network for facilitating student internships and interaction as well as providing students access to high quality learning materials,” says Dr. James Melsa president-elect of ASEE.IUCEE is being supported by several blue-chip, high-performance corporates in India and the US. Among them: Infosys Technologies, Deshpande Foundation, Indo-US Science and Technology Forum as well as Hewlett Packard, National Instruments, Dassault Systems, Microsoft, Autodesk, Agilent Technologies and UGS.Chrysallis Know Your Special Friend campaignThe Bangalore-based Chrysallis Performance Arts Centre for the Challenged ‚ an NGO working for people with disabilities ‚ inaugurated the second phase of its ‚ËœThe Chrysallis Power of One ‚ Know Your Special Friend‚ campaign on June 14. “This is a nationwide campaign to make the public aware of the need to encourage children with and without disability to study and play together. In school, challenged children usually attend special institutions. But when they finish their board exams and enter college, they suddently experience the challenge of interacting with adults. The Chrysallis Performance Arts Centre for the Challenged, has conceptualised and conducted events which are unique and help differently abled children cope with new challenges in higher education,” says Diana Tholoor founder-director of the centre.On the occasion of the Know Your Special Friend campaign, the campus of Bangalore‚s Mount Carmel College came alive with the exhibition of placards and posters designed by children across the country. Know Your Special Friend campaigns will also be held in Pondicherry, Hyderabad, Chennai, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Delhi and Bhubaneshwar. “Our campaign integrated over 1,500 children who have created amazing visuals on special friendships. These placards are their voices for peer acceptance and illustrate their concept of integration and special friendship,” said Tholoor speaking on the occasion.Established in 1999, the Chrysallis Performance Arts Centre for the Challenged is committed…