Collaborations in India create new global opportunities for New Brunswick students
Author: UNB Newsroom
Posted on Mar 6, 2023
Category: UNB Fredericton , UNB Saint John
On Feb. 4, the University of New Brunswick’s (UNB) president and vice-chancellor, Paul J. Mazerolle, had the honour of participating in the Evening with Legends panel at the Deshpande Foundation’s 14th Development Dialogue in Hubballi, Karnataka, India.
Mazerolle shared the stage with other esteemed speakers, including Infosys founder N. R. Narayana Murthy, iMerit Technology CEO Radha Basu and GEP founder and president Roopa Gandhi Makhija. Deshpande Foundation co-founder Dr. Desh Deshpande moderated the panel.
“I share a special connection with UNB and Dr. Mazerolle as I was a graduate of the Masters of Engineering program in 1973,” said Dr. Desh Deshpande, co-founder of the Deshpande Foundation. “Our current work with the university, through the Pond Deshpande Centre, has helped transform the way schools welcome newcomer students and launched a process to aid in recruiting for New Brunswick’s workforce needs.”
UNB is collaborating with higher-education institutions in India to provide opportunities for New Brunswick students as well as students around the globe. One example is the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE). Located in Udupi, MAHE is one of UNB’s first university partners in India. It offers several programs, including the Global Technology Solutions program and the MAHE-UNB Dual Degree in Nursing.
The Global Technology Solutions program is a collaboration between UNB's J. Herbert Smith Centre for Technology Management and Entrepreneurship and the M-GoK Bioincubator of MAHE. It brings together undergraduate and graduate students from both institutions to tackle some of today's toughest trials while learning the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and product innovation.
The MAHE-UNB Dual Degree in Nursing will bring more trained registered nurses (RNs) to the province of New Brunswick by reducing the barriers faced by RNs educated in India who wish to seek employment here. It follows a comparable curriculum and supports writing of the NCLEX-RN licensure while students’ study in their home country.
“Breaking down barriers and creating worldwide opportunities for our students is how we ensure we remain connected to our global landscape,” said Mazerolle. “As demonstrated in our partnership programs with MAHE, knowledge sharing, diverse perspectives and global visibility are critical parts of our university community’s overall success.”
As well as its partnership with MAHE, UNB currently partners with 12 other top-tier universities and colleges in India including: Chitkara University, Indian Institute of Technology Dharwad, Indian Institute of Technology Kotyaham, Indian Institute of Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Jindal Global Business School, Jindal Global Business School, Jindal School of Banking and Finance, O.P Jindal Global University, Rajas Medical Institutions, Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology and Sri Vishnu Educational Society.