Visit to strengthen relationships in India

A delegation from the University of Wolverhampton is to visit India to further strengthen education and business links and build new relationships.

The visit from 13-17 April 2015 will be led by the University’s Chancellor, the Rt Hon Lord Paul of Marylebone PC and Vice-Chancellor Professor Geoff Layer.

The University delegation will travel to Delhi and Rajasthan to meet business leaders, education providers and Government officials. There will also be events with India-based alumni and presentations of bursaries and scholarships to local schoolchildren.

The trip builds on a successful visit last April to Delhi and Mumbai, which also included time in Bangladesh. Professor Layer also led a visit to Rajasthan in January this year, where new partnerships were agreed with six universities and an employer’s association.

In Delhi there will be a meeting with Smriti Irani, the Human Resource Development Minister for the Government of India, and a lunch for the University’s Delhi-based alumni.

The Delhi leg of the visit will conclude with a scholarship event and the signing of a letter of intent forging a new partnership with the International School of Tourism and Hotel Management (IST) Nepal.

This will conclude the Rt Hon Lord Paul’s attendance on the trip. The University delegation will then travel to Jaipur where they will meet with the Employers Association of Rajasthan and the Rajasthan Chief Minister.

There will be follow-up meetings with education providers in the region and a bursary presentation at a special University of Wolverhampton reception.

The last day of the visit will include a meeting with a Government Secretary and a lunch hosted by the Rajasthan Cricket Association to honour Professor Layer.

University Chancellor, the Rt Lord Paul of Marylebone PC, said: “The University of Wolverhampton has a long established special relationship with India which has been built over many years. The University is proud to have a global outlook and warmly welcomes many students from the sub-continent each year.

“This visit will allow us to nurture our links with education and business in India and forge new partnerships, as well as supporting schoolchildren through scholarships and bursaries.”

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Geoff Layer, said: “We’re delighted to be returning to India after our successful trip to Rajasthan in January, which enabled us to build significant links in a new region.

“As the University of Opportunity, we are committed to enhancing the life chances of people within our communities, whether that is in the UK or overseas. We believe universities hold the key to economic regeneration through developing skills, research and business initiatives. As India enters an exciting new phase in its development, we hope to contribute to economic growth and the training and skills agenda.

“As well as forging new partnerships, the visit is also an opportunity for us to renew friendships in a country that has special links to Wolverhampton.”

ENDS

For more information please contact Vickie Warren in the Media Relations Office on 01902 322736.