Partnerships in India, China are Purdue's Goal

Purdue University President France A. Córdova embarked on a two-week trip today (1 November) to build partnerships in India and China, reports the Purdue News Bureau.

Córdova's trip, a year in the planning, will include time in Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Hong Kong, and will feature visits to educational institutions and businesses as well as meetings with alumni, parents and major donors.

Purdue has the second-largest number of international students (5,479) of any public university in the United States. Purdue's students come from more than 120 countries, and the largest number of those students - 1,256 - come from India. Students from China are Purdue's second-largest population, with 975 on campus this fall.

In Bangalore, Córdova will meet with key city and country leaders at the Indian Institute of Science and with officials at Infosys Technologies. She also will travel to the General Electric Technology Research Center to review a nanomaterials partnership opportunity and other projects in General Electric's global research division.

At Cummins India in Mumbai, a five-year memorandum of understanding will be signed between Purdue, Cummins Inc. and the Cummins College of Engineering for Women. The college and company, which has its main headquarters in Columbus, Ind., have partnered with Purdue since 2003 to send Indian graduates to the West Lafayette campus for master's and doctoral studies. The memorandum calls on the three to expand these efforts, particularly with research and development; student and faculty exchange; a fellowship program; and support for mechanical engineering curriculum at the Indian campus.

In addition, Córdova will meet with officials at IIT Bombay, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, the University Institute of Chemical Technology and the S.P. Jain Institute. Córdova will visit a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Hyderabad and a cellular and molecular biology research facility.

In Hong Kong, Córdova will discuss joint research efforts, student internships and research fellowships with officials at the Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Inc. She also will discuss partnerships and research with Alexander Tzang, deputy president of Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Paul Chu, president of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Alumni receptions will be held in Bangalore, Mumbai and Hong Kong, providing opportunities for alumni as well as parents of current students to meet Córdova.