With the Azim Premji University all set to receive its first batch of students on July 11, excitement is building up within the country’s academic community about this unprecedented education-centred philanthropic initiative of media-shy Bangalore-based IT billionaire Azim Premji who has...
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The 2011 TIME 100: Azim Premji
TIME Specials
April 21 , 2011
Ultimately, how he approaches philanthropy could prove to be just as important as how much he gives. His philanthropic work has been characterized by collaboration and transparency. He is setting a remarkable example for those who have benefited so enormously from India's economic expansion and...
Premji varsity aims at improving education system
The Times of India
April 14 , 2011
Azim Premji University (APU), expected to come up in Bangalore, will aim at sharpening the existing skills of those working in education. The much-delayed Bill on Karnataka's first private university was cleared by the Assembly on Thursday.
Azim Premji University: An institution focused on education and development
India Education Review
April 14 , 2011
This university is unique in terms of theory-practice linkage as this university is based in Bangalore but its programmes are spread across India where the students will not only study inside classes but will also go into the society to have better understanding of the course. As said by Anurag...
TISS, Azim Premji Foundation join hands
Afternoon
April 8 , 2011
Both APF and TISS have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish Azim Premji School of Education (APSE) at TISS’ Hyderabad campus. Besides offering degree courses, the school would also be carrying out research work in the field of education, the results of which will be shared...
Anurag Behar is VC of Premji varsity
The Hindu
March 23 , 2011
The new Vice-Chancellor, who has an MBA in Marketing and Finance from XLRI, Jamshedpur, and a degree in Electrical Engineering from the Regional Engineering College, Tiruchi, has been recognised by the World Economic Forum as a ‘Young Global Leader'.
Azim Premji varsity begins admissions
Deccan Herald
March 12 , 2011
Azim Premji University, the state’s first private varsity focused solely on primary education, is all set to open its doors to students this summer. Set up early last year, the university has begun to accept applications for three programmes -- MAs in education, development, and teacher...
India schools get gift from billionaire Azim Premji
BBC News South Asia
February 1 , 2011
"We didn't want to go into establishing islands of excellence," Mr Behar says. "We could have said, let's establish 100 great schools where we would take underprivileged children. "But 100 great schools would be just that - 100 great schools. Now 100, 200 or 2,000 is a...
How Premji's philantrophic trust is educating children
The Economic Times
January 6 , 2011
First, the foundation doesn’t just give grants to other NGOs and expect them to do the job. It is implementing projects on its own — its current staff of 350 will grow to 5,000 in 20 states in five years, making it one of the biggest social sector organisations. Second, in a country...
For competent and caring teachers
The Hindu
December 13 , 2010
Karnataka's first private university to be set up under a special legislative Act — Azim Premji University — is all set to begin offering its post-graduate programmes from the academic year 2011-12. The University campus, which is taking shape on 75 acres of land on Sarjapur Road,...
“Ending regressive ideas,” by Anurag Behar, published in Live Mint
June 13 , 2013
The young woman looked like a school girl. She was a teacher, who had recently joined a government primary school. Her cheeks reddened and voice quivered. She was responding to a preposterous statement by a man with more experience as a teacher than her age
Read the latest edition of Kindle, the Foundation News Magazine
June 6 , 2013
It is our pleasure at Azim Premji Foundation to bring you the third issue of Kindle this year. Kindle is evolving from being a Newsletter from the Foundation to a Magazine from the Foundation; a medium to reach you, our readers, and have a conversation, and to share some thoughts, ideas and work in education
"The real varsity innovation," by S. Giridhar
May 31 , 2013
Apart from the annual lament of why Indian universities do not feature in the world’s top 200, there has been a recent clamour that “innovation and leadership” is a mantra to create outstanding centres of higher education. The ministry of human resources has placed a bill in parliament for designating innovative universities while more recently a couple of national workshops exclusively devoted a session on this theme. I find myself at some distance with this approach to excellence.
“An average week in a school,” by Anurag Behar in Live Mint
May 30 , 2013
The school was painted canary yellow. I haven’t seen another school of that colour. It was perched at one end of the village far away from the houses, where the steep slope began. The village of 1,000 people was on a mountain top higher than most, with the endless Kumaon on all sides. Almora was visible about 30km away. The startling yellow, and its dramatic perch, probably makes the school visible from very long distances, like a lighthouse. The village is called Satyun.
Capacity Enhancement Workshop on RTE & NCF organized in Alwar, Rajasthan
May 23 , 2013
The workshop is towards strengthening the Partnership through the series of efforts being made to develop the capacity of employees (from IBTADA) working primarily in the domain of Education. The focus of the 3-day workshop was on the aspects of RTE and NCF with objectives of developing an indepth understanding towards these perspectives and processes related to Education in India. Starting from the inception and historical references of RTE, the sessions paved into the aspects of its implementation and legalities. The discussion around NCF was set forth in the realm of ‘Aims of Education’. The salient features and chronological development of NCF in the sphere of the education discourse in India was presented with several examples. For the smooth transaction, a variety of tools were applied including Group work, Videos and reflection based participation.
25 pc of out-of-school children never enrolled in schools: study
May 17 , 2013
‘Economic compulsion one of the reasons for children dropping out of school’
A sample study conducted in the Shorapur educational block in Yadgir district has found that more than 25 per cent of the out-of-school children were never enrolled in schools. This is a pointer to the fact that the promise of “free and compulsory education” is still a distant dream in the backward pockets of the State.
RTE and the activity trap by Anurag Behar in Livemint
April 3 , 2013
As I travel across the country, usually I drop in to schools unannounced or my colleagues informally coordinate a visit. Very few school visits are “officially” scheduled. Let me narrate the typical script of one such “official” visit.
“Schools and sand dunes,” by Anurag Behar in Livemint
March 12 , 2013
It was the first time I walked on sand dunes. The winter evening sun converted the sand to gold. He was wearing a craggy closed-neck coat which had thick black and white vertical stripes in the weave. We had walked half a kilometre (km) into the dunes. He pointed in one direction, “two kilometres that way there is a school”, then another direction for another school 3km away. “The four of us are responsible for 600 schools,” he said. Some schools are in places where they can take their bikes, for others they leave the bike on the road and walk, such as the two he pointed out across the dunes.
Press release: Azim Premji transfers Rs. 12300 cr to trust
February 25 , 2013
February 22, 2013, Bangalore: Azim Premji, Chairman of the Azim Premji Foundation, announced today that he has transferred 295.5 million equity shares representing 12% of the total shares of Wipro Ltd., held by certain entities controlled by him to an irrevocable trust. With this transfer (valued at approximately Rs 12,300 crores/Rs 123 billion based on current market price), the trust’s shareholding in Wipro will go up to about 19.93% This trust will utilize the endowment to fund, various social, not-for-profit initiatives of the Foundation, which are expected to scale significantly over the next few years.
Azim Premji University Public Lecture Series - Rule of Law in a Developing Society by Pratap Bhanu Mehta on 18 May, 2012
Law is often treated as an autonomous, self contained domain, and the rule of law a self evidently desirable attribute of a good society. This lecture examines some special challenges that the idea of the rule of law poses in a developing country.
Ecological Crises, Digital Humanities and New Political Assemblies - A lecture by Bruno Latour
Ecological crises in contemporary times have created problems for political representation. Existing political assemblies cannot handle these crises due to their scale, the esoteric character of the scientific knowledge necessary to apprehend them, and the intensity of conflicts of values that they generate. Digital resources suggest new possibilities for mapping the heterogeneous networks which link scientists, decision makers, media, citizens and other participants in public debates over ecological issues. They can create political assemblies where contending world views and modes of reasoning engage each other.
Food Security in India: Challenges and Recent Developments, Dr. Zakir Hussain Memorial Lecture
Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi & Azim Premji University, Bangalore cordially invite you to the Dr. Zakir Hussain Memorial Lecture followed by a musical by Steve Gorn and Pandit Dr. Nagaraj Rao Havaldar
Azim Premji University Public Lecture Series: 'A Conversation with George Soros'
In the last three years, the global economic system has confronted unprecedented and profound financial instability. The legendary investor, Mr. George Soros will, in conversation with Anurag Behar Vice Chancellor of Azim Premji University, present his views on the implications of the current state of the world economy and on current policy responses to the ongoing U.S and European Financial Crises. He will discuss the role of Asia, and particularly India, in the future of the global financial system. He will also elaborate on his current philanthropic efforts aimed to helping refocus the field of economics to face the challenges of the coming century.
Fostering Inclusiveness, Plurality and Equal Opportunity
Delivering the first lecture in Azim Premji University Public Lecture Series, social activist Aruna Roy talked about certain key governance issues that are the matter of intense public debate. Drawing from her experience with MKSS and NCPRI, she stressed upon the need to build institutions that fosters Inclusiveness, Plurality and Equal Opportunity. She shared her experiences in pushing for legislations such as Right to Information that has paved way for broader public accountability and participation in governance.
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