Chapman: Asia trip to boost global tiesAmy Dalrymple, The Forum
Published Thursday, January 03, 2008
North Dakota State University’s global presence is about to grow stronger.
President Joseph Chapman returned to campus this week after what he calls a “tremendously successful visit” to India and Sri Lanka.
Chapman and a delegation from NDSU visited five colleges and universities and returned with two signed agreements and a lot of potential for future collaboration.
The relationships with those schools will enhance education for students, as well as create new opportunities for business and research partnerships, Chapman said.
“The opportunities for us as a state and as an institution are just amazing,” he said.
While visiting the Ansal Institute of Technology in Gurgaon, India, President Joseph Chapman was asked to dedicate this new 108,000-square-foot building. A plaque on display at the facility prominently states the building was inaugurated by NDSU’s president.
One future relationship is for NDSU to partner with an India university’s technology park that also has an emphasis in radio-frequency identification.
Tony Grindberg, executive director of NDSU’s Research and Technology Park, and Phil Boudjouk, NDSU’s vice president for research, creative activities, and technology transfer, plan to visit India early this year to develop that partnership.
“It would be a huge opportunity for collaboration and partnership between institutions in India and NDSU,” Grindberg said.
Chapman and others from the delegation also met with several students who plan to come to NDSU or have a strong interest in NDSU.
“They’re enthused and energetic,” he said.
NDSU hosts 802 international students this fall, with 316 from India and 50 from Sri Lanka. Chapman’s goal is to enroll 500 students from those two countries.
In Pune, India, students interested in pursuing master’s or doctorate degrees in the United States formed long lines to speak with NDSU officials, Chapman said.
The group met with 63 students and plans to follow up with more.
Three other NDSU faculty members plan to visit India this month and in February to further develop the partnerships.
In addition to the two formal agreements Chapman signed during his trip, he plans to finalize a third this month with a college in Sri Lanka.
NDSU already had a twinning agreement with the Ansal Institute of Technology in Gurgaon, India.
The arrangement allows students to study for two years at each school and earn degrees from both institutions at the same time.
This spring, the first group of students from the Ansal Institute partnership will graduate from NDSU.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Amy Dalrymple at (701) 241-5590
http://www.in-forum.com/articles/rss.cfm?id=187763