REACHING OUT TO REASSURE INTERNATIONAl STUDENTS
With foreign students in the US concerned about a possible Trump effect, American universities have been reaching out to them to reassure them that they have nothing to worry about.
Websites of some universities have sent letters to students emphasizing their diversity and inclusiveness. Though they have not named Trump, the letters are fairly direct. The one from the University of South Florida states: “In contrast to a divisive Presidential election that temporarily hurt the fabric and values of the US, here at USF we are committed to a climate of civility, unity and respect for all. There are already signs just a few weeks after the election of the whole country returning to a gracious and exciting vision for the future.” The USF has also put out a special one for prospective Indian students and scholars. Ten per cent of USF’s 49,000 students are international. The number of Indian students at USF has been growing.
A note to students on the University of Denver’s website asserts: “The legal system is solid and transparent and we do not expect that to change anytime soon. Much discussion of what possible immigration changes might occur remain speculative and while we cannot be certain about changes or about specific policy and enforcement, we want you to know that we are your advocates. Any new changes in policy, law and regulations affecting immigration would have to meet US constitutional standards and will likely be met by legal challenges.”
RYAN INTERNATIONAl GROUP OF SCHOOlS FElICITATED
Ryan International Group of Institutions added another feather in the cap when 12 of its schools, bagged the prestigious International School Award, a global collaborative learning competition organised by British Council, in the presence of Alan Gemmell OBE, Director British Council.
The award is a global benchmarking project that recognises the outstanding work done by schools that are committed to developing international dimensions in the curriculum to help young learners become effective global citizens.
The school initiated the projects through collaborating with schools from the US, london, Nepal and Canada. The students enthusiastically conducted projects on topics of Environmental Degradation & Toxic Wastes, International & Indian Rivers, Olympics Grasslands in North America, Fractions etc and exchanged emails, conducted online surveys and interviews through video conferancing.
The period of collaboration was an eye opener for all the students. It was a proud moment for these schools to work upon the vision given by chairman, Dr AF Pinto and MD Grace Pinto, to bring laurels to the group.
ANNUAl INTER-SCHOOl IT SYMPOSIUM AT DPS RK PURAM
Exun (short for Experts Unlimited) Clan, the Computer Club of Delhi Public School, RK Puram, hosted its 21st Annual Inter-School IT Symposium, EXUN 2016. The club was founded by the head of the Computer Science department, Mukesh Kumar, and a small group of computer enthusiasts in 1992. The alumni members are an elite group of computer enthusiasts of all ages. This year, with over 1000-plus registrations from 55 schools, the club organised 14 different IT events. The symposium pre-started with an online cryptic hunt held over three days having open 1000-plus participation from 33 countries and 60000-plus submissions.
Present on the occasion were the principal, Vanita Sehgal, VP, Dr Renu Nayar, and Mukesh Kumar, the head of Computer Science department, along with Computer Science teachers and technology support staff. Professor Suneet Tuli from Bennett University; Kriti Parashar, South Asia Country Director of Minerva Schools at KGI; Rajesh Diwani and Mr. Umender Shah, business head of the consumer optics division of Zeiss, graced the occasion.
Sehgal, addressed the gathering and shared her experiences with the students, exhorting them never to ‘forget the human touch’ in the era of technology.