Nitte signs MoU with PennState Harrisburg, USA offering a 2+ 2 engineering programme

Nitte signs MoU with PennState Harrisburg, USA offering a 2+ 2 engineering programme

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, June 14, 2011: The NMAM Institute of Technology has signed a MoU with Penn State Harrisburg, USA offering a 2+ 2 engineering programme. It is a twinning programme to provide bachelor’s degree in engineering to students who will complete their first two years at Nitte and the other two years at Penn State, Harrisburg, USA.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference held at Hotel Gateway on June 14 Tuesday, Mr. N. Vinaya Hegde, Chancellor, Nitte University said that this is the first time an American university collaborating with an Indian Institution offering Engineering degree. This agreement is a recognition by PennState of more than 25 years of engineering programmes offered by Nitte to over 8000 students at its Mangalore and Bangalore campuses.

The MoU provides for faculty exchange, collaborative research, curriculum enrichment, and other facilities that would be of great benefit to the students of the two autonomous engineering programmes currently run at Nitte, Mr. Hegde said.

Revealing details of Penn State Harrisburg, he said that it is part of the Pennsylvania State University established in 1855 and is located on a state-of-the-art campus in Harrisburg, USA. The university, which has 24 campus locations, is one of the largest and most widely recognized institutions in the United States having student strength of more than 90,000. Penn State Harrisburg offers two associate, 32 baccalaureate, 24 masters, and 3 doctoral programmes as well as certificate programmes. The new twinning programme will give students the benefit of a globally recognized and contemporary engineering education by bringing together two known names in the higher education space.

 

 

The articulation agreement between Nitte and Penn State provides for a common curriculum, education delivery, and evaluation and transfer of credits to ensure that the participants are assured the benefits of pursuing part of the programme in India adhering to global benchmarks in engineering education. The specializations offered are civil engineering, electrical engineering, computer science engineering, and mechanical engineering.

Students who successfully complete the programme will get a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from Pennsylvania State University. The programme is being offered under the new twinning programme with foreign universities schemes of AICTE, and will commence in August 2011.

Mr. Hegde also informed that this 2+2 programme is the first of its kind that Penn State has signed with any foreign university. The agreement assures that the same degree will be given to Indian students as that given to students doing all the four years at Penn State and, as a student of Penn State University, makes Indian students eligible to pursue higher studies in any American University.

He added that this articulation agreement will help Nitte University to strengthen its efforts in the field of research. The teaching faculty from the US will give more support to the faculties of Nitte to give more qualitative education. By the end of this year, the university will have a sea change in the quality of education.

Dr. Shantharam Shetty, Vice Chancellor, Nitte University said that this collaboration is good for global education, adding that it is a great opening for business management schools too.

Dr. Y S Kulakarni, Principal, NMAM Institute of Technology, said that this twinning programme will give two different types of environment for the students. The students will get a rich cultural environment in India and a modern technological advantage in USA. The university will first take 50 students for the programme and later on increase the number. The students must score a minimum of 60 percent average in two years in Nitte to continue the programme Penn State, he added.

Mr. Vishal Hegde, Trustee, Nitte Education Trust and Dr. M.S Mudithaya, Director (Global Initiatives) of Nitte University, were present on the occasion.