University of Madras and University of Melbourne deepen partnership to complement blended BSc program 

Chennai,  September 2022: Recognizing the value of globalacademic collaboration, University of Melbourne, a leadingAustralian research university, has announced an MoU with University of Madras to further explore teaching and research opportunities. 

Earlier this year, the universities announced a blended Bachelor of Science degree and have been working together to explore new and innovative ways of extending the partnership into additional disciplines and flexible program models. 

The MoU enables the two universities to continue the program collaboration while also investigating how students, facultiesand researchers can benefit through possible joint PhD opportunities, knowledge sharing for early to mid-level researchers, mobility options, workshops as well as study visits and staff exchanges. Together, both institutions aim to initiate strong and sustainable Transnational Education (TNE) and Transnational Research (TNR) programs.

The existing BSc Blended program is currently offered in equivalence across the disciplines of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.  The University of Madras has already received a huge response to the program, with close to 300 registrationsfrom the state of Tamil Nadu and across India.

The program will be offered to the 30 best students based on their application including their entrance score. The successful students will commence the course from 20^th September 2022. The Roaster system, as offered by Tamil Nadu government, will be duly followed.

The extended partnership announced today will cover additional academic and research opportunities, as well as cultural exchange of students and faculty across all 86 departments at University of Madras.

Speaking at the occasion, Prof. Dr. S. Gowri, VC, University of Madras said, “We recognize the importance of international academic collaboration, and we see our partnership with theglobally recognized University of Melbourne as a great opportunity for our students and faculty. This will give our students exposure to a diverse set of research subjects, with additional tools, experiences and faculty support. We look forward to working together in setting new benchmarks in higher education and enhancing research capabilities for Indian students.”

Professor Michael Wesley, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International) at the University of Melbourne, said the partnership with the University of Madras was a significant one.

“Our joint expertise enables students and faculty from both institutions to collaborate, learn from each other, and initiate research that has global relevance and critical impact,’’ Professor Wesley said

“We continue to work together on our high-quality BSc Blended program to explore how this could work in the humanities and social sciences, and to investigate additional flexible delivery models to suit students’ needs.”

The MoU paves the way for joint teaching programs (blended and dual degree programs at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels in science, humanities, arts and social sciences) that maybe introduced in the near future. The MoU was signed at the University of Madras campus by Professor Wesley and Professor Gowri.

The outcome will leverage the two institutions’ academic strengths and provide research scholars with mentorship from global experts, enable strong cultural and research connections, and provide access to the best facilities and resources.

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