The British Council, UK’s international organisation for fostering cultural and educational relations between various countries, has many initiatives in the scientific, cultural and educational domains in India that enable exchange, collaboration and partnership between the two countries.
One such initiative, Going Global 2015, the British Council’s annual conference in higher education, was held in London on June 1 and 2, and brought together diverse cultures, people and ideas.
Mei-kwei Barker, Director, South India, The British Council says, “A 15-member Indian delegation of Vice-Chancellors and Directors of national and state institutions participated in the conference. Prof Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director of IIT Madras, was one of the speakers at the event. At the conference, about 1,000 global leaders of international education discussed issues that the international education community is facing.”
Throwing light on more such initiatives, Barker says the council is part of a European Union project with six other academic partners in India and Europe, which aims to enhance the quality of undergraduate education. As part of this project, Open Educational Resources (OERs) on cultural studies are being developed, with Jadavpur University in the lead. These resources will be available for any university that is interested.
Last year, the Newton Bhabha Fund worth £50 million for five years was instituted. It aims to bring together UK and Indian scientific research sectors to find joint solutions to challenges facing India in economic development and social welfare.
The British Council also provides English language courses at their teaching centres. “Through our work in English, we work across the public/state sector, CSR foundations and NGOs, with the aim of raising the standard of English of young aspiring people to facilitate their access to education and career opportunities. To achieve this, we design and deliver various interventions impacting teacher trainers, teachers and learners,” Barker explains.
She also adds that the British Council will soon be presenting Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night for audiences across India. “It will be a radically cut, fast-paced version of Shakespeare’s much loved comedy, known throughout India and studied as part of the curriculum in school and higher education. We are looking at bringing this highly entertaining production by Filter Theatre to Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad soon.”
The five-year ‘Re-Imagine’ Arts and culture initiative in India, started in 2013, is another project that aims to build creative connections between people and cultural institutions of UK and India. “We focus on more frequent showcasing across all the art forms — music, dance, theatre, film, literature, design and the visual arts — to bring the best of the UK arts to new audiences in India, in partnership with cultural institutions and corporates here,” says Barker.
— suraksha@newindianexpress.com