Date:10/02/2007 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/02/10/stories/2007021006020400.htm

Back IBM India plans tie-up with foreign varsities

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Initiative for researchers to pursue higher studies

ENCOURAGING RESEARCH: Mr Nicholas Donofrio, Executive Vice-President, Innovation and Technology, IBM, and Lt. Gen. (Retd) S. S. Mehta, DG, CII, at a CII-CXO forum in the Capital. - Kamal Narang

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New Delhi Feb. 9 IBM India Research Lab has plans to offer its researchers PhD from foreign universities such as Oxford and other foreign institutes.

"IBM plans to tie up with Oxford University and other foreign institutes for its employees here to pursue their PhDs, while remaining an employee of IBM. However, the details of the programmes are yet to be worked out," said Mr C. Mohan, India Chief Scientist, on the sidelines of the CII-IBM forum on `Expanding the horizons of innovation'.

At present, many of the researchers recruited are offered jobs with high salaries during their third or the final year of graduation as a result of which many of them don't prefer further studies, added Mr Mohan. .

IBM also plans to collaborate with Indian universities to offer its expertise in the areas of technology and innovation.

"IBM plans to invest in India in the fields of Services, Science, Management and Engineering (SSME) and is already working with Indian Institute of Technology and Indian School of Business.

"We would like to closely expand the SSME programme to more engineering colleges in the country," said Mr Nicholas Donofrio, Executive Vice-President, Innovation and Technology, IBM Corporation

CII plans to connect global organisation with academic institutes to address the industry needs, said Mr N. Srinivasan, Advisor to President CII.