As part of JGU’s ongoing efforts to expand and deepen its institutional partnerships, the Delegation travelled to the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong SAR to attend the Times Higher Education Summit on Asia Universities 2018 and for strategic meetings to explore new institutional collaborations. The delegation comprised Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor; Professor (Dr.) Sanjeev P. Sahni, Principal Director, Jindal Institute of Behavioural Sciences (JIBS), Member of the Governing Body and Advisor to the Vice Chancellor; Professor Wenjuan Zhang, Associate Professor and Associate Dean, International Collaborations, Jindal Global Law School; Professor Arjya B. Majumdar, Associate Professor, Jindal Global Law School and Director, Academic Planning, Co-ordination and Interdisciplinarity; and Ms. Pragnya Mohanty, Manager, International Institute for Higher Education Research and Capacity Building.

Read the full story: [here]

The University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) have granted autonomy to 52 universities, out of which five are central universities, 21 state universities, 24 deemed and two private universities. JGU is one of two private universities which have been granted this special status out of more than 300 private universities in India which applied for the same.  

Expressing gratitude to the HRD ministry, Mr. Naveen Jindal, Founding Chancellor, JGU, said: “This feat reiterates JGU’s commitment to shaping India’s aspirations of building world-class universities through comparative and international dimensions. We are grateful to MHRD and UGC who have appreciated our endeavour.”  

Read the full story: http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/ugc-grants-autonomous-status-to-o-p-jindal-global-university-118032201083_1.html

Over the past two months, several new offices, functions, and programmes were established at JGU. These coincide with a crucial institution building phase in JGU’s nine-year history and are aimed towards improved governance and achieving institutional excellence. 

Head of Admissions 
JGU has appointed Professor Sean P. Bala as the Director of Admissions and Outreach of O.P. Jindal Global University with effect from 1st April 2018. In this role, Prof. Bala will oversee the functioning and implementation of university’s strategy on student admissions across schools of JGU. He holds a M.A. in Divinity from the Divinity School at the University of Chicago and B.A. in the Comparative Study of Religion from Harvard University. Professor Bala joined JGU in July 2014 as one of the founding faculty members of the Jindal School of Liberal Arts & Humanities (JSLH) and teaches courses in the areas of religion, drama and interdisciplinary studies. Prior to joining JGU, he has worked in student and community outreach for International House, Chicago and the Harvard Summer School and as a Theatre director in Boston, Chicago, and Upstate New York.

Dean of Jindal School of Art & Architecture 
JGU has appointed Professor (Dr.) Thomas Mical as the Founding Dean of the Jindal School of Art & Architecture (JSAA), O.P. Jindal Global University starting fall 2018. He is currently serving as a Professor and Head of the School, School of Art & Design, Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies, AUT University (Auckland University of Technology) in New Zealand.  

He is a global researcher and an outstanding educator in architectural theory, design theory, and media theory intersecting with social sciences and the humanities. His academic qualifications and professional experiences are stellar. He holds a pre-professional Bachelor of Design (Honours) from the University of Florida, a Master of Architecture from Graduate School of Design, Harvard University, and both a M.S. and Ph.D. in Architecture from the Georgia Institute of Technology, USA.  

In his academic career he has held tenured professorial positions in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. As a faculty member, he has received multiple teaching awards, endowed chairs, and visiting faculty positions recognizing teaching excellence. He has recently been a Visiting Senior Fellow at the London School of Economics, and a Visiting Professor at Technical University of Vienna, and most recently, at the Tongji University College of Architecture and Urban Planning.

Appointment of New Faculty Members  
Thirty new faculty members have joined JGU family in this spring semester. With the addition of new faculty members, JGU has over 300 faculty members across the eight schools of JGU. JGU has sustained the process of hiring faculty members who have outstanding educational qualifications, global orientation, stellar publication record, relevant work experience, including in the world of practice and those individuals who have a strong commitment to institution building. Nearly 80% of our faculty members have international qualifications from the leading universities of the world. Our focus on global orientation towards diversity is further strengthened by the fact that nearly 20% of full time faculty members are international coming from 21 different countries including Afghanistan, Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hungary, Hong Kong, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Syria, United Kingdom, Ukraine and USA. 

School-Wise New Faculty Members:   

JINDAL GLOBAL LAW SCHOOL (JGLS)  

Prof. Michael C. Davis (DOJ: 1st Feb’18)
Professor of Law & International Relations               
B.A. (Ohio State), J.D. (University of California), LL.M. (Yale) 

Dr. Shankar Ramaswami (DOJ: 1st Feb’18)
Associate Professor & Associate Dean, Research and Executive Director-Centre for Justice Studies, JGLS and Director, Office of Undergraduate Studies
A.B. (Harvard); M.A.; Ph.D. (Chicago)    

Dr. Samiparna Samanta (DOJ: 15th Jan’18)
Associate Professor
B.A. (History), Presidency College, Kolkata; M.A. (History), University of Calcutta; M.A. History of Science & Medicine; 
Ph.D. (History), Florida State University  

Mr. Anand Prakash Mishra (DOJ: 1st Feb’18)
Assistant Professor and Assistant Dean (Admissions and Outreach)
B.A (Economics) (Patna University); LL.B; LL.M (University of Delhi)    

Mr. Aleksandar Milanov (DOJ: 15th Jan’18)
Assistant Professor
Master of Law (Sofia University); 
Ph.D. Candidate (Institute for Legal Studies of  Bulgarian Academy of Science)    

Mr. Abhishek Mishra (DOJ: 15th Jan’18)
Senior Research Associate
B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) (NLIU, Bhopal); LL.M. (NUS, Singapore)  

Ms. Sakshi Vijay (DOJ: 29th Jan’18)
Senior Research Associate
LL.B. (ILS, Pune); C.S. (ICSI); LL.M. (Melbourne)    

Ms. Shanya Ruhela (DOJ: 15th Jan’18)
Research Associate
B.A. LL.B. (RGNUL, Patiala); LL.M. (Cambridge) 

JINDAL GLOBAL BUSINESS SCHOOL (JGBS)
  

Dr. Chitrakalpa Sen (DOJ: 15th Jan’18)
Assistant Professor
B.Sc. (Economics); M.Sc. (Economics) (University of Calcutta); 
Ph.D. (West Bengal University of Technology)  

Dr. Hanna Olasiuk (DOJ: 15th Jan’18)
Assistant Professor
Bachelor’s in International Economics; Master’s in International Economics; PG Studies in World Economy and International Economic Relations; Ph.D. (Economics) (KROK University, Kiev); M.B.A. (KROK Business School, Kiev)    

Dr. Mohit Yadav (DOJ: 15th Jan’18)
Assistant Professor
B.Com (Hons.) (University of Delhi); MHROD (University of Delhi); 
Ph.D. (IIT, Roorkee)    

Dr. Gaurav Kumar (DOJ: 1st Feb’18)
Assistant Professor
B.Tech. (Computer Science & Engineering) (NIT, Allahabad); M.B.A. (International Business) (IIFT, Delhi); CMA (Intermediate) (ICAI, Kolkata); Ph.D. (IIT, Kharagpur)

  
JINDAL SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (JSIA)

Dr. Hanako Umezawa (DOJ: 15th Jan’18)
Associate Professor
LL.B. (Political Science); M.A. (Governance), Keio University, Japan; M.Sc. (International Relations), LSE London; 
Ph.D. (International Relations), University of Kent, UK

Dr. Ildiko Eva Gelencser (DOJ: 24th Jan’18)
Associate Professor and Assistant Director, JIBS
B.A. (Teaching History & EFL) (Eotvos Iorand University, Hungary); M.A. (European History) (Central European University); M.A. (Peacemaking Management) (Universita degli studi di Torino, Italy); 
Ph.D. (History) (University of Pecs, Hungary)     

  
JINDAL SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY (JSGP)
  

Dr. Pradeep Kumar Guin (DOJ: 15th Jan’18)
Assistant Professor
B.Sc. (Statistics); M.Sc. (Statistics) (University of Delhi); 
Ph.D. (University of Maryland)      

  
JINDAL SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS & HUMANITIES (JSLH)
  

Mr. Sunil Sangra (DOJ: 15th Jan’18)
Professor of Management Practice
B.A. (Economics) (Panjab University); PGDM (IIM Lucknow)  

Dr. Galina Yovtcheva Rousseva-Sokolova (DOJ: 22nd Jan’18)
Associate Professor
M.A. (Indology) (Sofia Univeristy); 
Ph.D. (Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes in Paris) 

Dr. Ana Petrova (DOJ: 29th Jan’18)
Asisstant Professor
B.A. (Psychology) (Paris Descartes University); B.A. (Linguistics) (Sorbhonne Nouvelle University); M.A. (Experimental Psychology), M.A. (Cognitive Psychology), Ph.D. (Experimental Psychology (Paris Descartes University) 

Dr. Avinash Anil Godbole (DOJ: 1st Feb’18)
Assistant Professor
B.A. (Psychology) (University of Mumbai); M.A. (Politics and International Studies); M.Phil.; Ph.D. (Political Studies) (JNU)     

  
JINDAL SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM & COMMUNICATION (JSJC)
   

Ms. Rosalie Catherine Murphy (DOJ: 15th Jan’18)
Senior Research Fellow
B.A. (University of Southern California)     

JINDAL SCHOOL OF ART & ARCHITECTURE (JSAA)
  

Ms. Sarover Zaidi (DOJ: 1st Apr’18)
Assistant Professor
B.A. (Philosophy) (Delhi University); M.A.; M.Phil. (Urban Anthropology) (Delhi School of Economics); Ph.D. Candidate (JNU)     

  
JINDAL SCHOOL OF BANKING & FINANCE (JSBF)
  

Mr. Prasenjit Chakrabarti (DOJ: 5th Mar’18)
Assistant Professor
B.Sc. (Physics); B.Tech. (Electronics) (Jadavpur University); 
FPM Candidate (IIM, Indore)  

Mr. Vaneet Bhatia (DOJ: 1st May’18) 
Assistant Professor
M.B.A. (Banking & Insurance) (Panjab University); FPM Candidate (IIM, Raipur)      

  
JINDAL INSTITUTE OF BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES (JIBS)
  

Dr. Tamara Hovorun (DOJ: 15th Jan’18)
Associate Professor and Joint Director
Doctor of Psychological Sciences (National Pedagogical Drahomanov University, Kyiv)       

Centre for Writing Studies (CWS)
  

Dr. Anannya Dasgupta (DOJ: 8th Jan’18)
Associate Professor 
B.A. (English); M.A. (English) (Delhi University); M.Phil (University of Delhi); M.A. (Literature); Ph.D. (Literature) (Rutgers University, USA)  

Dr. Shivani Kapoor (DOJ: 15th Jan’18)
Assistant Professor
B.A. (Journalism) (Delhi University); M.A. (Political Science); 
M.Phil. (Political Science); Ph.D. (Jawaharlal Nehru University) 

Dr. Shubhasree Bhattacharyya (DOJ: 15th Jan’18)
Assistant Professor
B.A. (Comparitive Literature); M.A. (Comparitive Literature); 
Ph.D. (Jadavpur University)      

Dr. Madhura Lohokare (DOJ: 15th Jan’18)
Assistant Professor
B.A. (Sociology) (Fergusson College, Pune); M.A. (Sociology) (University of Pune); M.Phil. (Jawaharlal Nehru University); Ph.D. (Syracuse University, USA)     

  
Language Centres 
Ms. Shruti Jain (DOJ: 15th Jan’18)
Assistant Director
B.A. (Delhi University); M.A.(German Studies); M.Phil. (German Studies); Ph.D. Candidate (German Studies) (Jawaharlal Nehru University)     

Dr. Suman Rani (DOJ: 15th Jan’18)
Assistant Director
B.A.; M.A.(English) (Amritsar); M.Phil. (English); Ph.D. (Hyderabad)   

New Offices  
Office of Doctoral Studies 
The Office of Doctoral Studies will develop a central level admissions process across all schools for full time as well as part-time Ph.D. programmes in accordance with UGC guidelines. This office will focus on:

• Monitoring the progress of full time as well as part-time Ph.D. scholars registered with different schools of JGU in collaboration with the respective School Doctoral Committee Chair;
• Streamlining the course work process, its delivery, credit requirement and duration;
• Developing a Ph.D. handbook and SOPs for smooth delivery of the programme across all schools.

Professor Krishan K Pandey will lead this office as “Professor and Director, Office of Doctoral Studies”.
   
Office of Career Services   
In view of the institutional requirement and to strengthen the career related services to students, we are establishing an Office of Career Services building upon the work of the existing Career Development and Placement Office (CDPD). This office will work exclusively in the areas of training and professional development of students with a special focus on internships and placements. The office of career services will be a university level office that will work towards employment and experiential opportunities in corporate, legal, business, industry, public sector, NGOs, and think tanks for students across all schools of JGU by establishing and maintaining productive employer partnerships. This office will counsel, train, prepare and enhance employability of students in the job market. 

Professor Pankaj Gupta will be heading this office as “Professor and Executive Director, Corporate Relations, Career Services & Institution Building”.
    
Office of Strategic Initiatives and Institutional Research  
The Office of Strategic Initiatives and Institutional Research, will support the senior leadership in formulating long term strategic plans for the university, including vision, mission, policy reports and briefs on key institutional themes such as diversity, access, equity, research, pedagogical innovations, etc. This office will develop and facilitate mechanism to support Deans and HoDs in identifying the priorities, risks, opportunities, future trends and scenarios and will also work towards achieving JGU’s strategic plan by formulating and recommending long-term plans to the senior leadership. This office becomes even more important after the recognition of autonomy status and our plans to seek the “Institute of Eminence”. 

Ms. Princy Marin George, will lead this office as “Director of Strategic Initiatives and Institutional Research”.
  
Centre for University Rankings and Benchmarking  
The Centre for University Rankings and Benchmarking, IIHEd will work towards institutional excellence at JGU and its constituent schools to achieve the best ranking amongst World Class Universities. The centre will familarise itself with ranking parameters and factors considered for deciding these ranking orders. The centre will focus on the top three ranking agencies with highest reputation: (a) Times Higher Education Rankings, (b) QS Rankings and (c) Academic Ranking of World Universities. It will also be engaging with Indian rankings organisations. The centre will work closely with the Deans and other faculty members for the rankings of the individual school and towards building the overall reputation of the University.

Prof. Arjya Mazumdar, Associate Professor, JGLS and Director, Office of Academic Planning, Co-ordination & Interdisciplinarity will lead this centre as “Executive Director”, which will be located in the International Institute for Higher Education Research & Capacity Building (IIHEd).

Introduction of new programmes    
Master of Business Laws
The Master of Business Laws programme introduced at the Jindal Global Law School (JGLS)  is designed to equip business professionals from all non-law backgrounds with specialised business-oriented legal skills to contribute exceptionally to their organisations and perform effectively in today’s complex, globally connected business and regulatory eco-system. The MA in Business Laws programme is aimed at addressing the needs arising from the unique dynamics of the current corporate environment, where business intersects with law, policy and dispute resolution. Today, corporate professionals – ranging from those involved with human resources, innovation strategy, intellectual property management or business compliance – have to synchronise their managerial skills with legal and regulatory strategy to ensure effective compliance and reduce their company’s risk profile, while growing their business. The Masters Degree programme provides an all-important bridge between the various disciplines and skills required by the modern business professional. Read the full story: http://www.prnewswire.co.in/news-releases/jindal-global-law-school-launches-the-master-of-business-laws-programme-675137743.html 

Expanded Food Services
Based on feedback received from Students, Faculty Members, Staff and Parents, JGU has introduced an extended new menu with effect from February 1, 2018. It includes menu options from different parts of the world. The menu offers a bouquet of cuisines and multiple food counters offering a mix of global flavors along with Indian food options.    

Student Resident Advisers (SRA)
JGU has appointed Student Resident Advisors (SRA) aimed at increasing and strengthening support for students, and enhancing the quality of student life on the University campus. The role of the Resident Advisors is to act as a bridge between the U – hall Administration and the Student community.  One Senior Student Resident Advisors (SSRA) and two Junior Student Resident Advisors (JSRA) have been appointed in all the Student Housing Blocks.   

Two faculty members of the Jindal Global Law School (JGLS), Avirup Bose and Natasha Nayak, have been awarded the 2018 Thomas Edison Innovation Fellowship award from the George Mason University School of Law, Virginia.

Avirup Bose (Left), Assistant Professor, JGLS and Natasha Nayak (Right), Assistant Professor, JGLS were awarded the Thomas Edison Innovation Fellowship 2018

The faculty members will join a series of invitation-only conferences over the course of a year in which Edison Fellows study and discuss a structured curriculum, engage in roundtable discussions with expert senior scholars and industry representatives, and share, examine and collaborate on new areas of research on the moral and economic value of patented innovation.

Both scholars went through an extensive application process prior to being selected for the fellowship from the George Mason University’s Center for the Protection of Intellectual Property (CPIP).

Read the full story: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/two-jindal-varsity-law-teachers-get-2018-thomas-edison-innovation-fellowship/articleshow/63205792.cms

Jindal-Harvard Conference: The Centre for Human Rights Studies & Jindal School of Government and Public Policy, in association with the Program on Human Rights in Development, Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University organised a two-day joint conference on “Poverty, Human Rights and Development: Public Policy for the Common Good”. The conference was held on 21 & 22 February 2018 at the JGU campus.

The conference was inaugurated by Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice Chancellor, JGU; Professor Stephen P. Marks, François-Xavier Bagnoud Professor of Health and Human Rights, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University and Member of Governing Body, JGU; Dr. Rathin Roy, Member, Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council and Director, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), New Delhi; and Professor (Dr.) Y.S.R. Murthy, Registrar and Executive Director, Centre for Human Rights Studies, JGU.

Jindal- Stanford Conference:  Jindal Global Law School (JGLS) and Stanford Law School (SLS) co-organised a programme on “Global Poverty, Corruption and Law – India Field Study”. Hosted by JGU, the 5-day joint study exercise included field visits, sessions and deliberations with India’s 3 pillars of democracy – the Judiciary; the Legislative and the Executive; and the Civil Society. Participants also visited Nuh district in Haryana, identified by NITI Aayog as a backward district in the country and interacted with the field staff and representatives of the SM Sehgal Foundation.

The programme was conducted under the auspices of the Centre for Post Graduate Legal Studies at the Jindal Global Law School. It offered an exciting exploration of the legal, political, historical, economic and social constructions of issues surrounding inequalities, human rights, and access to justice, poverty and corruption.

Read the full story: http://www.prnewswire.co.in/news-releases/jindal-and-stanford-law-schools-host-a-joint-programme-on-global-poverty-corruption-and-law—india-field-study-678632633.html 

Jindal- Macquarie Conference: JGU organised an international conference on “Business, Law and Ethics Conflict or Coherence” in association with Jindal Global Law School (JGLS) and Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia on 13 February 2018 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.

The Conference had two sessions. In the first session, chaired by Professor (Dr.) Laknath Jayasinghe, Vice Dean, JGBS, talked on “Business, Law and Ethics: Conflicts or Coherence” and the second session was dedicated to the topic “Imagining a Better World and Bringing Peace to the Tirade: Business, Law and Ethics”

Apart from the conference, JGLS and Macquarie University also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during the conference.

CNES – JSIA Student Workshop: The Centre for New Economics Studies (CNES) and JSIA conducted an Interdisciplinary Student Workshop in Development Studies (ISDS). The one-day workshop was held on the JGU campus on 3 March 2018, offering students from across different areas of social sciences the opportunity to present working papers on the themes of “Technology and Society” and “Agency of Women in Path to Development”.

The Workshop featured research presentations by students visiting from more than 20 universities across India.

Read the Report: http://jsia.edu.in/sites/default/files/isds-2018.pdf 

CIAS – Women and Sports: Centre for India-Australia Studies at JGU hosted a public lecture on “Women in Sports” on 3 April 2018 at the JGU campus. It was conducted by Ms Mel Jones, Commentator & Former Austrian Cricketer.

Jones is a right-handed batsman and occasional right-arm medium pace bowler. She played 5 Test matches for Australia between 1998 and 2003, scoring 251 runs, highlighted by a 131 on debut against England in August 1998. Jones was the 134th woman to play Test cricket for Australia. She has also played 61 One-Day Internationals for Australia, scoring 1028 runs with an average in the low-twenties.

Jones played limited overs cricket in England for the Lancashire and Cheshire Women cricket team between 1994 and 1997 and the Surrey County women’s cricket team between 2003 and 2004. She played 122 games for the Victorian Spirit in the Australian Women’s National Cricket League, and then five Women’s Twenty20 cricket games for the Tasmanian Roar.

JGU organised a roundtable conference on “The Global Rankings of Indian Universities: Why Do They Matter?” with Mr Ben Sowter, Director, QS Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd, UK and Head of Division, QS Intelligence Unit and Mr Ashwin Fernandes, Regional Director, Middle East, North Africa & South Asia QS Intelligence Unit on 22 March 2018.

The Jindal Initiative on Research in IP and Competition (JIRICO) released the first issues of its policy brief, JIRICO Brief. The publication will focus on global developments, with a special emphasis on the Indian policy environment, with the overall objective of informing stakeholders about the issues and developments in this niche area.

JIRICO was created at JGU in 2015, and focuses on initiating and complementing well-informed policy-related deliberations that can result in concrete reforms. Towards this end, JIRICO seeks to become a leading think-tank that engages in interdisciplinary and high-impact work. This involves contributions from experts in the fields of intellectual property law, competition law, economics and management. JIRICO provides a unique platform to facilitate dialogue among industry partners, policymakers, regulators, practitioners and academicians.

Read the latest issue: http://www.jgu.edu.in/public/jirico/include/pdf/JIRICO_BRIEF_March_2018_29th_March.pdf 

The Winter Institute for Development Planning in the India-Bhutan Borderland Region (WIDPBR) was a two-week field-based border studies programme conducted in the districts of Chirang, Kokrajhar and Gelephu from 3 – 22 December 2017. The four-credit programme was a collaborative initiative between JGU, the Action North East Trust, the North-East Research and Social Work Networking, and the Bodoland University. It was designed to train a new generation of scholars and policy analysts by providing opportunities to understand methods of research, community engagement and theory. Overall, this experience gave an opportunity to students from PhD, Masters and Bachelor’s degrees to work on transboundary policy action projects. The students through this opportunity were able to bridge the gap between theory and praxis by practically examining the fundamental concepts of international relations. Through a rigorous comparative analysis, the students got a platform to develop new models of cross-border cooperation.

Being divided into four clusters consisting of health, livelihood, trade and border management, the students were able to assess the actual situation as a whole and arrive at certain findings to provide consolidated recommendations.

Border Management Cluster   Bhutan and India are known to have a close and friendly relation after the new treaty of friendship has been established in 2007. The students observed the liberal movement of people, capital and goods in the Indo-Bhutan border region. Crossing the Indo-Bhutan border was a much smoother process, whereas a pilot visit to the fenced Indo-Bangladesh border region in the Dhubri District showed a contrast in the dynamics.

On the Indian side of the Indo-Bhutan border region, the students saw an interplay of three jurisdictions – Assam police, land customs station, Sashastra Seema Bal – all three located at a certain distance. Land customs station looked after the movement of exports and imports in the border region. Sashastra Seema Bal is a unique border force assigned to manage unfenced border areas to safeguard international boundary. This free and easy jurisdiction has led India and Bhutan to function pleasantly in the sphere of trade, communication and labour movement. The interview with all the three jurisdictions made the students realize the important interplay of international law, international relations and international economics.

In Kokrajhar, the students also had an important engagement with the District Commissioner (DC), the Superintendent Police (SP) and other important stakeholders with regard to important policy changes which could be further implemented in this area.

Livelihood and Trade Cluster The livelihood of Chirang and Gelephu mainly depends on subsistence agriculture which often fails to sustain the family today with the division of agricultural lands, increased competition, development of schools and increase in expenditure.

 In recent years, the initiatives taken by the government and NGOs has empowered the localities through the development of self-help groups SHGs, provision of loans, and development of health and education. Government initiatives like Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission (ASRLM) has played a key role in sustaining SHGs and provision of an initial loan. However, the challenges faced by this mission include less literacy, communication problems and lack of sufficient bank branches. Initiatives by NGOs like Seven Sisters Development Assistance (SeSTA) have also actively supported livelihoods through enhancement of productivity and income. Through their efforts, the number of SHGs has increased from 680 to 1006 since 2015, number of saving banks opened has increased by 285 and bank loans by 108. Number of people trained has also increased by 3500.

Another important initiative by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) include Aagor Daagara Afad organisation by Action Northeast Trust (ANT) as a weaving project in 2005 that has provided women with the opportunity to use their traditional skills and they are trained to contribute to the family income. The vital trade connectivity in the Indo-Bhutan border plays a key role in the economic growth of the region. About 85 percent of the Bhutan’s economy depends upon the trade with India.

The markets on the Indian side of the Indo-Bhutan border region organised in the Chirang district are Shantipur market on Thursdays, Dadgiri maket on Fridays, Bengtol on Saturdays and Kajalgaon market on Sundays.

To understand the movement of labour, capital, and commodities involved in trade, five case studies were conducted. In a day about 60 to 70 labourers move to Gelephu, for daily wage labour. In an interview with Rubail Rehman, an Indian labour in the Sawmill said “I am working here for forty years and receive Rs 10,000 per month for 8 hours in a day which is much more than what I received in Kokrajhar.”

Health Cluster Students were engaged in researching the health conditions and community participation in the districts of Chirang, Dhubri, Hatisar-Deosri in Assam and Gelephu in Bhutan. The students investigated the organisational structure of health on both the sides. An in-depth case study in the spheres of mental health, maternal health, child mortality and vector borne diseases like malaria was carried out.

People in these areas continue to seek help from traditional doctors and medicines and the traditional doctors in the Bhutan side feel that there is a dire need to cooperate with India to manage the health conditions as both areas are faced with similar health circumstances.

In the fifteen days of stay, the students could already see micro level changes taking place and those instances were very overwhelming.

The student group was led by Dr. Samrat Sinha, Prof. Deepanshu Mohan, Dr. Upasana Mahanta and Mr. Srimal Fernando of the Jindal School of International Affairs.

(Story Credit: Srimal Fernando pursuing PhD in International Affairs, Megha Gupta pursuing MADLB and Sharon Jose pursuing BAGA, JSIA)

CIPTEL inaugurated this year’s Conversations series to mark the World IP Day 2018 with Dr. Malathi Lakshmikumaran’s special guest lecture on February 19th. World IP Day falls on April 26 of every year.

Dr. Malathi delivered an address on “Innovations in the Area of Biotechnology and Agriculture” with special focus on legal challenges to commercializing new technologies in the field. She delivered an insightful account of the ongoing litigation between two research institutes, namely the University of California, Berkeley and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in the United States that have developed applications for using the CRISPR-CAS 9 gene editing technology. She explained that CRISPR-CAS 9 allows permanent modification of genes within organisms by either replacing or deleting or inserting DNA by using engineered nucleases or “molecular scissors”. It is indeed a breakthrough technology adding newer dimensions to the debate on the law and policy related to patenting living organisms since the historical decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in Diamond v. Chakraborty in the 1980s which held that, anything under the sun that is made by man may be patent eligible. Consequently, any life-form made by man using this gene editing may qualify as protectable by law.

Prof. Sunita Tripathy of Jindal Global Law School was the discussant and posed an engaging set of deliberative comments for Dr. Malathi to reflect upon before opening the floor for participant questions. Prof. Tripathy highlighted that the increased focus on ‘patent pooling’ in respect of the technology by Broad Institute and similar research-encouraging licensing practices by several others has been viewed very favourably by many jurisdictions. Infact many hope that a settlement will be reached between the contesting parties and the case will clarify that newer derivation proceedings may help in similar kinds of patent interference proceedings so as to promote research in such technology led inventions rather than encourage patents that hinder innovation per se. The discussion ended with a vibrant and interactive question and answer session on the day.

As part of JGU’s continuing efforts to provide a transnational, global and holistic education to its students, several new summer schools have been introduced and existing summer programmes have continued in collaboration with some of JGU’s leading institutional partners. The 2018 summer schools include the Jindal-Harvard Summer School, Jindal – University of Granada Summer Programme, CIAS & University of Queensland Winter School Programme, and the Jindal – University of California-Berkeley Summer School Programme.

Jindal-Harvard Summer School: JGU announced the Jindal-Harvard Summer School programme on “Human Rights and Development” for all students of JGU across all schools, programmes as well as year of study. 

It is a three-week intensive residential course in collaboration with the Program on Human Rights in Development (PHRD) at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, USA. This programme, offered for the third successive year to Jindal students across various schools, is a unique opportunity for JGU students as Harvard does not have any open access summer schools besides the ones run by the extension school and the language program. Therefore, this is a niche opportunity designed specifically to give JGU students an exposure to Harvard. It will take place from the 2 to the 20 July, 2018. 

Jindal – University of Granada Summer Programme: JGU announces Jindal-University of Granada summer school programme from the 10th to 30th of June, 2018. The students will get 4 credits from this program. This program will enable students to learn in the natural environment with survival skills. Student’s horizon can be expanded by a short-term program and they will be empowered when back to campus. 

Students will benefit from being able to learn in an intensive pace. The proposed programme includes 30 hours of classroom teaching primarily on the theme of the immersion. The programme will also help students to acquaint to Spanish culture and civilisation. The programme includes cultural and education visits to historical monuments including Alhambra, Sevilla, Malaga, bicycle ride, water sports, flamenco dance, albycin etc. 

CIAS & University of Queensland Winter School Programme: Centre for India Australia Studies and Jindal Global Law School (JGLS) are partnering with TC Beirne School of Law at University of Queensland (UQ) to host a combined course on “Sports Law and Governance” in December 2018 at the University of Queensland.   

The Course will be co-facilitated by academics from UQ and JGLS and will also incorporate several guest speakers and panelists, including international athletes, sports administrators, and sports lawyers. Students from UQ and JGLS will both participate in this programme. Classes will be delivered from 2nd to 10th December 2018. In addition to these classes and guest lectures, other activities, such as site visits in sporting federations and cultural programmes will be organised and included in the cost of the programme.

Jindal – University of California-Berkeley Summer School Programme: JGU and the University of California-Berkeley are organising summer school programme on “The Future of Global Media and International Journalism”. It will be held from 10 June 2018 – 22 June 2018. The students will get 2 credits for this programme. 

Twenty students from JSJC will have the opportunity to spend two weeks learning about journalism and new media at the unmatched campus of the University of California at Berkeley, one of the top 10 universities in the world. Students will sample the future of journalism with visits to three key San Francisco institutions including Smart news, a leading aggregator which operates successfully with a handful of employees; Bloomberg News, which did not exist 25 years ago and now boasts the largest newsroom west of the Mississippi; and KQED, which has developed a vibrant news site far beyond its origins as a radio station. Visits, are also planned to iconic media firms in Silicon Valley, such as Facebook, Google and Twitter. 

Gen. Bipin Rawat, UYSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM, Chief of the Army Staff, visited the JGU campus on 5 March 2018 and delivered a Distinguished Public Lecture on “Indian Army in Nation Building”. The lecture was accompanied by the announcement of special concessions for children of war widows and serving army personnel to pursue academic programmes at JGU. In addition, the Jindal Institute of Behavioural Sciences will also train Army School teachers at no cost. Following the lecture, Gen. Rawat participated in a Roundtable on “Army-Civil Society Interface”.

The JGU sports contingent performed outstandingly well in the various sports competitions held in 2018. Students participated in Sportech’18, Aprajit, and the GNLU Sports Competition.

Sportech’18 Sports competition- 2018
Dates – 23rd to 26th February 2018
Venue – IIT Delhi

JGU’s Sports contingent has performed exceedingly well at Sportech’18 Sports competition IIT, Delhi. This was a prestigious moment for JGU as some of the top universities of India participated in the competition.  

The results are as follows: –

Aprajit  Sports Competition-2018

Date – 16th to 18th Feb, 2018  

Venue – Symbiosis Law School, Noida 

NUJS Sports Competition-2018

Date – 9th to 11th Feb, 2018  

Venue – National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata 

GNLU Sports Competition-2018

  Date – 1st to 4th Feb, 2018  

Venue – Gujrat National University, Gujrat

Intramural 2016-17 

The JGU Sports department organised the Prize Distribution Ceremony of “Intramural 2016-17” on 8 February 2018. The winners and runners-up students of the Intramural were awarded medals by ; Lt. Gen (Retd) Rajesh Kochhar, Chief Administrative Officer, JGU.

Results of Intramural Matches 2016-17 

Magnus
 
JGU organised Magnus, the annual sports tournament. It was held from 16-18 March 2018. The opening ceremony took place on 15 March 2018 in which Pradeep Narwal, member of the Indian Kabaddi team was the chief guest. JGU had the pleasure of hosting more than 800 participants from across the country and abroad. As part of Magnus, 36 different events ranging from team sports to individual events to side events like gaming were organised.