NMIMS University has been selected to be part of European Union, HARMONY Project. The project addresses the process of internationalization of Higher Education in the provision of education, research, mobility, and services. MOU was signed in June 2021.
The project called, “Internationalization and Virtual Exchange: Borderless between EU and Asian Countries,” includes institutions from Spain, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Slovenia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and India. Universities from India include Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Vellore Institute of Technology and University of Hyderabad. In all the consortium has 11 institutions, 4 from Europe and 7 from Asia.Read More
Activities and key outcomes planned for the 36-month long project that started on
15th January 2021:
The Internationalisation at Home Self-Evaluation Tool is designed as part of the HARMONY project consortium’s efforts to map out the 7 Partner Country (PC) Higher Education Institutions’ (HEIs) internationalisation status quo and to identify to what extent international and intercultural dimensions are integrated intro their formal and informal curricula. The questionnaire is prepared as part of the activities in Work Package 1 Methodology for Data Collection and Analysis that cater for obtaining a clear and comprehensive understanding of the Internationalisation at Home (IaH)* processes at each of the 7 PC HEIs. The questionnaire was prepared based on the IAU 5th Global Survey on Internationalisation of Higher Education.
*IaH – The purposeful integration of international and intercultural dimensions into formal and informal curriculum for all students within domestic learning environment
HARMONY project`s online consortium meeting was held on 3rd February 2022 to discuss the achievement of Work Package 1, organisation of infrastructure and equipment for Teahouses, discussion of financial reports and to discuss the operational plan for the year 2022. Participants included representatives of all institutes of the Consortium.
HARMONY project`s online consortium meeting was held on 3rd February 2022 to discuss the achievement of Work Package 1, organisation of infrastructure and equipment for Teahouses, discussion of financial reports and to discuss the operational plan for the year 2022. Participants included representatives of all institutes of the Consortium.
Mykiolas Romeris University (MRU) Lithuania, as part of the HARMONY Project, co-funded by Erasmus + program of the European Union organized a three-day Study Visit. The HARMONY project is aimed at understanding key internationalization strategies adopted across various Universities from Europe (Spain, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Slovenia) and Asia (India, Bangladesh & Vietnam), facilitating capacity building of faculty, staff and students and incorporating certain best practices in academic curriculum. Dr Meena Chintamaneni, PVC, NMIMS University attended this study visit 6– 8, September 2022.
MRU is the largest social sciences specialized university in Lithuania. University experts conducted sessions on various aspects related to International academic exchange programs such as ERASMUS + mobility & Joint study programs and the International Partnerships; MRU International Office; Integration of international students and facilitation of Internationalization at Home; Review of MRU Study quality assurance framework and practice; Academic Recognition at MRU.
About 500 MRU students each year participate in international exchange (studies and internships) via Erasmus, Nordplus or other international programmes.
Harmony Project a multi-institutional and multi-country consortium of 11 universities which began in January 2021 and is scheduled to end in January 2024, provides an excellent opportunity for peer--learning of internationalisation strategies.
EU HARMONY Consortium Member Universities
University of Zaragoza/Spain |
European Policy Development and Research Institute /Slovenia |
Varna University of Management/Bulgaria |
Mykolas Romeris University/Lithuania |
Daffodil International University/Bangladesh |
University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh/Bangladesh |
The University of Danang/Vietnam |
Quang Binh University/Vietnam |
Vellore Institute of Technology/India |
Narsee Morjee Institute of Management Studies/India |
University of Hyderabad/India |
The HARMONY project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme for Capacity Building in Higher Education, aims to bring together students and academics from Europe and South Asia to enhance cultural understanding and exchange, and to support universities’ internationalization at home. One of the key objectives of the project is to build students’ intercultural knowledge and sensitivity to cultural diversity by transforming international Relation office into vibrant multicultural focal points through the establishment of an Intercultural Hub.
Pro Vice Chancellor Dr Meena Chintamaneni inaugurated the the NMIMS Intercultural Hub on 15th November, 2022. NMIMS international students from France, Germany and Nigeria, SBM students and facukty attended the event. The event was organised by NMIMS School of Buisness Management - International Student Relations Committee
Then NMIMS Intercultural Hub would work to insure students and staff have the intercultural skills to thrive in globalised workplaces and communities. This would be through various co-curricular and extra curricular activites such as Research projects on culture and communication studies, Collaborative online Integrated learning (COIL Project), Summer and winter schools for students, Annual Digital story telling competition, Multicultural Guest Speakers, Celebration of national and international festivals, Faculty and staff exchange, Semester abroad for students, International Internships, International immersions, Supporting NMIMS Schools with foreign Language programs and more.
The program began with ribbon cutting for the Inauguration by Dr. Meena Chintamani, the pro Vice Chancellor of NMIMS University.
It was then followed by various events including:
Cross-Cultural Learning Experiences by Students
Pravin Dalal School of Entrepreneurship and Family Business Management (PDSE&FB), NMIMS
Cross-cultural learning enables students to learn about their own and others’ cultures. It enhances one's knowledge of cultural norms, values, and behaviours. It further allows students to discern and communicate cultural differences with sensitivity and confidence. Teaching intercultural sensitivity can often feel challenging. Kobes (1984) emphasised an Experiential Learning Cycle to achieve an optimal cross-cultural learning experience.
In a University initiative to provide a concrete experience of cross-cultural learning, the twenty-third cohort of the Pravin Dalal School of Entrepreneurship and Family Business Management (PDSE&FB), NMIMS, visited four countries, Belgium, Austria, Germany and Switzerland, to explore and learn about design, innovation, and global business prospects.
Effective experiential learning is seen when a person progresses through a cycle of four stages: (1) having a concrete experience followed by (2) observation of and reflection on that experience which leads to (3) the formation of abstract concepts, (analysis) and generalisations (conclusions) which are then (4) used to test a hypothesis in future situations, resulting in new experiences.
The International Study Trip
In a journey to connect students with culturally different people and to move along a spectrum from “ethnocentrism’ to “ethnorelativism”, Professor Seema Mahajan, Director at the Institute, designed the IV 2022 (This is the 29th delegation in a span of 15 years and over 4000 entrepreneurial students benefitted from the same). It exposed students to global brand positioning, leading design and innovation, entering foreign markets, addressing barriers to entry, developing a futuristic perspective, and helping them imbibe best international practices.
The cohort relied heavily on experiential learning to achieve a practical cross-cultural learning experience. They visited 14 firms over 12 days, like IMEC, Riedel glass, Schindler, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Erdinger. The four-step process of experiential learning is in the diagram below:
The Experiential Learning Cycle
Source: David Korbes
The Journey
The student cohort interacted with Mayors, Investment teams, Industry leaders and trade representatives across the four countries for a first-hand experience of cross-border trade concepts, go-to-market strategies and technological trends. They observed global best practices in quality assurance, packaging and supply chain management.
The students reflected on the new experience in light of their existing knowledge. Their interactions with the environment were significant as they served to answer inconsistencies between experience and understanding.
The Impact
The wealth of observations from the four countries will enable the students to logically analyse their ideas and theories. It is hoped it will, in turn, provide them with more thoughts and ideas.
The trip empowered the cohort to experiment with their ideas, apply them to their daily routine, and observe the impact.
The trip has been highly successful and is expected to change students’ lives. It will enhance their thinking process and change their perspectives through holistic reflections.
Fifteen students of the University of Auckland are in India for a six-week internship program by Global Career Center.
Dr Charu Bhurat, Assistant Professor - ASM SOC and Dr Anindo Bhattacharjee, Assistant Professor - ASM SOC, of the Department of International Linkages, organized an innovative ‘meet and greet’ session for the guests. The intention was to help the guests find buddies during their stay in Mumbai.
The session was held at the Intercultural hub, NMIMS campus, on the 28th of January, 2023.
The two-hour session emphasized generating cross-cultural awareness through interactions between the students of NMIMS and the guests. The activities included a Bollywood music jam, a Bollywood dance and an ice-breaking session.
It was encouraging to see wholehearted participation from different schools of NMIMS, with 32 students participating from the School of Commerce, School of Performing Arts, School of Economics, School of Science, School of Family Business, School of Pharmacy and School of Engineering.
The event created a warm bonhomie between all participants and was a shining example of the Indian tradition of Athithi Devo Bhava.
NMIMS Balwant Sheth School of Architecture (BSSA) and Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences (HKA), Germany, presented a pilot study for the Redevelopment of the Thane Belapur Industrial Estate, conducted jointly and to be carried out as a full-scale research and implementation project by the two universities coming together to share expert knowledge and specialisations in the field of urban development and infrastructure.
NMIMS is dedicated to the betterment of society and strives to play a big role in nation building through its initiatives and projects. With the world facing increasing environmental challenges, it has never been more important to find sustainable solutions that will make our planet a better place for generations to come. This project aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and is a demonstration of the commitment of both institutions to creating a more sustainable future.
The event was attended by Dr. Frank Mentrup, Lord Mayor of the City of Karlsruhe, who led the delegation, Shri. Bipin Shah, President, Thane Belapur Industries Association, Shri. Amit Sheth, Hon. Secretary, Managing Committee of SVKM, Shri. Nayan Patel, Committee Member of SVKM, Dr. Ramesh Bhat, Vice Chancellor, SVKM’s NMIMS, Dr. Sharad Mhaiskar, Pro Vice Chancellor SVKM’s NMIMS, Dr. Ashish Daptardar, Registrar, SVKM’s NMIMS, Dr. Kaiwan Mehta, Dean, Balwant Sheth School of Architecture, Dr. Alka Mahajan, Dean, Mukesh Patel School of Technology Management & Engineering, Ms. Meena Saxena, Director Department of International Linkages, Mr. Murad Futehally , Coordinator of this project and other dignitaries from both the Institutes. Dr Jan Riel of HKA joined the event virtually and made a presentation online.
SVKM’s NMIMS hosted a senior leadership delegation from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) at its Mumbai campus on 13th and 14 February 2023. The event was aimed at bringing together academic experts to discuss and promote collaborative applied research, curriculum development, internships, and placements for students. NMIMS Mukesh Patel School of Technology Management & Engineering and Virginia Tech already enjoy a fruitful collaboration for their various programs, like the NMIMS MPSTME 3+1+1 Coordinated Program and NMIMS Sarla Anil Modi School of Economics dual degree program, which is the first in India to offer such a program
The Virginia Tech delegation comprised Dr. Cyril Clark, Executive Vice President and Provost, Dr. Daniel Sui, Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation, Dr. Guru Ghosh, Vice President of Outreach and International Affairs, Dr. Tarun Sen, MD & Professor Emeritus of Accounting and Information Systems, and Mr. Harold Brayman, Foreign Commercial Officer at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Mumbai among other senior academics and scholars.
The eminent members representing SVKM and NMIMS included Shri. Amit Sheth, Hon. Secretary, Managing Committee of SVKM, Shri. Nayan Patel, Committee Member of SVKM, Shri. Shalin Divatia, Committee Member of SVKM, Dr. Ramesh Bhat, Vice Chancellor, SVKM’s NMIMS, Dr. Sharad Mhaiskar, Pro Vice Chancellor, Dr. Meena Chintamaneni, Pro Vice Chancellor and several department heads members, Deans, Associate Deans, and professors of the SVKM’s NMIMS were also present on the occasion.
NMIMS Department of International Linkages organised an interactive session for faculty of NMIMS School of Business Management and School of Commerce with 15+ Academics of Professional Development in International Business(FDIB) in India program . The event was held at the NMIMS EU harmony Intercultural HUB Saturday, 7th January, 10.30 – 12 Noon
The delegation of 15 + academics and staff are part of Professional Development in International Business in India program hosted by Florida International University, Center for International Business Education and Research - from December 28, 2022, to January 9, 2023.
Dr Sharad Mhaiskar, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Ms Meena Saxena, Director Interantional Linkages, explained the rationale for the exercise and the meet began with a formal round of introductions followed by individual and group conversations based on the faculty’s areas and interests.
Most of the faculty members found common areas of discussion and very soon, the room was filled with the pleasant buzz that can only emanate from kindred thoughts shared in different contexts with the same goal in mind: bringing meaning to pedagogy while associating with vibrant young minds. The ice was further broken when the delegates engaged in an impromptu dance segment led by an SBM faculty, filled with vigor, fun and laughter to the tunes of Bollywood numbers.
The discussions continued over tea and light refreshments, with the members sharing notes on pedagogies, classroom experiences in their respective domains, and also research interests.
EU Erasmus + Harmony Project
Inauguration of the Video Wall & Project Update
31st October, 2022
NMIMS University Vice Chancellor Dr Ramesh Bhat formally inaugurated the Video wall, funded by EU Erasmus + Harmony Project . The video wall provides a dynamic backdrop in the NMIMS Board Room as it adds significant value to the meeting speeches and presentations with pictures, illustrations, charts, videos and much more. It provides the best viewing experience for the participants as they get to see highly enriched presentations. We see the Video wall providing a great experience for the virtual participants and enable showing both the content shared and the remote participants.
Pro Vice Chancellor Dr Sharad Mhaiskar provided an overview of the Harmony project and the activities thus far, at the NMIMS Academic Council meeting which was attended by VC, PVC, Deans & Directors
Harmony Project a multi-institutional and multi-country consortium of 11 universities which began in January 2021 and is scheduled to end in January 2024, provides an excellent opportunity for peer--learning of internationalisation strategies.Internationalisation at home is one of the key pillars of this project. Its focus is towards systematic institutional efforts for improving non-mobile students’ global skills in domestic environments. The video wall will facilitate these efforts
The project is aimed at understanding key internationalization strategies adopted across various Universities from Europe (Spain, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Slovenia) and Asia (India, Bangladesh & Vietnam), facilitating capacity building of faculty, staff and student mobility and incorporating certain best practices in academic curriculum.
Consortium members
University of Zaragoza |
SPAIN |
European Policy Development and Research Institute |
SLOVENIA |
Varna University of Management |
BULGARIA |
Mykolas Romeris University |
LITHUANIA |
Daffodil International University |
BANGLADESH |
University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh |
BANGLADESH |
The University of Danang |
VIETNAM |
Quang Binh University |
VIETNAM |
Vellore Institute of Technology |
INDIA |
Narsee Morjee Institute of Management Studies |
INDIA |
University of Hyderabad |
INDIA |
We live in a world that thrives on diversity, and NMIMS aims to leverage the same for holistic development of its students and transform them into impactful leaders of the future. Organising events that allow the students to develop global skills of adapting, collaborating, solving problems, making decisions, appreciating diversity, etc. is one of the potent means at NMIMS to develop well-rounded leaders. This program aligns well with Internationalisation at Home one of the important pillars on NMIMS Internationalisation, promoted the cause of inculcating the much-needed diversified set of skills among students.
In all, 53 University students from the UK (Brunel University London, University of Dundee) and India (NMIMS University Bengaluru Campus) took part in Global Leadership Experience 2022 at NMIMS University Bengaluru Campus. During the 4-day programme, participants learnt to use Human-Centered Design Innovation process on navigating the challenges of inclusive education.
Global Leadership Experience 2022 hosted by Common Purpose, at NMIMS Bengaluru, in association with the University of Dundee and Brunel University London, between September 6th and 9th, 2022, encompassed immersive and experiential learning techniques to foster the global participants’ ability to lead inclusively. Diversity is an essential component for success and being a part of a cross-cultural team facilitated invaluable cross-cultural learnings. The event was a way to build social and cultural awareness among students so that they learn to adopt appropriate communication strategies while interacting with students from other cultures and ethnicities, collaborate with them effectively, and work in diverse multidisciplinary teams to create real world solutions.
The challenge given to the participants was ‘How to ensure inclusive education in Bengaluru to increase access to opportunities?’ The participants immersed in foreign environments to explore the challenge from diverse perspectives and learnt to maximise the diversity within their teams for fresh insights and offer creative solutions to present to senior city officials.
A 4-step Human-Centered Design process was adopted, which included Contracting, Disruption, Ideation and Experimentation. Day 1 emphasised on Contracting and dealt with the scope of the challenge and the participants adopted roles of global leaders. Anusha Nagavarapu, Co-founder of The Sai Ashwini Initiative, shared her insights on the city. The participants were briefed about the challenge by Suman John, the Co-Founder and CEO at Diya Innovations and Pavithra K L, Associate Director, Programs at Dream a Dream. Day 2 dealt with Disruption. The participants met some NGOs committed to the cause of inclusive education. They were joined on the campus by Mr. K Thiagarajan, COO, Agastya Foundation, Mr. Mangal Pandey, Co-Founder and CEO, Key Education Foundation, Mr. Shivaram Deshpande, Head of Operations, Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled, and Mr. Madhusudhan Ramesh Atri, Education Consultant, Azim Premji University. The participants also visited Diya Foundation, Raza Educational and Social Welfare Society, Dream a Dream, and Association for Community Care, Education and Social Services, and received first-hand insight into the respective organisations. The students got clarity on the education system in Bengaluru, India, specifically on the quality of education for the marginalised sections of the society.
Day 3 belonged to the Ideation stage where the participants had to map the challenge and regroup their thoughts, reflect on the solution to the challenge and work on the presentations. Day 4 saw a workshop on ways to engage the audience and keep them hooked, followed by pitching of solutions by the teams to the esteemed panel of Dr. Rajendra V Nargundkar, Director NMIMS Bengaluru, Ms. Benazeer Baig, Founder Secretary at Raza Educational and Social Welfare Society, and Mr. Mangal Pandey, Co-Founder and CEO, Key Education Foundation.
The Global Leadership Experience 2022 was hosted by Common Purpose in association with the University of Dundee and Brunel University London to develop unique and customised learning solutions to the challenges of inclusive education, by the leaders of tomorrow. The programme was highly commended by the participants.
University of Zaragoza , Spain as part of the HARMONY Project, co-funded by Erasmus + program of the European Union organized a three-day Study Visit. The Study Visit is part of multi-institutional and multi-country consortium on Internationalization of Education. The Study Visit included participants from nine universities in Europe (Spain, Bulgaria, Lithuania), Bangladesh, Vietnam, and India. Dr Meena Chintamaneni, PVC & Ms Meena Saxena, Director International linkages attended this study visit 12 – 14 September 2022.
The study visit focused on Internationalization of research at the University of Zaragoza, founded in 1542, one of the oldest universities in Spain Research covers a wide spectrum of knowledge organized within the areas of engineering and technology, experimental sciences, health sciences, social and juridical sciences and humanities. The University has ten research institutes, related to Engineering Research, Nanoscience, mathematics, Material Science. Agrofood, Environmental science etc and 30+ research groups.
The University is one of the world leaders in immunotherapy cancer research. Their research has led to significant contributions in the understanding of cancer cell immunity and they have numerous patents intended for cancer treatments
The visit provided an excellent opportunity for Interaction with University experts on research internationalization policies and practices.
EU HARMONY Consortium Member Universities
University of Zaragoza/Spain |
European Policy Development and Research Institute /Slovenia |
Varna University of Management/Bulgaria |
Mykolas Romeris University/Lithuania |
Daffodil International University/Bangladesh |
University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh/Bangladesh |
The University of Danang/Vietnam |
Quang Binh University/Vietnam |
Vellore Institute of Technology/India |
Narsee Morjee Institute of Management Studies/India |
University of Hyderabad/India |
Varna University of Management, Bulgaria as part of the HARMONY Project, co-funded by Erasmus + program of the European Union organized a three-day Study Visit. The HARMONY project relates to Capacity Building in Higher Education - Internationalization and Virtual Exchange: Borderless between EU and Asian Countries. Ms Meena Saxena, Director International linkages and Mr Gajanan Godbole, Manager Department of International linkages, NMIMS attended this study visit 27 – 29 June, 2022.
The Study Visit included participants from ten universities in Europe, Bangladesh, Vietnam and India. The FRIENDS Teahouse is an integral part of the project and has been established with the vision to serve as a hub for students from all walks of life and culture who will have the opportunity to interact and share intercultural experiences. Host Institution VUM presented the Teahouse concept and its internationalization experience and practices implementation across Asia. VUM has already implemented this concept at universities in Bhutan, Cambodia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand. Participants attended an extensive Workshop on Digital storytelling which included a discussion with FRIENDS Student Boot Camp participants and Digital Storytelling Competition. Through digital stories the project supports learning through active self-reflection and self- evaluation. Each of the Asian Universities will now be required to organize a Digital Storytelling Competition. Three winning students from each of the Asian Universities will get an opportunity to attend a Fully funded 2 week Boot camp at VUM, Bulgaria in July 2023..
Asian HEIs presented an overview of the HARMONY project progress report over the past 12 months.
Project Coordinator Prof Rafael de Miguel González presented details of the expectations from each of the Asian universities over the next 6-8 months. This was followed by one-one sessions with each of the Asian universities.
In addition, the visit provided an opportunity for Interaction with VUM experts on VUM internationalization policies and practices.
EU HARMONY Consortium Member Universities
University of Zaragoza/Spain |
European Policy Development and Research Institute /Slovenia |
Varna University of Management/Bulgaria |
Mykolas Romeris University/Lithuania |
Daffodil International University/Bangladesh |
University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh/Bangladesh |
The University of Danang/Vietnam |
Quang Binh University/Vietnam |
Vellore Institute of Technology/India |
Narsee Morjee Institute of Management Studies/India |
University of Hyderabad/India |
Date: 1st April 2022
PROGRAMME:
1. Welcome and overview of the webinar with focus on Virtual Mobility - Dr. Juan Vallés, Vice Dean of International Relations, Faculty of Sciences
2. Experience of UNIZAR at internationalization and virtual mobility: Dr. Francisco Beltrán, Vice Chancellor of Internationalization and Cooperation
3. Exploring Virtual Mobility within Unita, the European University Consortium. - Mr. Kermit MacPherson, Director UNITA Office
4. Other forms of internationalisation: virtual and hybrid programmes - Dr. Ana Yetano, Vice Dean of International Relations, Faculty of Economy and Business
5. Virtual mobility on regional planning, cooperation and aid to development. - Dr. Rafael de Miguel, Vice Dean of International Relations, Faculty of Education
The event is implemented in the frame of Erasmus+ CBHE project Internationalisation and Virtual Exchange: Borderless between EU and Asian Countries/ HARMONY (No. 617223-EPP-1-2020-1-ES-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP), coordinated by the University of Zaragoza
PROGRAMME: